Understanding how brain predicts touch through movement in autism-related research
Official title: CRCNS: The Circuit Mechanism of Sensorimotor Predictive Processing for Active Touch
Funded at Georgia Institute of Technology · NIH-11383127 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how the brain combines touch and movement to predict the world, using mice to model how these processes might relate to autism.
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 | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $376,833 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS147739-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11383127 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with Autism/Autistic Disorder and researchers seeking to translate basic sensorimotor findings toward human studies.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is not described in this basic science grant; findings may guide future human research rather than immediate care.
What this research studies
This project uses mice to study how sensory and motor brain areas exchange predictive signals during active touch. By teaching mice to perform whisking tasks and recording brain activity, scientists will map how sensory and motor circuits communicate. A circuit model will be created to explain how the brain balances uncertainty, effort, and reward during active sensing and behavior.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could deepen understanding of how sensory prediction works in the brain, potentially informing autism-related sensory processing research.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in sensory prediction and active sensing in animal models supports this approach, with potential for translation to human research.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Choi, Hannah — Georgia Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Choi, Hannah
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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.