How dopamine wiring shapes mood, attention, and movement
Molecular Codes for the Establishment of Functionally Segregated Dopaminergic Circuits
This work looks at how different dopamine brain pathways are built and how that may relate to conditions like ADHD, autism, and mood disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11078272 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Dopamine helps control motivation, learning, and movement, and problems with dopamine are linked to ADHD, autism, and mood disorders. The team maps how dopamine neurons connect to different parts of the striatum and why those connections end up distinct. They focus on cell-adhesion proteins called protocadherins that may act as molecular 'zip codes' guiding those connections, using molecular mapping and genetic experiments in the lab. The goal is to explain how miswiring of dopamine circuits could lead to specific psychiatric or motor symptoms.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or mood disorders could be relevant to this line of research and to future related human studies, though this project is mainly laboratory based.
Not a fit: Patients looking for immediate changes to their current treatment or symptom relief are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could reveal new molecular targets to guide more precise treatments for conditions tied to dopamine dysfunction.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work has shown different dopamine pathways carry distinct signals, but using protocadherins to explain circuit wiring is a newer approach with limited direct clinical translation so far.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston Children's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Umemori, Hisashi — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Umemori, Hisashi
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.