Fig. 5: Dysgranular region activity induces nocifensive escape behavior.
a Schematic for monitoring escape behaviour induced by applying an 808-nm infrared (IR) laser to the left whisker pad of a head-restrained freely moving animal on a spherical treadmill. Motion direction and speed were monitored by a camera at the back, and facial expression and forelimb movement were monitored by side cameras. b Examples of escape speed in response to 500 and 1500 ms IR stimulations, corresponding to 0.09 (innoxious heat, innH) and 0.27 J/mm2 (noxH), respectively. c Average speed profiles with (innH, orange; noxH, red) and without (black) IR stimulation (n = 6 mice). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. d Maximum speeds induced by IR stimulation (n = 6 mice, n.s., not significant; **P = 3.1 × 10−6 (No Stim. v.s. noxH), 0.0055 (innH v.s. nox H); one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey–Kramer test.). e Scheme for silencing six S1 positions (430 μm apart) via 473-nm photoactivation of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) during noxH stimulation. Scale bar, 1 mm. +, bregma; R, rostral; L, lateral; D, dorsal. f Average speed profiles show that optogenetic suppression at P3 (blue) or P4 (cyan) significantly reduced the escape speed to noxH (n = 6 mice). *P < 0.05. g Mean z-scores of the maximum speed (n = 6 mice). **P = 2.3 × 10−5 (noxH v.s. P3), 2.0 × 10−4 (noxH v.s. P4); one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey–Kramer test. Shading and error bars indicate SEMs for mice.
