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NEUROSCIENCE

FiPhA: An open-source platform for fiber photometry analysis

Bridge MF, Wilson LR, Panda S, Stevanovic KD, Letsinger AC, McBride S, Cushman JD.
Neurophotonics · 11(1) · 2024
In one sentence — ai-generated summary

FiPhA — a free, point-and-click app for analyzing fiber photometry data, the technique neuroscientists use to watch brain chemistry in real time as animals move and behave.

DOI

Abstract

Significance

Fiber photometry (FP) is a widely used technique in modern behavioral neuroscience, employing genetically encoded fluorescent sensors to monitor neural activity and neurotransmitter release in awake-behaving animals. However, analyzing photometry data can be both laborious and time-consuming

Aim

We propose the fiber photometry analysis (FiPhA) app, which is a general-purpose FP analysis application. The goal is to develop a pipeline suitable for a wide range of photometry approaches, including spectrally resolved, camera-based, and lock-in demodulation.

Approach

FiPhA was developed using the R Shiny framework and offers interactive visualization, quality control, and batch processing functionalities in a user-friendly interface.

Results

This application simplifies and streamlines the analysis process, thereby reducing labor and time requirements. It offers interactive visualizations, event-triggered average processing, powerful tools for filtering behavioral events, and quality control features.

Conclusions

FiPhA is a valuable tool for behavioral neuroscientists working with discrete, event-based FP data. It addresses the challenges associated with analyzing and investigating such data, offering a robust and user-friendly solution without the complexity of having to hand-design custom analysis pipelines. This application thus helps standardize an approach to FP analysis.

BibTeX 
@article{bridge2024fipha,
  title = {{{FiPhA}}: An Open-Source Platform for Fiber Photometry Analysis},
  shorttitle = {{{FiPhA}}},
  author = {Bridge, Matthew F. and Wilson, Leslie R. and Panda, Sambit and Stevanovic, Korey D. and Letsinger, Ayland C. and McBride, Sandra and Cushman, Jesse D.},
  year = 2024,
  month = feb,
  journal = {Neurophotonics},
  volume = {11},
  number = {1},
  pages = {014305},
  publisher = {SPIE},
  issn = {2329-423X, 2329-4248},
  doi = {10.1117/1.NPh.11.1.014305},
}