This also fits 100% with the little test we developed to check if/when means are likely meaningful to the brain in a data set (shout out to twitterfree first author Alejandro Tlaie). Spoiler: not often! @markdhumphries would love to get your take on this!

#FENS24 crowd! Thought that mice don't saccade systematically? Think again! Wed afternoon @baldneuro will present his poster showing that in a naturalistic VR foraging task, mice saccade to gather visual info just like us. ;) Find us here: Poster Session 2 PS02-26PM-439

#FENS24 gang! Attention! Is it the same across species? @mina_glukhova compared attentional fluctuations in humans, monkeys and mice doing the same VR foraging task, and finds many parallels (and a few differences ;) ). Check it out FRIDAY PM: Poster Session 6, PS06-28PM-114

Loved showing off our state-dependant mouse saccades project from @ZeroNoiseLab at #FENS24! So much fun discussing the use cases and ramifications of this work, can’t wait to bring it to the finish line!

Have you ever DREAMed of chronic ephys implants that are easy, cheap, reusable, robust and comfy  - for you and your rodents? In our new preprint, we present: The DREAM. Powered by the stellar 3D design and ephys skills of @der_Tim and @BaldNeuro... (1/2) https://t.co/Xmi1R1jvrG

Nevertheless, I would like to thank the people involved in this work. @JanSiemens2 and the lab for the supervision and the time in Heidelberg. Special thanks to Gretel Kamm for the help on the setup and Alejandro Tlaie Borja for the help with the analysis of the data!

On our way to deeper understanding of warm-temperature detection, we still find both TRPV1 and TRPM2 to be relevant, albeit in different ways. There is still work to do (see revisions) and many open questions (e.g. what about TRPM2 WSNs?)

The fitted model highlights the differences between the tested genotypes. TRPM2 affects the drift rate (evidence accumulation rate) and TRPV1 affects the "noise" (or precision) of the information accumulation process. It also shows the improved detection in TRPV1-OX animals!

Crossing rates and dwell-times felt a bit confusing to talk about in the context of the data. Therefore, inspired by the decision-making field, we conceptualized the behaviour of crossing from one chamber to the other as an evidence accumulation process (with a DDM).

How does that translate to behaviour? TRPV1-OX animals cross less often and develop preference faster than wildtype animals. This suggests that these animals are *better* at differentiating warm temperatures.

TRPV1 seems to govern the responses during the fast temperature changes, as TRPV1-KO cultures lack dynamic responders and TRPV1-overexpression (TRPV1-OX) boosts the proportion of these cells.

But how do these channels contribute to the different behaviours in the CPT? Again, we went beyond comparing abundances and into how WSNs respond to stimuli. We noticed that cells vary in when they respond during the stimulus. During the rising (dynamic) phase or the static phase

Side note: DRG cultures grown overnight show much larger proportions of WSNs than in-vivo recordings and act more similar to injured DRGs (inability to return to baseline after stimulus). Culturing the cells for an additional 2 days resolves these issues.

We went to have a look at DRG cultures. An issue with warm-sensitive neurons (WSNs) is their low abundance (1-5% in DRGs). So we had to image *many* (>20k) to be able to say anything. TRPV1- and TRPM2-KO, lead to a loss of WSNs, with TRPV1 affecting the whole range of stimuli.

It seems like TRPV1-KO animals cross more often between sides (with shorter visits) while TRPM2-KO animals have longer visits to the warmer side. Suggesting that TRPV1 *is* involved in warmth detection, but how?

Usually, analysis of such preference data stops at reporting the time spent on each side. We took it a step further and looked at the frequency of crossings and the dwell times of the animals.

We used our new setup to test TRPV1- and TRPM2-KO animals' preferences to warm temperatures. Here again, TRPM2 seems to be the main driver of warmth preference.

Together with @GretelKamm, we developed a thermal chamber preference assay (TCP) that enables control of ambient and floor temperature. This assay turned out to be more sensitive than the typical two-plate temperature preference assay, especially in the warm temperature range.

Mice (and humans) integrate temperature information body-wide. Traditional assays test single areas (paws or tongue), but whole-body thermal preference paradigms offer a broader perspective on temperature integration.

Our study aimed to clear out this confusion by examining TRPV1 and TRPM2 in parallel, with some interesting observations along the way!