A novel assay to evaluate action selection in escape behavior.
BACKGROUND
How experience and individuality shape action selection remains a major question in neuroscience. Visually-evoked escape behavior within Drosophila melanogaster provides a robust model to study these mechanisms within neural circuits but requires novel assays to circumvent limitations of current behavior assays.


METHOD
Here we describe and characterize a simple, low to moderate cost, and flexible assay for studying visually-evoked escape responses in tethered flies. This assay consists of a DLP projector, cylindrical rear projection screen, and an automated flight interruption motor all controlled within a MATLAB environment.


RESULTS
We find this assay effectively recapitulates fly behaviors previously observed in free behavior assays, and provides a novel opportunity to investigate the behavior of individual flies over the course of numerous stimulus presentations.


COMPARISON TO EXISTING METHODS
Current Drosophila escape assays do not permit multiple stimulus presentations and can be highly complex and expensive to implement.


CONCLUSIONS
This assay provides an effective system to further identify neural components and mechanisms underlying action selection within parallel sensorimotor pathways.
['Goodman|David P|DP|', 'Eldredge|Abby|A|', 'von Reyn|Catherine R|CR|']
D000818:Animals D002755:Choice Behavior D004330:Drosophila D004924:Escape Reaction D005426:Flight, Animal D009415:Nerve Net D010775:Photic Stimulation D014796:Visual Perception
Action selection Escape behavior Drosophila melanogaster Neural circuits Behavioral assay Sensorimotor