A Chronic Multimodal Platform for Simultaneous Electrophysiology and Calcium Imaging During Motor Behaviors

Neural population dynamics during behavior occur across various spatial and temporal scales. Current neural recording methods, however, are primarily acute and do not lend themselves to optimal long-term multimodal recordings with combined high temporal and spatial mapping capabilities. This methodological bottleneck has hindered comprehensive longitudinal studies of neural dynamics. Here, we introduce a novel chronic multimodal platform that enables simultaneous high-density electrophysiological recording and two-photon (2P) calcium imaging over several months. We present a detailed multimodal analysis pipeline to demonstrate the platform's utility in investigating neural dynamics during month-long motor learning, which was previously inaccessible.