# Defining Brainstem Neuronal Pathways for Orofacial Motor Actions

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2021 · $515,258

## Abstract

Project 1. Abstract
 Defining brainstem neuronal pathways for orofacial motor actions
 This Research Project will define the neuronal phenotypes and their connectivity, i.e., the “Components"
and "Wiring diagrams", for premotor and higher order, e.g., pre2motor pathways for rhythmic orofacial motor
actions. This will reveal the control structure for coordinating motor actions. Primary technologies for this work
are transsynaptic viral tracing in both neonates and adult mice, intersectional labeling strategies followed by
transsynaptic tracing in adult animals, and intersectional strategies to manipulate neuronal activity in order to
infer function. Adult data will be added to the Trainable Texture-based Digital Atlas (Project 5 and Core 2)
 These data will yield essential circuitry for orofacial exploratory actions. Our five-year horizon is anatomical
identification of pre- and pre2motor pathways for key orofacial senses: twitching and directional movement of
by the nose, shifts in the position of the mystacial pad driving set point changes, and completion of the circuit
for whisking, bobbing of the head. We further consider anatomical circuitry underlying motor control of the
tongue for motor actions involved in search or discrimination tasks, along with vocalization.
 These data provide a set of connections that constrain models for the activation and operation of orofacial
exploratory circuitry. They give insight into the operational tradeoffs that nature has made in network design.
These data, along with complementary anatomy and electrophysiology data from Research Projects 2 and 3,
provide input for a theoretical analyses of the control mechanisms that coordinate different orofacial actions
during exploration (Project 4).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10199074
- **Project number:** 5U19NS107466-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Fan Wang
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $515,258
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10199074

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10199074, Defining Brainstem Neuronal Pathways for Orofacial Motor Actions (5U19NS107466-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10199074. Licensed CC0.

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