How spontaneous brain waves shape what you see
Official title: Spatiotemporal patterns of neural activity and their role in perception
Funded at Salk Institute for Biological Studies · NIH-11418888 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how natural brain activity in the visual system influences whether people detect faint visual signals.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Salk Institute for Biological Studies NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 30, 2018 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $459,019 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY028723-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11418888 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to a specific patient population in this grant; however, findings could eventually inform research related to human visual perception disorders.
✕Less likely to help
May not directly benefit individuals in the short term since this is basic brain research in animal models and computational work.
What this research studies
This project looks at how spontaneous traveling waves in the visual cortex affect perception in awake animals, with the goal of linking brain activity patterns to moments when a faint target is seen or missed. Scientists will combine experiments in awake subjects with computational models to understand how connectivity and timing shape neural responses and perception. The work aims to identify distinct wave patterns that may regulate how strongly stimuli are perceived. If these ideas translate to humans, they could illuminate why perception sometimes fails and guide new approaches to vision-related disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how brain activity influences perception could inform new ways to treat sensory processing issues or improve interventions for disorders affecting visual perception.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work showed spontaneous traveling waves in the visual cortex and a link to perception, with new aims to test causality and connectivity, representing a logical progression of known findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reynolds, John H — Salk Institute for Biological Studies
- Study coordinator: Reynolds, John H
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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.