Sniffing and whisking in rodents

Abstract

Sniffing and whisking are two rhythmic orofacial motor activities that enable rodents to localize and track objects in their environment. They have related temporal dynamics, possibly as a result of both shared musculature and shared sensory tasks. Sniffing and whisking also constitute the overt expression of an animal's anticipation of a reward. Yet, the neuronal mechanisms that underlie the control of these behaviors have not been established. Here, we review the similarities between sniffing and whisking and suggest that such similarities indicate a mechanistic link between these two rhythmic exploratory behaviors.