Publications by authors named "Andrew K Tapia"
Background: Reaching, grasping, and pulling behaviors are studied across species to investigate motor control and problem solving. String pulling is a distinct reaching and grasping behavior that is rapidly learned, requires bimanual coordination, is ethologically grounded, and has been applied across species and disease conditions.
New Method: Here we describe the PANDA system (Pulling And Neural Data Analysis), a hardware and software system that integrates a continuous string loop connected to a rotary encoder, feeder, microcontroller, high-speed camera, and analysis software for the assessment and training of reaching, grasping, and pulling behaviors and synchronization with neural data.
Article Synopsis
- String-pulling tasks have been used for a long time to study how animals use both hands to solve problems, but manual training and assessment can be labor-intensive and time-consuming.* -
- The PANDA system is an affordable setup that automates the training and assessment of string-pulling behaviors using various technologies like a rotary encoder and high-speed camera, allowing researchers to gather data more efficiently.* -
- Testing with both unimplanted and electrode-implanted rats shows the PANDA system can reveal important connections between movement and brain activity, making it valuable for research on motor control and disorders like Parkinson’s and stroke.*