How the brain lines up sights and sounds for accurate orientation
Developmental mechanisms underlying visual and auditory topographic map alignment and accurate spatial orienting behavior
This project looks at how the developing brain lines up visual and auditory maps so organisms can quickly point to things, with implications for people who have ADHD, autism, or other sensory-orienting difficulties.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Cruz NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Cruz, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11195645 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will use mice to record brain activity in the superior colliculus while presenting sounds and sights in specific locations to see how visual and auditory maps become aligned during development. They will manipulate sensory experience during key developmental windows and use high-density neural probes to measure how single neurons respond to visual, auditory, and combined stimuli. Behavioral tests will determine how map misalignment affects natural spatial orienting actions. Results are intended to clarify mechanisms that may underlie orienting and multisensory problems seen in conditions like ADHD and autism.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Although this is preclinical mouse research and does not enroll people, individuals with ADHD, autism, or sensory-orienting difficulties who follow research developments may be candidates for future human studies that build on these findings.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or those without sensory-orienting or multisensory processing concerns are unlikely to get direct benefit from this animal-based research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal basic brain mechanisms that guide later efforts to diagnose or design therapies for sensory-orienting problems in ADHD, autism, and related conditions.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies have linked multisensory map alignment to orienting behaviors, but this project uses denser neural recordings and targeted developmental manipulations, making its approach more comprehensive and relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Santa Cruz, United States
- University of California Santa Cruz — Santa Cruz, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Feldheim, David a — University of California Santa Cruz
- Study coordinator: Feldheim, David a
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.