Flexible decision-making in the brain: how signals in key regions guide goal-directed actions
Official title: Top-Down Mechanisms and Modulation of Flexible Tactile Discrimination
Funded at University of California Riverside · NIH-11384133 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying how the brain changes its responses to the same touch or cue depending on what goal you’re pursuing, using mice to map brain circuits that control flexible behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Riverside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Riverside, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $580,321 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS112200-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384133 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients directly; findings may inform future human research on brain function and disorders.
✕Less likely to help
This basic science study uses mice and does not involve patient participation.
What this research studies
This project investigates how three brain regions—the locus coeruleus, orbitofrontal cortex, and somatosensory cortex—work together to switch rules during a task. Researchers will use pathway-specific perturbations and high-resolution neural recordings in mice performing behavior tasks to understand how signals travel within and between these areas to enable flexible, goal-directed actions. The goal is to build a unified framework for how these circuits coordinate to adapt responses based on context and goals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A deeper understanding of brain circuits that enable flexible behavior could inform approaches to treat conditions affecting executive function and sensory-guided decision making.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked these brain regions to flexible behavior; this project aims to extend that knowledge with circuit-specific approaches.
Where this research is happening
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University of California Riverside
Riverside, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Hongdian — University of California Riverside
- Study coordinator: Yang, Hongdian
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.