Objective
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterised by a gradual cognitive decline, which initially affects learning and memory, and gradually impairs other cognitive functions. Despite considerable scientific effort, the cause and pathogenesis of AD is still unknown. Recent in vitro studies suggest that the destruction of synapses by soluble aggregates of amyloid beta (Abeta) might play a role in mediating the progression of the disease. However, what is lacking is an approach that establishes the links between cellular pathology, its causative effect on neuronal network activity in the affected brain areas, and the resulting behavioural impairments. This project aims to address this shortcoming by using a cross-disciplinary design. Core to this project are novel transgenic mice overexpressing soluble (Abeta), which will be tested on object and spatial recognition memory tasks. A novel imaging technique, manganese-enhanced MRI, will be used to establish the effect that soluble (Abeta) has on neuronal activity in the perirhinal cortex and hippocampus, brain areas that are affected early in AD and mediate these types of memory. Lastly, we aim to investigate whether memory deficits in arc(Abeta) mice can be abolished by inhibitors that target elements of (Abeta)-activated signalling cascades recently established in vitro. This will be achieved by direct infusion of drugs into the brain regions of interest in freely behaving arc(Abeta) mice, with the aim of identifying new targets for pharmacotherapeutic intervention. The fellowship at the Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry in Munich will enable the applicant, who has received excellent training in the basic field of learning and memory at Oxford and Cambridge, to acquire additional competencies focused on the neuroscience of neuropsychiatric disorders. By moving from the UK to Germany, the fellow will help to circulate scientific knowledge within the European Research Area, towards a common European effort to tackle one of today’s least understood diseases.
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 cognitive neuroscience
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology dementia alzheimer
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine psychiatry
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pathology
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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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF
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
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
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.