High channel count microphone array accurately and precisely localizes ultrasonic signals from freely-moving mice

Abstract Background An integral component in the assessment of vocal behavior in groups of freely interacting animals is the ability to determine which animal is producing each vocal signal. This process is facilitated by using microphone arrays with multiple channels. New method and comparison with existing methods Here, we made important refinements to a state-of-the-art microphone array based system used to localize vocal signals produced by freely interacting laboratory mice. Key changes to the system included increasing the number of microphones as well as refining the methodology for localizing and assigning vocal signals to individual mice. Results We systematically demonstrate that the improvements in the methodology for localizing mouse vocal signals led to an increase in the number of signals detected as well as the number of signals accurately assigned to an animal. Conclusions These changes facilitated the acquisition of larger and more comprehensive data sets that better represent the vocal activity within an experiment. Furthermore, this system will allow more thorough analyses of the role that vocal signals play in social communication. We expect that such advances will broaden our understanding of social communication deficits in mouse models of neurological disorders.