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Lateral habenula circuits for the regulation of goal-directed behavior

Award Number: R01MH127510
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/02/2025
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2026

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Lateral habenula circuits for the regulation of goal-directed behavior - Project Summary How do we decide whether to continue pursuing a goal or abandon the quest? Survival requires both the ability to persist in behavior directed toward a goal and the ability to determine when it is time to stop, a finely-tuned balance of perseverance and disengagement. The optimal balance between goal-directed and disengaged behavior differs depending on internal state and the environment, and sensitive, context-appropriate regulation of this balance is both essential and challenging. Excessive or insufficient goal-directed behavior is associated with psychiatric dysfunction ranging from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to obsessive compulsive disorder to addiction. Disengagement from goal pursuit is an essential process, and it can be elicited by factors with either negative or positive valence. For example, an animal might stop attempting to obtain water because its actions to obtain water have failed, because it has already consumed enough water, or because it needs to quickly respond to an imminent threat to survival. Are the circuits that suppress goal-directed behavior in response to action failure the same as those that suppress goal-directed behavior after satisfying homeostatic needs or in response to threats? The LHb is a major conduit of information from the forebrain to brainstem neuromodulatory centers, and LHb neural activity suppresses midbrain dopamine neural activity via the GABAergic rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). LHb neurons fire when animals don’t receive expected rewards and when they receive punishments, and stimulation of LHb neurons and glutamatergic inputs to the LHb promotes behavioral avoidance. The objective of this study is to systematically probe the functional role of lateral habenula (LHb) circuits in regulating disengagement from goals in response to action failure, homeostatic resolution, and threat. We will use optical methods to monitor and control LHb neural circuits in order to characterize the long-timescale dynamics and functional role of LHb neurons in regulating the balance between goal-directed and disengaged behavioral states.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $387,396 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA	845 N PARK AVE RM 538	TUCSON	AZ	85721	PIMA	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	5	5/29/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$387,396
2025	2024	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	341 PINE TREE RD	ITHACA	NY	14850	TOMPKINS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	4	5/29/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $387,396

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $376,745 )
2024	2024	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	341 PINE TREE RD	ITHACA	NY	14850	TOMPKINS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	4	5/13/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$376,745
														Subtotal = $376,745

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $376,745 )
2023	2023	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	341 PINE TREE RD	ITHACA	NY	14850	TOMPKINS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	3	5/23/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$376,745
														Subtotal = $376,745

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $376,745 )
2022	2022	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	341 PINE TREE RD	ITHACA	NY	14850	TOMPKINS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	7/1/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$376,745
														Subtotal = $376,745

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $376,745 )
2021	2021	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	341 PINE TREE RD	ITHACA	NY	14850	TOMPKINS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	7/26/2021	NEW	$376,745
														Subtotal = $376,745

Grand Total All Awards = $1,894,376

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Lateral habenula circuits for the regulation of goal-directed behavior

Award Number: R01MH127510

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/02/2025

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2026

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