Cell and circuit substrates of normative and impaired motor operations

Nerve cells in a brain region called the basal ganglia are important for making decisions and acting on them. The basal ganglia do not work properly in Parkinson’s disease, leading to difficulties with moving. Here, we aim to explain how nerve cells in the basal ganglia work together to support purposeful movement. We will focus our efforts on discovering when, why and how different types of nerve cell use special patterns of electrical activity, connections and chemical messengers to control behaviour. As an important part of this, we will define how changes to signalling with the chemical dopamine, as occurs in Parkinson’s, changes the ways these nerve cells interact and influence behaviour. This should help us better understand why people with Parkinson’s have difficulties with moving. These important issues cannot be tackled by studying humans alone, so we study the ways in which brain cells work in mice, which have basal ganglia similar to humans. This research will provide important new knowledge about how cells in the basal ganglia communicate with each other in health and disease. This new knowledge will in turn put us in a stronger position to develop new therapies that are better able to manage brain activity and provide improved relief from the symptoms of Parkinson’s.