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Solving the Valence Assignment Problem

Award Number: R37MH102441
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/15/2014
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/28/2026

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Solving the Valence Assignment Problem - PROJECT SUMMARY The ability to discriminate between what is “good” and “bad” is termed valence processing, and pathological perturbations in valence processing can explain mental health disorders ranging from anxiety and depression to compulsivity and bipolar disorder. The key to developing more effective treatments for mental health disorders with fewer side-effects will be in the synaptic, cellular, and circuit mechanisms. This proposal not only lays out a very specific research plan to probe the functional role of a neuropeptide, neurotensin (NT), but it also lays out a comprehensive, systematic approach to investigating neuromodulatory systems. The general approach includes: 1) Identify a circuit that plays a causal and critical role in valence processing, 2) Profile the transcriptome of this circuit component, 3) Select for surface receptors or other druggable targets, 4) Determine the contribution of this neuromodulatory signal on plasticity, 5) Establish the input-output architecture of the neuromodulatory innervation and postsynaptic, downstream targets, and 6) Establish a causal role for this particular neuromodulatory signal in neural activity and behavior associated with valence processing. The specific hypotheses included in this proposal are: that NT serves to guide plasticity to the appropriate target, that there are parallel circuits that have some local interaction in the BLA, and that NT alters the coding dynamics by increasing signal-to-noise ratio by amplifying signal by modulation of glutamatergic transmission. A successful outcome of this project will provide a specific model for how a neuromodulatory signal such as NT can solve the “valence assignment problem.”


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 = $797,279 )
2025	2025	SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, THE	10010 N TORREY PINES RD	LA JOLLA	CA	92037	SAN DIEGO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	10	3/20/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$797,279
														Subtotal = $797,279

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $937,975 )
2024	2024	SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, THE	10010 N TORREY PINES RD	LA JOLLA	CA	92037	SAN DIEGO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	9	3/1/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$844,178
2024	2024	SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, THE	10010 N TORREY PINES RD	LA JOLLA	CA	92037	SAN DIEGO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	9	8/23/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$93,797
														Subtotal = $937,975

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $937,975 )
2023	2023	SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, THE	10010 N TORREY PINES RD	LA JOLLA	CA	92037	SAN DIEGO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	8	5/18/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$937,975
														Subtotal = $937,975

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $937,975 )
2022	2022	SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, THE	10010 N TORREY PINES RD	LA JOLLA	CA	92037	SAN DIEGO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	7	6/26/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$93,799
2022	2022	SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, THE	10010 N TORREY PINES RD	LA JOLLA	CA	92037	SAN DIEGO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	7	2/22/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$844,176
														Subtotal = $937,975

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $937,975 )
2021	2021	SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, THE	10010 N TORREY PINES RD	LA JOLLA	CA	92037	SAN DIEGO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	6	4/8/2021	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$937,975
														Subtotal = $937,975

Grand Total All Awards = $4,549,179

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Solving the Valence Assignment Problem

Award Number: R37MH102441

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/15/2014

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/28/2026

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