# Neural circuit mechanisms underlying cognitive control of sensory-guided behavior

> **NIH NIH R01** · RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J. · 2024 · $367,403

## Abstract

SUMMARY
The ability to make appropriate actions, as well as to inhibit unbeneficial actions, is a key aspect of sensorimotor
learning. Our recent work has used the mouse whisker system as model for sensory-guided learning to identify
an important and previously unknown role for synaptic input from primary somatosensory cortex (S1) to the
dorsal striatum (DStr) as a substrate for response inhibition. This renewal proposal aims to test the idea that the
relative synaptic innervation of striatal parvalbumin-expressing (PV) interneurons compared to the spiny
projection neurons (SPNs) is a circuit mechanism for behavioral response inhibition. We will use a suite of in
vivo imaging and optogenetics experiments, as well as ex vivo electrophysiology experiments to measure and
manipulate neural circuitry from two important brain areas: S1 and thalamic posterior medial nucleus (POm) to
test their roles in modulation of DStr. Preliminary results suggest that S1 and POm influence behavioral
performance of a texture discrimination task in opposing ways, allowing for focused tests of our hypotheses of
the synaptic circuitry mediating these learned behaviors. Our integrative in vivo and ex vivo approach, combining
manipulation of specific neural pathways, longitudinal tracking of genetically identified neurons, anatomical
analysis, and ex vivo synaptic measurements will allow us to investigate the neural circuit basis of learned
response inhibition at a scale not before achieved. A major goal is to address the gap in knowledge on the roles
of S1 and POm projections to the striatum and their influence on behavior. The results will have implications for
the neural circuitry underlying cognitive control, which will aid our understanding the basis of neurological
disorders involving deficits in cognitive control.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10906936
- **Project number:** 5R01NS094450-08
- **Recipient organization:** RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J.
- **Principal Investigator:** David J Margolis
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $367,403
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-05-15 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10906936

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10906936, Neural circuit mechanisms underlying cognitive control of sensory-guided behavior (5R01NS094450-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10906936. Licensed CC0.

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