How the brain plans and sequences everyday actions
Official title: Neural Population Geometry and Dynamics Underlying Multi-Step Cognitive-Motor Sequencing
Funded at Carnegie-Mellon University · NIH-11513630 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how connected brain areas plan and carry out multi-step movements so findings can help people with movement problems like Parkinson's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Carnegie-Mellon University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $153,868 |
| NIH project number | 4R00NS140554-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11513630 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with Parkinson's disease or other conditions that cause trouble planning or sequencing movements would be the most relevant group to follow this research and potentially join future related human studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose problems stem from peripheral nerve or muscle disease rather than central brain sequencing may not directly benefit from findings focused on brain circuit dynamics.
What this research studies
You will read about research that records brain activity across multiple areas involved in planning and executing sequences of actions. The team trains rhesus macaques on a new task that requires using learned rules to produce multi-step movement plans on novel trials. While animals perform the task, researchers record large-scale neural signals from prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area, premotor cortex, and the basal ganglia to see how upstream circuits set up whole action sequences. Results aim to reveal how the brain represents later steps 'just in time' and how breakdowns in this coordination may cause problems seen in Parkinson's and related disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify brain circuit failures that underlie planning and execution problems and guide new therapies or rehabilitation approaches for movement disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Prior human and animal work has shown motor and premotor areas are important for sequencing, but this large-scale, multi-area circuit recording approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vyas, Saurabh — Carnegie-Mellon University
- Study coordinator: Vyas, Saurabh
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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.