Understanding Brain Networks for Action Control
Modeling and Mapping Human Action Regulation Networks
This project aims to understand how our brains control and adjust our actions, which could help us better understand conditions like Parkinson's disease, Tourette syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11140979 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many brain conditions make it difficult to control our actions, such as stopping an unwanted movement or quickly changing a plan. This project aims to create a detailed computer model that shows how the brain manages these important action control functions. Researchers will combine various types of information, including how we value certain actions and the effort involved in changing them, to predict both our movements and the underlying brain activity. They will then compare these model predictions with actual brain data, including information gathered from inside the brain. This work helps us understand the complex ways our brain selects, stops, and switches actions, which is crucial for conditions like Parkinson's disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients for a clinical trial, but it aims to understand brain mechanisms relevant to individuals with conditions like Parkinson's disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or Tourette syndrome.
Not a fit: Patients without conditions affecting action regulation, such as Parkinson's disease, OCD, or Tourette syndrome, may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a deeper understanding of brain disorders that affect action control, potentially guiding new treatments or therapies.
How similar studies have performed: While individual aspects of action regulation have been studied, this project aims to develop a novel, unified neurocomputational model that integrates multiple types of action regulation, which is a less explored approach.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pouratian, Nader — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Pouratian, Nader
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.