# Thalamocortical interactions

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 2023 · $36,164

## Abstract

The proposed research will test related hypotheses that thalamus plays a heretofore neglected and
critical role in cortical processing. In particular, many thalamic nuclei, that together comprise the
majority of thalamic volume and that were previously mysterious in function, we now suggest are
critically involved in information flow and functional, dynamic binding between cortical areas via
cortico-thalamo-cortical pathways. We propose to study these pathways using the mouse
somatosensory system as the model involving both in vitro slice preparations and an in vivo
behaving preparation. It appears that, in many and perhaps all cases, cortical areas are connected
by both direct and these transthalamic pathways. The transthalamic pathways are only recently
appreciated, and we aim to explore some basic roles such pathways play in cortical processing. To
begin understanding the role of such pathways, we propose to probe basic circuit properties of
these pathways to better understand the role of the transthalamic pathways in higher cognitive
functioning.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10824613
- **Project number:** 3R01NS094184-07S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Jason Neil MacLean
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $36,164
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-02-01 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10824613

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10824613, Thalamocortical interactions (3R01NS094184-07S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10824613. Licensed CC0.

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