Slow brain activity and how it shapes attention, arousal, and behavior
Official title: Macroscale physiology and functional correlates of slow network fluctuations
Funded at Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res · NIH-11349768 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how slow changes in brain activity relate to attention, alertness, and behavior in healthy adults using brain scans and body sensors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orangeburg, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2017 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $324,662 |
| NIH project number | 5P50MH109429-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11349768 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 or older who are healthy and can safely undergo MRI, EEG, and other noninvasive recordings are the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, anyone with MRI-incompatible implants, or those with severe neurological conditions that prevent safe participation may not be eligible or benefit directly.
What this research studies
If I join, researchers will record brain and body signals from healthy adults using simultaneous fMRI, EEG, eye tracking (pupillometry), heart rate, breathing, skin conductance, and muscle sensors while people perform tasks. They will compare these signals over extended periods to see how slow drifts in arousal and attention influence behavior and the ability to switch between external and internal focus. The team will also try to change arousal and cognitive control experimentally to test whether these factors drive shifts in brain networks and behavior. Data are collected in extended, in-person sessions at the Nathan S. Kline Institute to capture natural fluctuations and task-related switches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify why attention and alertness drift over time and point to ways to detect or treat disorders linked to abnormal slow brain activity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies using fMRI, EEG, and physiological measures have linked slow brain fluctuations to attention and arousal, but combining deep multimodal recording with causal manipulation in the same participants is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res
Orangeburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Milham, Michael Peter — Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res
- Study coordinator: Milham, Michael Peter
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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.