Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Perception of voices that do not exist: Tracking the temporal signatures of auditory hallucinations

Objective

"One of the most perplexing phenomena of the human mind is the conviction of perceiving a ""voice"" in the absence of an external auditory source. This is called an auditory hallucination (AH), and is the most characteristic symptom of the most severe mental disorder, schizophrenia. Understanding the phenomenology, cognitive, and neurobiological underpinnings of AHs will not only provide new insights for explaining schizophrenia, but will also provide new insights into the ""complexities of the mind"". In my previous research, I have uncovered the neurocognitive markers of the initiation of an AH, focusing on what causes the onset of a hallucinatory episode. The current proposal further narrows the focus, asking a single question; why do AHs spontaneously come-and-go over time, or stated otherwise, why are they not permanently present once initiated? If we believe that the onset of an episode has neurocognitive markers, which all evidence supports, then we must also acknowledge that the offset must have corresponding markers. This question has to my knowledge never been addressed, although it is vital for the understanding of the underlying mechanisms, and for new treatment strategies. I will track the fluctuations of AH episodes in real-time with iPhone app technology, going beyond interview questionnaires. I will track how cognition modulates the onset and offset with an experimental dichotic listening paradigm, going beyond standard tests. I will track what happens in the brain the few seconds before the onset and, in particular the offset of an episode, using component-based fMRI analysis, going beyond ""blobology"". I will track with MR spectroscopy the interaction of excitatory and inhibitory transmitters that are hypothesized to mediate episode onsets and offsets, respectively, going beyond systems imaging. Thus, I will track AH episodes from the clinical to the receptor level, working vertically through a “levels of explanation” model, from higher to lower levels"

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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

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.

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.

ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2015-AdG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 413 371,00
Address
MUSEPLASSEN 1
5020 Bergen
Norway

See on map

Region
Norge Vestlandet Vestland
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

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.

€ 2 413 371,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0