Monitoring neural activity during sleep/wake events in adult C. elegans by automated sleep detection and stimulation

• Published in: STAR protocols 2022-09, Vol.3 (3), p.101532-101532, Article 101532
• Main Authors: Lawler, Daniel E., Albrecht, Dirk R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavior; Microscopy; Model Organisms; Neuroscience; Protocol
• ISSN: 2666-1667; 2666-1667
• DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101532

Sleep in adult C. elegans occurs spontaneously, making timing of individual sleep/wake state transitions unpredictable. This protocol presents a closed-loop system to automatically detect sleep state transitions, trigger stimulation, and record evoked neural responses. This allows users to assess functional consequences of behavioral states in an unbiased manner and identify state-dependent neuromodulation. This closed-loop system is flexible and can be configured to detect any visible events, such as behavior patterns or optical reporters, and measure corresponding evoked neural responses. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Lawler et al. (2021). [Display omitted] •Protocol to assess neural activity changes between sleep and wake states in C. elegans•Closed-loop system automatically detects sleep state and triggers neural stimulation•Microfluidic arenas enable recording of freely moving behavior and neural responses•Image analysis software extracts sleep-dependent neural changes Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics. Sleep in adult C. elegans occurs spontaneously, making timing of individual sleep/wake state transitions unpredictable. This protocol presents a closed-loop system to automatically detect sleep state transitions, trigger stimulation, and record evoked neural responses. This allows users to assess functional consequences of behavioral states in an unbiased manner and identify state-dependent neuromodulation. This closed-loop system is flexible and can be configured to detect any visible events, such as behavior patterns or optical reporters, and measure corresponding evoked neural responses.