How the brain supports flexible thinking and goal-directed actions
The organization of neural representations for flexible behavior in the human brain
['FUNDING_R01'] · BROWN UNIVERSITY · NIH-11164698
This project tests how patterns of brain activity in adults help people switch actions and use goals to guide their behavior.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | BROWN UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PROVIDENCE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11164698 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would do goal-directed thinking tasks while the research team records your brain activity, likely using MRI. The researchers will focus on activity in the prefrontal cortex and use computational methods to see how many distinct activity patterns (or 'dimensions') the brain uses to represent goals and context. They will relate those brain patterns to how well people can generalize rules or separate different responses when situations change. The work aims to explain how the brain balances abstracting information with keeping actions distinct so we can act flexibly.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who can complete computerized cognitive tasks and tolerate MRI scanning (for example, no incompatible medical implants) would be suitable participants.
Not a fit: People whose difficulties are unrelated to cognitive control, or who cannot undergo MRI, are unlikely to benefit from participating in this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help explain why some people have trouble with flexible thinking and guide future ways to identify or treat conditions that affect cognitive control.
How similar studies have performed: Prior brain-imaging studies have shown the prefrontal cortex encodes task-relevant features, but applying the idea of representational dimensionality to explain flexible control is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
PROVIDENCE, UNITED STATES
- BROWN UNIVERSITY — PROVIDENCE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: BADRE, DAVID — BROWN UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: BADRE, DAVID
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.