UC San Diego

Proper integration of sensory feedback with motor programs is crucial for successful action execution. Disruption of sensorimotor integration can contribute to core symptoms of many neuropsychiatric disorders. However, where and how the brain integrates real-time sensory feedback to control ongoing behavior remains largely unknown. My thesis focuses on searching for the proposed integration regions. We successfully established a mouse model to address this question and applied a comprehensive approach with viral racing, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and in vivo and slice electrophysiological recordings. We identified an essential corticostriatal circuit mechanism for sensory feedback-based action sequencing, and our findings may provide critical insights into the pathophysiology of major psychiatric symptoms.