Our article “A head-mounted open-source light field microscope for large volumetric Ca2+ imaging during exploratory and social behavior in mice” has been published in Cell Reports.
In this work, we demonstrate MiniLFMv2, a next-generation miniature light-field microscope that records volumetric neural activity in freely moving mice. MiniLFMv2 allows simultaneous recordings within 1 × 1 × 0.2 mm3 at 30 Hz. Using MiniLFMv2, we recorded ~400 cortical neurons at up to 0.4 mm depth during unrestrained behavior, with minimal impact on mobility. During exploratory and social behaviors, we identified subpopulations selectively tuned to locomotion, rearing, and social investigation. MiniLFMv2 offers a powerful tool for investigating neural dynamics during naturalistic and social behaviors. Our fully open-source design integrates with the established UCLA Miniscope platform.
Read our full publication here.