How brain connections help people adapt their thinking
INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF HIPPOCAMPUS - ORBITOFRONTAL CIRCUITS FOR COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY
This research looks at how connections between the hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex help people change their thinking and behavior when situations change.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11256754 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The researchers are focusing on a brain circuit that helps with reversal learning, which is the ability to switch choices or strategies when rules change. They will map and manipulate connections from the ventral hippocampus to the orbitofrontal cortex using lab-based experiments, largely in animal models, while measuring behavior tied to cognitive flexibility. The team will also study how chronic stress affects these circuits to better understand why flexibility breaks down in many mental illnesses. Findings are intended to identify specific circuit targets that could guide future treatments for cognitive problems in psychiatric conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who struggle to adapt their thinking or behavior—for example those with depression, anxiety, PTSD, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms marked by rigid thinking—would be the eventual population most likely to benefit.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment or whose symptoms do not include problems with cognitive flexibility are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating in this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new brain targets to help improve thinking flexibility and reduce harmful rumination or rigid behavior in psychiatric disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have linked hippocampus and orbitofrontal regions to flexible behavior, but dissecting the specific ventral-hippocampus-to-OFC circuit and its stress effects is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Anacker, Christoph — New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
- Study coordinator: Anacker, Christoph
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.