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Shining new light on sensory brain activation and physiological measurement in seals using wearable optical technology

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Date
02/08/2021
Author
McKnight, Chris
Ruesch, Alexander
Bennett, Kimberley
Bronkhorst, Mathijs
Balfour, Steven Thomas
Moss, Simon
Milne, Ryan
Tyack, Peter Lloyd
Kainerstorfer, Jana
Hastie, Gordon Drummond
Funder
NERC
NERC
Grant ID
NE/R015007/1
Agreement R8-H12-86
Keywords
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Near-infrared spectroscopy
Seal
Sensory ecology
Brain activation
QL Zoology
TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
DAS
BEIS/DECC
NERC
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Abstract
Sensory ecology and physiology of free-ranging animals is challenging to study but underpins our understanding of decision making in the wild. Existing non-invasive human biomedical technology offers tools that could be harnessed to address these challenges. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a wearable, non-invasive biomedical imaging technique measures oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin concentration changes that can be used to detect localised neural activation in the brain. We tested the efficacy of fNIRS to detect cortical activation in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and identify regions of the cortex associated with different senses (vision, hearing and touch). Activation of specific cerebral areas in seals was detected by fNIRS in responses to light (vision), sound (hearing) and whisker stimulation (touch). Physiological parameters, including heart and breathing rate, were also extracted from the fNIRS signal, which allowed neural and physiological responses to be monitored simultaneously. This is the first time fNIRS has been used to detect cortical activation in a non-domesticated or laboratory animal. Since fNIRS is non-invasive and wearable, this study demonstrates its potential as a tool to quantitatively investigate sensory perception and brain function while simultaneously recording physiological dynamics that allow calculation of heart rate, tissue and arterial oxygen saturation of haemoglobin, respectively, perfusion changes and breathing rate in free-ranging animals.
Citation
McKnight , C , Ruesch , A , Bennett , K , Bronkhorst , M , Balfour , S T , Moss , S , Milne , R , Tyack , P L , Kainerstorfer , J & Hastie , G D 2021 , ' Shining new light on sensory brain activation and physiological measurement in seals using wearable optical technology ' , Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences , vol. 376 , no. 1830 , 20200224 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0224
Publication
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Status
Peer reviewed
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0224
ISSN
0962-8436
Type
Journal article
Rights
Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This work has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies or with permission. Permission for further reuse of this content should be sought from the publisher or the rights holder. This is the author created accepted manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0224
Description
This project was funded as part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment Programme. Supplementary funding supporting J.C.M. and P.L.T. was provided by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) grant nos N00014-18-1-2062 and N00014-20-1-2709. Supplementary funding supporting J.K. and A.R. was provided by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) grant no. N00014-19-1-1223. Assistance in funding for acquisition of the fNIRS system was provided by SMRU Consulting's 10th Anniversary Award.
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  • University of St Andrews Research
URL
https://rke.abertay.ac.uk/en/publications/shining-new-light-on-sensory-brain-activation-and-physiological-m
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/24530

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