Timing-based gating of sensory signals in the thalamus and cortex
Official title: Feedback and feedforward gating of sensory signaling through timing in the thalamocortical loop
Funded at Georgia Institute of Technology · NIH-11385286 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aiming to understand how timing in the thalamus and cortex controls what we notice from our senses, using mice to study how signals are sharpened and made salient.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgia Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | August 19, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $480,840 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS128896-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11385286 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with intact vision and somatosensory processing relevant to basic sensory perception, typically in preclinical or translational settings; human applicability will depend on future follow-up studies.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without sensory processing concerns or conditions unlikely to be directly impacted by Corticothalamic feedback mechanisms.
What this research studies
This project will study how feedback from the cortex to the thalamus shapes sensory processing in the whisker system of awake, head-fixed mice. Researchers will use optogenetics to selectively manipulate corticothalamic feedback and record neuronal activity to see how timing affects detectability and discrimination of touch. The work plans to map how layer 6 corticothalamic inputs influence thalamic signaling and how this feedback gatekeeping modulates perception. By integrating precise manipulation with real-time recordings, the study seeks rules that govern how cortical feedback shapes sensory processing. The findings could help explain how sensory experiences become clearer and more relevant to behavior.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how brain circuits prioritize relevant sensory information, which could inform approaches to treating sensory processing disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown key roles for corticothalamic pathways in shaping thalamic activity, but direct causal rules for gating in awake animals are still being established.
Where this research is happening
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Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stanley, Garrett B. — Georgia Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Stanley, Garrett B.
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.