R01EY031972

Activity-Dependent Mechanisms of Memory Consolidation - Project Summary

Vision is an active sense, with eye movements powerfully shaping the acquisition of visual information about the world. This project investigates how motor learning adjusts the neural circuitry controlling eye movements to maintain the accuracy of eye movements over short and long time scales.

The specific focus of the research is to understand how oculomotor learning, i.e., improvement of the accuracy of eye movements through experience, is transferred from short-term to long-term storage. This consolidation process occurs not only for motor skills like eye movements but is a general feature of learning and memory systems.

Some memories, including oculomotor memories, are transformed during the time after the initial acquisition of the memory in a way that renders older, consolidated memories independent of brain areas that are critical for newer memories. This process, known as systems consolidation, is thought to depend on the activity of neurons in the brain area initially critical for the memory. The hypothesis is that this activity induces changes in the brain area(s) supporting long-term storage of the memory.

The proposed research aims to characterize the nature of the neural signals transmitted between brain areas supporting memory at different times after their acquisition and the rules that operate on those neural signals to implement stable transfer of a memory from one brain area to another.

The Leland Stanford Junior University

1) TO SUPPORT EYE AND VISION RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS THE LEADING CAUSES OF BLINDNESS AND IMPAIRED VISION IN THE U.S. THESE INCLUDE RETINAL DISEASES, CORNEAL DISEASES, CATARACT, GLAUCOMA AND OPTIC NEUROPATHIES, STRABISMUS, AMBLYOPIA, AND LOW VISION AND BLINDNESS REHABILITATION. 2) TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF THE NORMAL DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION OF THE VISUAL SYSTEM IN ORDER TO BETTER PREVENT, DIAGNOSE, AND TREAT SIGHT-THREATENING CONDITIONS, AND, TO ENHANCE THE REHABILITATION, TRAINING, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PARTIALLY-SIGHTED OR BLIND. 3) TO SUPPORT A BROAD PROGRAM OF BASIC VISION RESEARCH THROUGH GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, TO ENCOURAGE HIGH QUALITY CLINICAL RESEARCH, INCLUDING CLINICAL TRIALS, OTHER EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES, AND HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, TO ENCOURAGE RESEARCH TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN THE SCIENCES RELATED TO VISION, AND TO SPONSOR SCIENTIFIC WORKSHOPS IN HIGH PRIORITY RESEARCH AREAS TO ENCOURAGE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AMONG SCIENTISTS. 4) SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO ENCOURAGE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.867 - Vision Research

National Eye Institute (NEI) [HHS - NIH]

California United States

State-Wide

Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Admin Supp Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (PA-23-189)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 12/31/25 to 05/31/25 and the total obligations have increased 397% from $608,830 to $3,026,968.