# Dissecting the modulatory function of hypothalamic neurons in the temporarily restricted emission of vocalizations by neonatal mice

> **NIH NIH R01** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $640,460

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Vocalization (i.e., cry) is the first and most intense behavior manifestation in the life of a neonate. Neonates
vocalize when isolated from their primary caregivers, attracting their attention to receive comfort, care, and
nutrition. In humans, atypical cry behavior is symptomatic of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism
and Angelman syndrome. However, how the immature neonatal brain controls vocal behavior is a fascinating
question in developmental neurobiology that remains unsolved. The goal of this proposal is to elucidate neural
circuits that transiently modulate the emission of vocalizations in neonatal mammals. The hypothalamus is a
region in the bottom of the mammalian brain suggested to mediate vocalization based on experiments using
electric stimulation of this brain region. In the hypothalamus, there is a region called the arcuate nucleus, which
contains two populations of neurons that produce either Agouti-related peptide (Agrp) or Proopiomelanocortin
(POMC). Our preliminary experiments suggest these two populations of neurons exert a modulatory role in the
emission of neonatal vocalizations. Thus, in this proposal, we will use state-of-the-art approaches in circuit
neurosciences applied to the neonatal brain to investigate the mechanistic details involved in the control of
neonatal vocal behavior by Agrp and POMC neurons. At its conclusion, this project will reveal novel neuronal
circuits that control precise behavior outputs in the developing mammalian brain. This project will also shed
new light on how vocal behavior dynamically changes during early postnatal life. In addition to illuminating
fundamental principles of behavior control early in life, the mechanistic insights revealed in this project might
also aid the understanding of impaired vocal behavior in several neurodevelopmental diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10099040
- **Project number:** 1R01MH125008-01
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Marcelo Dietrich
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $640,460
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-18 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10099040

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10099040, Dissecting the modulatory function of hypothalamic neurons in the temporarily restricted emission of vocalizations by neonatal mice (1R01MH125008-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10099040. Licensed CC0.

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