# Investigation of Pallidal Neurons in Motor Inhibition

> **NIH NIH R56** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $536,293

## Abstract

Project Summary
The long-term goal of this project is to deepen our understanding of how the external globus pallidus (GPe)
within the basal ganglia controls movement and how it goes awry in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Despite
compelling evidence that the GPe plays a critical role in regulating motor activity, its neuronal composition has
been poorly defined. As the neurons that encompass the GPe are heterogeneous, understanding how the
activity of the GPe is regulated in behavioral and disease contexts has posed a challenge. Through a series of
investigations during the last funding cycle, we surveyed the molecular landscape of the mouse GPe. By
characterizing a number of driver and reporter lines, we have now established a near-complete neuron
taxonomy of the GPe. Using these newly available genetic tools in conjunction with cell- and circuit-specific
approaches, we began to understand how GPe neuron subtypes control full-body movements. Through a
combination of in vivo and ex vivo approaches, we will examine the activity dynamics of GPe neuron subtypes
and their regulation of their synaptic partners to clarify the mechanisms involved. These experiments will
provide new information about how motor inhibition is executed by the GPe and the basal ganglia as a whole.
Using a well-established chronic model of PD, we will provide unprecedented insights into how alterations in
these processes underlie hypokinetic symptoms of PD. The yielded knowledge will not only inform the
processes underlying motor (dys)function but will also help develop circuit interventions that target the
hypokinetic symptoms of PD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10592733
- **Project number:** 2R56NS069777-11
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Savio Chan
- **Activity code:** R56 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $536,293
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2010-06-01 → 2024-02-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10592733

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10592733, Investigation of Pallidal Neurons in Motor Inhibition (2R56NS069777-11). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10592733. Licensed CC0.

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