Cross-brain interactions shaping decision making in rats
Official title: Cross-brain, multi-region interactions in decision formation and decision commitment
Funded at Princeton University · NIH-11406284 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Princeton project will record many brain cells across dozens of regions in freely moving rats to understand how different brain areas coordinate during decision making.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Princeton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Princeton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 18, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $807,252 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH138935-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406284 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients directly; findings may inform human research and therapies in the long term.
✕Less likely to help
This study uses rats and does not involve patient participation or immediate clinical benefits.
What this research studies
This project will implant chronic electrodes to record hundreds of neurons across tens of brain regions in trained rats, capturing cellular activity while the animals make choices. It will also develop new data analysis methods to map how information flows between regions and how these interactions relate to decisions. The goal is to create a comprehensive view of multi-region brain dynamics at cellular resolution, something that has been hard to achieve with current techniques. The work aims to uncover fundamental principles of how brain networks coordinate cognition and behavior.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Improved knowledge about brain network dynamics could inform future strategies for treating cognitive disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous multi-region studies have shown that large-scale neural dynamics resemble coordinated networks, but this project advances with higher cellular resolution and more regions.
Where this research is happening
-
Princeton University
Princeton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brody, Carlos D — Princeton University
- Study coordinator: Brody, Carlos D
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.