Tracking activity at near cellular resolution could reveal how different regions of the brain interact WASHINGTON – Researchers have developed a head-mounted miniature microscope that can be used to image activity from the entire outer part of the brain, or cortex, in freely behaving mice. When combined with implantable see-through skulls, the new microscope can capture the brain activity of mice for more than 300 days. Mice are often used to study the brain because they have many of the same brain structures and connectivity as humans. The new microscope, known as the mini-mScope, offers an important new tool for studying how neural activity from multiple regions of the cortex contribute to behavior, cognition and perception.