# Models of computation in multi-regional circuits with thalamus in the middle

> **NIH NIH U19** · ALLEN INSTITUTE · 2022 · $42,072

## Abstract

Summary, Project 5 (Models of computation in multi-regional circuits with
thalamus in the middle)
In close interplay with experiments from Projects 1-4, this computational project aims to understand how the
dynamic interplay between cortex, thalamus and other subcortical structures underlies decision-making
behaviors that depend on short-term memory and reward-dependent learning. We develop a theoretical
framework for the multi-regional circuit mechanism underlying the generation and control of behavior-related
activity modes in frontal cortical areas. In our framework cortical activity modes, corresponding to subspaces of
neural population activity, are subject to control from thalamic nuclei (non-sensory, 'higher-order'), which in turn
receive driving input from subcortical inputs. Moreover, we will study how subcortical inputs to the thalamus,
such as from the midbrain and basal ganglia, interact in the thalamus to generate control strategies that organize
sequences of cortical activity modes driving the behaviors required to solve a task. We explore the roles of
cortical cell types that are activated by thalamocortical neurons in the generation and control of activity modes
that are relevant for short-term memory maintenance and motor execution. We further study value-based
decision making in a dynamic foraging task that leads to Herrnstein’s matching law of choice behavior. Our
circuit model will implement two candidate mechanisms for updating and maintenance of action values,
decision-making based on action values, as well as its transformation to behavioral choice and action. The
model implements multiple loops involving cortex, subcortex and thalamus in the middle, all based on
connectomic data (from Projects 1-3) and will guide multi-regional recordings (Projects 4). To conclude,
computational research will be carried out in close coordination with anatomical, behavioral and
neurophysiological experiments. Model predictions will be tested, and experimental results will shape the
models. This collaboration will lead to foundational advances in our understanding of computations in multi-
regional neural circuits.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10294405
- **Project number:** 1U19NS123714-01
- **Recipient organization:** ALLEN INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** XIAO-JING WANG
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $42,072
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-01-15 → 2026-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10294405

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10294405, Models of computation in multi-regional circuits with thalamus in the middle (1U19NS123714-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10294405. Licensed CC0.

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