Autonomic nervous system measurement in conscious mice

Abstract

The autonomic nervous system plays a critical role in maintaining homeostasis by regulating respiration, circulation, thermoregulation, and metabolic processes. It consists of efferent pathways projecting from the central nervous system to peripheral organs and afferent pathways transmitting sensory information back to the central nervous system. In animal models, organ-specific autonomic nerve activity has traditionally been assessed using electrophysiological recordings from nerves innervating the target organ. Recent advances have enabled chronic recordings of sympathetic nerve activity in awake rodents using wired and wireless electrode systems, providing valuable insights into physiological regulation under conscious conditions. In our recent work, we successfully recorded renal sympathetic nerve activity, arterial pressure, and heart rate in mice following electrode implantation under anesthesia, and confirmed the presence of baroreceptor reflexes after recovery to the awake state. This review summarizes current methodologies for recording autonomic nerve activity in awake animals, discusses technical challenges such as motion-induced artifacts, and highlights future directions for developing stable, long-term recording techniques in mice to facilitate studies of autonomic regulation over weeks to months.