Extended Data Fig. 7: Visual learning as a function of time.
From: Moculus: an immersive virtual reality system for mice incorporating stereo vision
a-b, Neuronal activity after 5 days training. a, Individual color-coded somatic Ca2+ responses from an example mouse after 5 days learning using Moculus-XL with negative reinforcement (airpuff). The blue curve shows the average population response. Red and green bars indicate aversive and control zones, respectively. Corresponding running speed is shown in red. b, Similar to panel a but with a shorter timeframe. Neuronal responses are elevated at the end of the aversive zones but not in the control zones. c-e, Learning in the aversive and control zones as a function of time. c, Average (mean ± SEM) amplitude of the ramp-like components as a function of time in the aversive zone from Fig. 3h (n = 5 mice). The red line is Multi-Data Linear Fit to Concatenated Data (Origin Pro, OriginLab) showing high correlation between ramp-like components and time during learning (ANOVA p = 3.31×10−10, Pearson’s r = 0.87). The gray dashed line is the same but without day #5 (ANOVA p = 1.2×10−6, Pearson’s r = 0.80). d, Same as panel c, but in the control zone. The correlation was lower in the control zone than in the aversive zone (0–40 minutes: Pearson’s rCTRL.=0.69 v.s. Pearson’s rAVER = 0.80) and ANOVA test of the Multi-Data Linear Fit was significant only during the first 40 minutes (ANOVA p = 1.32×10−4) but not when day 5 was added (ANOVA p = 0.06). Multi-Data Linear Fit to Concatenated Data of the last 3 timepoints (blue dashed line) showed a significant decline in the learning-associated ramp-like component in the control zone (Pearson’s r = −0.71, ANOVA p = 0.002). e, Same as panel c, but with the differences in the ramp components between the aversive and control zones. The differences in the ramp components were significantly correlated with time (Pearson’s r = 0.64, ANOVA p = 1.13×10−4, within 40 minutes: Pearson’s r = 0.50, ANOVA p = 0.01). These data indicate that mice learned the difference between the aversive and control visual cues within 40 minutes. (For c-e, all Pearson’s tests are two-tailed).
