Open-source software for zebrafish eye tracking and visual stimulation
The optokinetic response, or OKR is a very commonly used and robust method of assessing visual function and evoking eye movements in zebrafish larvae. The OKR is a reflex allowing the visual environment to be stabilised on the retina. It consists of slow velocity phases where the eye “follows” the movement of the entire visual field, and fast resetting saccadic eye movements, usually evoked when the eye has reached the periphery and can no longer follow the stimulus. This reflex is readily elicited by a grating stimulus consisting of vertical moving bars. In our lab, we investigate the oculomotor hindbrain circuits controlling horizontal eye movements during optokinetic and spontaneous eye movements. To make this easier, we have developed a software which integrates all key aspects of behavioural vision experimentation, including stimulus design, visual stimulation with moving bars, eye detection and tracking (and general motion detection), real-time analysis, eye position dependent closed-loop event control and recording of external event times.
ZebEyeTrack and its precursor version have already been used in many applications, including: (i) spontaneous eye movements tracking, (ii) event control for optogenetics, (iii) calcium imaging, (iv) event control for calcium imaging and (v) student training.
This software has an intuitive graphic user interface, and can be easily integrated into existing setups. We are committed to sharing this program with scientists who need to test zebrafish visual performance in their projects. The software can be downloaded for free from our dedicated website http://www.zebeyetrack.com/. You can also test our software or analyse your own data by using the ZebEyeTrack virtual machine that we host (no download is needed, instructions are available at www.zebeyetrack.com). Also see Dehmelt et al. Nature Protocols 2018 for a step-by-step introduction to this software.
You can also test our software or analyse your own data by using the ZebEyeTrack virtual machine that we host (no download is needed, instructions are available at www.zebeyetrack.com). Also see Dehmelt et al. Nature Protocols 2018 for a step-by-step introduction to this software.