# The Primate Corticospinal Connectome

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2020 · $582,575

## Abstract

This is a proposal to map the “connectome” of the primate fine motor control system. This work
has the potential to lead to a new and remarkably detailed understanding of anatomical
mechanisms underlying corticospinal fine motor control in primates, as well as reorganization of
motor systems after injury that are associated with functional loss and recovery.
Aim 1: The Intact Primate Corticospinal Connectome
Aim 1 will map the intact corticospinal connectome underlying hand control in the rhesus
monkey using new viral tools. These viral tools will identify all projections and collateral
branches arising from corticospinal neurons that project to C8 spinal cord segments to influence
fine motor control of the hand. Unprecedented detail and specificity will be achieved using
efficient retrograde transport of AAV9-Cre injected into spinal segment C8, and motor cortex
injections of Cre-dependent AAV5-Flex-GFP and AAV5-Flex-TdTomato. All projections and
collateral branches of this corticospinal hand control system throughout the neuraxis will be
mapped, quantified, and rendered in 3D. The data will be uploaded to a free, publicly accessible
website (https://neurodata.io/data/) for use by the research community.
Aim 2: The Lesioned Primate Corticospinal Connectome
How does injury affect the corticospinal connectome? How does the corticospinal system adapt
to injury and alter its set of outputs, and how are these changes associated with functional
recovery? We will use the elegant and novel tools of Aim 1 to map the injured and reorganized
corticospinal connectome, and relate these changes to spontaneous, partial recovery of hand
function after C7 hemisection lesions. This work will provide new understanding of primate
anatomical and functional adaptation to injury at an unprecedented depth, and identify potential
targets for enhancing functional repair.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9932519
- **Project number:** 5R01NS104442-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** MARK H. TUSZYNSKI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $582,575
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-15 → 2021-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9932519

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9932519, The Primate Corticospinal Connectome (5R01NS104442-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9932519. Licensed CC0.

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