# Mechanisms of striatal structural and functional plasticity.

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $336,805

## Abstract

Dendritic spines are the remarkable, specialized membrane compartments on neurons that house the
postsynaptic, receiving end of most excitatory, glutamatergic synapses in the brain. They are highly plastic and
change during development, learning, and in disease. This proposal relies on multi-laser 2-photon imaging and
photostimulation approaches to generate and evaluate new connections on genetically targeted striatal
neurons, dissecting interacting variables of sex, age, and neuromodulatory state. The proposal builds on
preliminary observations of sex differences in spinogenesis, which may interact with other convergent signaling
cascades to control dendritic spine formation and sensitivity to therapeutic agents. Further, the earliest stages
of nascent synapses in striatal neurons will be defined functionally and ultrastructurally, using newly developed
molecular tools and imaging approaches to assist this objective. The proposed work would yield valuable
insights into new spine and synapse genesis, early-stage function, and stability, impacting basic research
relevant to synaptic development and rules that guide plasticity. The resulting platform will help to drive
technical innovation that would allow researchers to design therapies to augment reconstruction of neuronal
architecture or deconstruct aberrant connectivity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10242049
- **Project number:** 5R01NS107539-04
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** YEVGENIA KOZOROVITSKIY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $336,805
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10242049

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10242049, Mechanisms of striatal structural and functional plasticity. (5R01NS107539-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10242049. Licensed CC0.

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