Crouse, S. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2026

The NeuroHab: A Low-Cost, Integrated System for Investigation of Neural Correlates of Behaviors

The development of a new integrated operant system was driven by two challenges in behavioral neuroscience: the high cost and technical complexity of commercial rigs, and their limited adaptability across experiments. We developed the NeuroHab, an integrated behavioral arena for high-fidelity operant conditioning and automated data collection in a single unified system. Food and water reward, conditioned-stimulus presentation, and event recording are tied together programmatically with easy-to-install open-source code to facilitate throughput and reproducibility. All behavioral events are processed by internal microcontrollers and logged with <1 ms latency (typical range 56-728 s). This precise timing is critical for integrating the system with two-photon imaging and electrophysiology, enabling real-time alignment of behavior with brain activity. The NeuroHab uses solenoid-actuated, capacitive-sensing Lickports that let an untethered mouse drink from an automated port, and delivers food via the Kravitz Lab FED3. Conditioned stimuli are presented by dedicated buzzer/LED modules. A central controller (the Core) coordinates all modules and logs event timestamps using TTL-low signaling between two microcontrollers, at a maximum recording rate of 16.67 Hz for single-pulse events. We have deployed the NeuroHab in over 50 behavior trials and over 20 sessions alongside a Mini two-photon microscope. At approximately $1,400, easily modified, and compatible with existing analysis tools, the NeuroHab lowers barriers to multimodal behavioral neuroscience. Significance StatementThe study of how neural activity gives rise to behavior depends on operant systems that are both temporally precise and affordable, yet commercial rigs are costly and difficult to adapt across experiments. We introduce the NeuroHab, an integrated, open-source operant platform that unifies reward delivery, conditioned-stimulus presentation, and event logging with sub-millisecond timing (typical latency 56-728 s). Built for approximately $1,400, the system forwards all behavioral timestamps to external acquisition hardware, enabling millisecond-scale alignment of behavior with two-photon imaging and electrophysiology. By lowering the cost and technical barriers to synchronized behavioral and neural recording, the NeuroHab makes multimodal, reproducible operant neuroscience accessible to a broad range of laboratories and adaptable to diverse experimental paradigms.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

A Multidimensional Framework for Behavioral Persistence: Dissociable Dimensions of Effort, Endurance, and Sequence Stability in Mice

Behavioral persistence, the maintenance of goal-directed action despite obstacles, is a fundamental adaptive process, yet its scientific study remains fragmented across disciplines with disparate operational definitions. Here, we introduce the Persistence Spectrum (PERCS) framework, a five-dimensional model deconstructing persistence into Perseverance of Effort (P), Strategic Endurance (E), Resistance to Extinction (R), Temporal Consistency (C), and Repetitive Sequence Stability (S). Using programmable operant schedules via the FED3 system, we induced a continuum of persistent food-seeking in mice across four paradigms: Fixed Ratio (FR), Alternating 2x2 and 5x5, and Random Progressive Ratio (RPR). To objectively identify persistence periods, we developed a session-specific Gaussian mixture model, providing a data-driven alternative to arbitrary frequency thresholds. We found that persistence bouts were fundamentally driven by unrewarded effort, not reward delivery: instantaneous frequency for incorrect pokes significantly exceeded that for correct pokes in FR, 2x2, and 5x5 (all p < 0.05). This pattern was most pronounced in the high-demand RPR schedule, where high-rate poking continued unabated even after successes, directly challenging reinforcement-centric models and providing strong empirical support for frustration theory. Linear mixed-effects modeling revealed that frequency increased with consecutive unrewarded pokes across all paradigms, with a quadratic (inverted-U) relationship specific to FR and 2x2 (p < 0.001), suggesting effort invigoration followed by strategic disengagement in simpler tasks, whereas high-demand schedules maintained linear increases. Notably, the collapse of Sequence Stability (S) in RPR is partly constrained by the tasks environmental contingency: random reward rules mathematically restrict stable sequence learning. Aggregate analysis showed total poke counts and unrewarded effort scaled with task difficulty (all p < 2e-16), yet pellet retrieval rates remained stable, indicating goal achievement despite increased challenge. Crucially, PERCS profiles were robust across independent and continuous training histories, demonstrating they reflect stable phenotypes shaped by current contingencies rather than training artifacts. Application of PERCS revealed distinct fingerprints: FR produced near-zero P, E, R, and C but maximal S, characteristic of an efficient habit; 2x2 and 5x5 elevated P, E, and R while reducing S; and RPR generated highest P and R, lowest S, and marked inter-individual variability. These findings demonstrate that operant schedules dissociably shape distinct persistence dimensions, with unrewarded effort acting as a key motivational trigger, positioning frustrative nonreward as a primary engine of persistent behavior. The PERCS framework provides a unified, quantitative language for characterizing persistent behavior across species and paradigms, offering a powerful tool for linking dimensions to neural circuits and understanding their breakdown in neuropsychiatric disorders.

animal behavior and cognition↗