Does the thalamus play a role in human goal-directed behavior? (A11*)

• Subject Area: Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience ; Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 178833530

Project A11 will assess the neglected role of the human thalamus, its distinct nuclei, and their connectivity to prefrontal cortices in cognitive control processes, particularly those that are relevant for adaptation to novel rules and contexts. To this end, we will use well-established experimental designs, high-resolution neuroim-aging protocols, and formal meta-analyses. We expect that the results will revise current conceptions of the human thalamus as one unitary entity that solves low-level sensory functions and will fill a critical gap in our understanding of the neural mechanisms of cognitive control, which may also help to elucidate the role of the thalamus in cognitive control impairments in mental disorders.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 940: Volition and Cognitive Control: Mechanisms, Modulators and Dysfunctions
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Dresden
• Project Heads: Professorin Dr. Katharina von Kriegstein; Professor Dr. Hannes Ruge