Developmental mechanisms affecting motor skills and motor control (B01)

• Subject Area: Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 431549029

The influence of ion channel mutations on higher motor functions during brain maturation will be assessed in cortico - basal-ganglia - thalamus loops using genetic mouse models, c-Fos expression mapping, and in-vivo electrophysiological recordings combined with fibre photometry of dopaminergic axons. Besides, pharmacological and chemogenetic manipulations of neuronal activity will be tested timed to vulnerable windows of brain development, potentially leading to new treatment strategies for developmental disorders.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1451: Key mechanisms of motor control in health and disease
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Dirk Isbrandt; Professor Dr. Jochen Roeper