Objective
"This proposal aims to study the modulation of neural activity by attention in rodents, and its mechanisms. There has been substantial work done in this field using monkeys, which has revealed a number of interesting facts. However, these studies are limited in a number of ways. Firstly, there is a limit to the extent of invasive procedures that can be conducted in monkeys. Secondly, one cannot use molecular and genetic tools that have exploded in recent years in other model systems, in particular, optogenetics.
The fundamental questions I will address in this proposal are: (i) What are the changes occurring in the brain when an animal switches its attention, and (ii) What are the mechanisms the brain uses to implement these changes? While work done primarily in primates has shed some light on the first question, very little is known about the second question. By addressing these questions in mice, I aim to take advantage of the powerful genetic tools available in this species to investigate the neural circuits underlying attention.
I will train mice on a novel attention switching task, and optically record stimulus evoked calcium transients from multiple regions of the visual cortex at cellular resolution. I will compare the response to the same stimulus in attending and not attending conditions and I expect to find a difference due to attentional effects. I will further express Channel Rhodopsin in cholinergic neurons and excite the nerve terminals selectively in the visual cortex. In this manner I will test the hypothesis that elevated acetylcholine levels in the visual cortex can cause attention to shift and be maintained towards visual stimuli.
This study will be relevant in the context of the European Commission's Europe 2020 strategy, since it will lead to innovation of novel techniques and synthesise multiple cutting edge research areas to result in an innovative research project, which will help in establishing the eminence of the ERA in the global scenario"
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy primatology
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
WC1E 6BT LONDON
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.