Coordinated neural activity in freely behaving Drosophila larvae

To understand how brains encode and coordinate behaviors, we seek to follow neural activity in organisms behaving in naturalistic manners. Using volumetric, multi-neuronal imaging in freely behaving Drosophila larvae, we measure neural activity from an extended volume within the larval central nervous system. Recordings from motor and premotor neurons show waves of activity propagating in sync with a larva’s peristaltic crawling, thus demonstrating the power of our microscope to aid in answering this long-standing question in systems neuroscience.