Fronto-thalamic circuits and decision making under uncertainty in children’s brain health
Official title: Fronto-thalamic interactions in value-based decision making under uncertainty
Funded at Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-11417961 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study with children’s brain health in mind will explore how the frontal cortex and thalamus work together when choices are uncertain, to better understand conditions like schizophrenia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $245,538 |
| NIH project number | 5R00MH129613-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11417961 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with or at risk for schizophrenia or related cognitive and perceptual disturbances could benefit from advances in understanding decision-making circuits.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without neuropsychiatric concerns may not directly benefit from this specific brain-circuit study.
What this research studies
This project continues work at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania to understand how the brain makes value-based choices when outcomes are uncertain. The researchers will study the interaction between the frontal cortex and the MD thalamus in decision making, using animal models to inform human relevance. The goal is to link neural circuits involved in processing uncertainty to real-world decision behavior, with attention to translational relevance for neuropsychiatric conditions. This builds on prior work from a K99/R00 transition toward a tenure-track position and will be conducted at the two institutions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Insights from this work could eventually lead to better understanding and treatment of decision-making problems seen in schizophrenia.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that frontal-thalamic circuits influence decision making under uncertainty, supporting continued exploration in this area.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mukherjee, Arghya — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Mukherjee, Arghya
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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.