# Bidirectional Interactions of Cortex and Basal Ganglia During Action Selection

> **NIH NIH F32** · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · 2022 · $74,802

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Selecting future actions based on previous experiences is key to an animal's survival. This process, known as
action selection, depends on the proper function of cortical and subcortical basal ganglia circuits. Despite the
importance of these regions for using previous experiences to inform upcoming motor choices, we do not
understand the precise mechanisms by which these regions work together and the activity patterns they use to
select actions. The significance of these regions in action selection is clear in disorders that arise from cortical
and basal ganglia dysfunction. One hypothesis is that the cortex develops motor plans that the basal ganglia
then executes and evalulates based on outcome. Based on anatomy, we know that cortex and basal ganglia
form a recurrent loop in the brain, however we do not understand how the two work together to promote and
select actions. This gap in knowledge is due in part to our lack of technology to assess and perturb cortex and
basal ganglia simultaneously. In this proposal, I will overcome these limitations by examining the recurrent
interactions between the cortex and basal ganglia during ongoing action selectin. I will focus on the mouse
anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM) and the striatum, the primary input nucleus of the basal ganglia. My
overarching hypothesis that striatal activity is modified based on action outcome and its recurrent feedback to
ALM is necessary to update subsequent motor planning required for action selection. To test my hypothesis, I
plan to implement 2-photon calcium imaging in ALM, large-scale electrophysiology in striatum, site-specific
striatal perturbations, and a two-choice motor task which uses past information to produce future actions. In this
proposal, I will determine 1) how striatal activity influences motor planning in ALM during action selection, and
2) if striatal activity is necessary for proper action updating in ALM during action selection. Together, these aims
will tell us how cortical and striatal circuits dynamically interact to produce ongoing behavior. My research goals
are to investigate the fundamental mechanisms by which striatum and cortex contribute to action selection. My
academic goals are to build a strong foundation in computational neuroscience and continue to improve the
career development skills I will need for my transition to independence at the end of this fellowship. The lab of
my sponsor, Dr. Bernardo Sabatini, and the Harvard Medical School community will provide an excellent training
environment for this fellowship. Dr. Sabatini is a leading expert in basal ganglia physiology, 2-photon imaging,
and the analysis of neural data. The Sabatini lab and the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School
will provide excellent career development resources for training in neurobiology with a strong focus on
collaboration and scientific innovation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10480941
- **Project number:** 5F32MH125596-03
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
- **Principal Investigator:** Allison Elizabeth Girasole
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $74,802
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-15 → 2023-09-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10480941

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10480941, Bidirectional Interactions of Cortex and Basal Ganglia During Action Selection (5F32MH125596-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10480941. Licensed CC0.

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