# Pre-motor Neural Circuits for Exploratory Movement

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2021 · $348,158

## Abstract

ABSTRACT/PROJECT SUMMARY
Movements performed by animals in order to explore external objects are called exploratory movements. The
rodent whisker-mediated tactile exploration is a prominent model of exploratory movements. It is known that
fast sensory feedback, attention, memory and other factors modulate the patterns of whisker movements in
different behavioral contexts. However, the precise neural circuits mechanisms that mediate such task- or
context-dependent control of whisker movement patterns remain largely unknown. Through our monosynaptic
whisker premotor circuit mapping studies and on-going functional characterizations, we have now identified
a group of premotor neurons mediating a sensory feedback reflex, and also discovered the putative premotor
whisking oscillator (rhythmogenic) neurons. The goal of this competitive renewal is to determine the in vivo
activity patterns of these identified premotor neurons (sensory feedback and the rhythmogenic premotor
neurons) in different behavior contexts, mapping their presynaptic inputs (i.e. identifying pre-premotor
neurons, or pre2motor neurons) and begin to unveil how key pre2motor neurons convey context-dependent
modulation of whisker movements. We will use a combination of viral genetic intersectional labeling strategy,
in vivo optetrode-array based recording of photo-identified premotor neurons, modeling, non-toxic viral
mediated transsynaptic labeling and manipulation of pre2motor neurons in multiple behavioral tasks to achieve
our goal.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10204126
- **Project number:** 5R01NS077986-10
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** Fan Wang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $348,158
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2013-02-15 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10204126

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10204126, Pre-motor Neural Circuits for Exploratory Movement (5R01NS077986-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10204126. Licensed CC0.

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