Objective
Age-related cognitive impairments compromise the functional capacity of aging individuals, and create major individual and societal costs. Developing means for preserving and restoring cognitive functioning in old age is therefore of great importance. Age-related cognitive impairments have a complex and multifactorial etiology. Pharmaceutical approaches to prevention and treatment have therefore been unsuccessful, and searching for non-pharmaceutical approaches is important. Results of cognitive training studies have so far been disappointing. I hypothesize that the reason for this is that plasticity is functionally inhibited after normal childhood development. Plasticity is then further reduced in aging due to negative brain changes. In this sense, past studies on the effects of cognitive training in adulthood and old age have, so to speak, attempted to push a car that has the brakes on. In a series of experimental studies on humans, my research team will discover feasible ways to release inhibitory brakes on adult plasticity, develop routes to attenuate age-related negative effects on plasticity, and uncover the neural mediators of training-related change in performance, so that the effects of cognitive training can be increased and better understood. Outcome variables include measures of brain function, volume, and integrity acquired using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, and up-to-date measures of cognitive performance. Experimental effects on these measures will be evaluated using structural equation models suitable for analyzing repeated measures. This amalgamation of state-of-the-art methodology in the neurosciences and the behavioral sciences bolsters the uniqueness of this research program, which will enlighten the mechanisms of plasticity at neuronal and behavioral levels of analysis. The resulting insights will pave the way for effective rehabilitation of several neurological conditions and for reducing age-associated cognitive impairments.
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 neurobiology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine physiotherapy
- engineering and technology medical engineering diagnostic imaging magnetic resonance imaging
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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.
ERC-2013-CoG
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.
Host institution
171 77 STOCKHOLM
Sweden
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.