Exploring how rats make decisions based on spatial information in the brain.
Official title: Understanding spatial representations in rat orbitofrontal cortex
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11168876 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how a part of the brain in rats helps them make choices based on where they are and what they might find, which could help us understand decision-making problems in people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $407,147 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH137276-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11168876 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for benefiting from this research are individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders that involve decision-making difficulties.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without neuropsychiatric disorders or those not experiencing decision-making challenges may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in rats processes spatial information to aid in decision-making. By developing new behavioral tasks that mimic natural foraging scenarios, the study aims to understand how rats associate specific locations with the value of potential outcomes. The research will utilize advanced techniques to observe neural activity in the OFC while the rats engage in these tasks, providing insights into the neural mechanisms behind flexible decision-making. The findings could shed light on the underlying causes of decision-making disorders in humans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enhance our understanding of decision-making processes and inform treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by inflexible decision-making.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific approach of examining spatial representations in the OFC is novel, related studies have shown success in understanding decision-making processes in other contexts.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wikenheiser, Andrew M — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Wikenheiser, Andrew M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how genetic changes in blood cells relate to heart disease in people with HIV
A study will look at how age-related blood cell mutations and large chromosomal changes might contribute to heart disease risk in people living with HIV.
-
Systems genetics of vascular smooth muscle phenotypes in heart disease
Aims to understand how genetic differences influence vascular smooth muscle cells to improve prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease.
-
Motivation for Alcohol Use in Humans and How It Can Be Measured
This grant explores how people are motivated to drink alcohol and tests a safe, controlled way to study that motivation to inform better treatments for alcohol use disorder.
-
Overcoming CAR T cell resistance with tumor-targeted IL-12 to boost anti-tumor immunity
Aims to make CAR T cell therapy work better for solid tumors by using tumor-focused IL-12 to boost the body’s attack on cancer.
-
PediCODE: A Biorepository and Consortium for CoDE - Congenital Diarrhea and Enteropathy
A nationwide effort to collect clinical data and patient-derived samples to uncover the genetic causes of congenital diarrhea and enteropathy and to build a resource that helps researchers study these diseases.
-
Mentor Moms+: a community-led plan to cut alcohol use and HIV risk during pregnancy in South Africa
A community-based program adapts a trusted peer-led model to help pregnant and lactating people reduce alcohol use and HIV risk in South Africa.
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.