Validation of a Mechanical Model of the Active Scanning Process in the Rat Vibrissal System

SCHARFF M; LUCIANNA FA; PIZÁ AG; ALBARRACIN, AL; ALANCASTRE MIRANDA JH; FARFÁN FD

Revista Argentina de Bioingenieria

SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE BIOINGENIERIA

Año: 2022 vol. 25

2591-376X

The rat vibrissal system shows a sophisticated functionality in tactile discrimination, therefore it is analyzed in various works out of the perspective of neuroscience and bioengineering. The present work focuses on the vibrissal system of rodents during tactile exploration in terms of mechanics. In this way, a mechanical model of the natural vibrissa is designed in order to determine the forces and moments at the base while the modeled vibrissa contacts a rough surface. The results of the mechanical simulation are compared to electrophysiological measurements of the afferent activity from vibrissal nerve in consequence of a contact between the vibrissa and real surface. This comparison gives information about the principal relation between mechanical and neuronal signals and furthermore about the electromechanical properties of the system.