How dopamine controls brain cells to shape mood and motivation
Dissecting the Synaptic and Cellular Actions of Dopamine in Vivo
Researchers are mapping how dopamine changes activity in specific brain cells to help explain problems with mood, motivation, and behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11406198 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses advanced brain recordings and two-photon imaging in awake animals to watch how dopamine alters communication between specific nerve cells. Scientists will measure changes in synaptic strength, cell excitability, and network activity while animals perform behavior tasks. The work is linked to human conditions like depression, OCD, addiction, and Parkinson’s by focusing on the same dopamine systems affected in those disorders. Findings are intended to reveal detailed cellular mechanisms that could guide future patient-focused research.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is a laboratory-based project that does not enroll patients now, though its results could inform future clinical trials for people with depression, OCD, addiction, or Parkinson’s disease.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new therapies or clinical trial enrollment are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic lab research at present.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new cellular targets for treatments that restore healthy dopamine signaling in mood, compulsive, and movement disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Many animal studies have linked dopamine to reward and motivation, but this project applies newer single-cell in vivo methods to reveal mechanisms that remain largely untested in humans.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sippy, Tanya — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Sippy, Tanya
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.