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CRCNS Research Proposal: Collaborative Research: Neural Basis of Motor Expertise

Award Number: R01NS120579
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/15/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2026

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CRCNS Research Proposal: Collaborative Research: Neural Basis of Motor Expertise - How can a basketball player reliably land his free throw in the basket, and yet still miss occasionally under nominally identical circumstances? While such skills are a paragon of motor expertise, even seemingly mundane actions also require surprising dexterity. When carrying a full cup of coffee, we exhibit motor skill that is far beyond what is typically studied in the laboratory. Specifically, when interacting with objects - the essence of any tool use -, successful actions require fine-grained control of interaction forces that have been beyond the purview of neuroscience to date. The proposed research examines the neural basis of motor expertise by bringing rich interactive tasks into the laboratory. The two PIs combine their long-standing experience in computational motor control and neurophysiology to study novel behavioral paradigms both in humans and non-human primates. Building on conceptual and computational overlap in their respective research, where skill is associated with low-dimensional structure in high-dimensional neural and behavioral redundant spaces, they will test the overall hypothesis that patterns of neural activity exhibit many of the characteristics of the behavior. Two aims will study two examples of motor skill: throwing an object and transporting an object with internal dynamics, both rendered in virtual environments. Parallel experiments in humans and primates will generate rich behavioral data that will be matched with intracortical recordings in the cerebral cortex of non-human primates. To date, non-human primate studies have necessitated that animals perform near-identical repetitions of simple behaviors to facilitate the analysis of neural activity. Now, modern multi-neuronal recording techniques make it possible to embrace more sophisticated real-world behaviors and address core principles of movement discovered in human motor control: high dimensionality, redundancy, and the ever-present variability. This research will develop a suite of computational tools that afford the analysis of behavioral and neural data with commensurate techniques and sophistication. This research will be transformative as it advances the motor challenges examined and brings insights from intracortical neurophysiology closer to understanding of human motor expertise. These scientific insights will channel into a large range of outreach activities to achieve broader impacts for the general public. RELEVANCE (See instructions): Patients with neurological disorders such as stroke face challenges in their daily activities, grasping a cup to bring to their mouths to drink; these actions are essentially interactive tool use. This research seeks insights into neural activation during such skilled actions and interactions to get closer to understand neural activity in tasks relevant in real life. Extending from PI Batista’s experience, neuroprosthetics and brain-machine interfaces are direct clinical application that may benefit from our findings and recovery


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 = $390,930 )
2025	2025	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	5	6/10/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$390,930
														Subtotal = $390,930

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2023	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	4	9/4/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $391,029 )
2023	2023	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	4	8/29/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$391,029
														Subtotal = $391,029

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $391,164 )
2022	2022	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	5/17/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$391,164
														Subtotal = $391,164

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $388,308 )
2021	2021	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	2	5/13/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$388,308
														Subtotal = $388,308

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $402,663 )
2020	2020	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	8/11/2020	NEW	$402,663
														Subtotal = $402,663

Grand Total All Awards = $1,964,094

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CRCNS Research Proposal: Collaborative Research: Neural Basis of Motor Expertise

Award Number: R01NS120579

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/15/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2026

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