Behaviourally modulated hippocampal theta oscillations in the ferret persist during both locomotion and immobility

Theta oscillations are a hallmark of hippocampal activity across mammals and play a critical role in many hippocampal models of memory and spatial navigation. To reconcile the cross-species differences observed in the presence and properties of theta, we recorded hippocampal local field potentials in rats and ferrets during auditory and visual localisation tasks designed to vary locomotion and sensory attention. Here, we show that theta oscillations occur during locomotion in both ferrets and rats, however during periods of immobility, theta oscillations persisted in the ferret, contrasting starkly with the switch to large irregular activity (LIA) in the rat. Theta during immobility in the ferret was identified as analogous to Type 2 theta that has been observed in rodents due to its sensitivity to atropine, and was modulated by behavioural state, with the strongest theta observed during reward epochs. These results demonstrate that even under similar behavioural conditions, differences exist between species in the relationship between theta and behavioural state.