How brain chemicals change over time and across sensory brain areas
The Spatial and Temporal Scale of Neuromodulation in Mouse Sensory Cortex
This research looks at how two brain chemicals, acetylcholine and norepinephrine, change in the brain to support sensing and attention and why that matters for conditions like Alzheimer’s, ADHD, and autism.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11236598 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use mice and advanced imaging to watch the local levels of acetylcholine and norepinephrine at the same time as groups of brain cells are active. They will record these chemicals and neural activity across different parts of sensory cortex to see how neuromodulation varies in space and time. In behavioral tests, mice will perform tasks that challenge auditory and visual attention while the team measures whether the two chemicals can be recruited separately to improve performance. The work uses two-photon imaging and genetically encoded sensors to get high-resolution, real-time measures of neuromodulator availability alongside neural population recordings.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project does not enroll people; its results will be most relevant to people living with Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, or autism who are interested in the biology behind their conditions.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate new treatments or wanting to join a clinical trial would not receive direct benefit, because the experiments are done in mice and focus on basic mechanisms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal how disruptions in neuromodulator signaling contribute to disorders like Alzheimer’s, ADHD, and autism and point toward new treatment strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies show that acetylcholine and norepinephrine affect cortical state and behavior, but simultaneous local recording of both neuromodulators with population neural activity is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reimer, Jacob — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Reimer, Jacob
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 below.