Slow brain activity across levels and how it affects attention and behavior

Multiscale physiology and causal mechanisms of slow network fluctuations

NIH-funded research Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res · NIH-11349777

This project looks at slow, large-scale brain activity and smaller circuit signals to learn how they relate to attention, watching movies, and rest in humans and closely related primates.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionNathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Orangeburg, United States)
Project IDNIH-11349777 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would see how whole-brain signals (like EEG and fMRI) relate to finer-scale brain recordings by combining human imaging with detailed recordings in nonhuman primates. In the primates, researchers will collect simultaneous scalp EEG and fMRI during attention tasks, movie watching, and rest, and perform microscopic layer and cell recordings. They will also use targeted chemogenetic manipulation in primates to test causal roles of specific brain sites. Findings will be linked to human intracranial recordings and biophysical models to connect patterns across scales.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people willing to take part in noninvasive brain imaging (EEG/fMRI) or patients who already have intracranial recordings as part of clinical care.

Not a fit: People whose conditions do not involve attention, arousal, or large-scale brain network function, or those unwilling to travel or undergo imaging, are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make EEG and fMRI easier to interpret and help identify brain circuit targets for problems with attention, arousal, or related disorders.

How similar studies have performed: Related EEG/fMRI and intracranial recording work has provided useful insights, but combining multi-scale primate manipulations with human imaging to link across scales is relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

Orangeburg, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.