Project description DEENESFRITPL A digital brain twin for neuroscience research 'Digital twins' is a term used in industry to describe the development of almost exact replicas of different products for monitoring purposes and add-ons testing. The EU-funded Neurotwin project borrows the concept of digital twins for developing personalised hybrid brain models. Using neuroimaging data from Alzheimer's disease, scientists will build a model that recapitulates the networks and the dynamical landscape of the individual brain. The objective is to employ this model to design and test personalised neuromodulation protocols capable of restoring healthy dynamics. With research at the intersecting frontier of nonlinear dynamics, network theory, biophysics, engineering, neuroscience, clinical research, and ethics, Neurotwin will deliver model-driven breakthroughs in basic and clinical neuroscience, with patients ultimately benefiting from safe, individualised therapy solutions. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Neuropsychiatric disorders are a leading cause of global disability-adjusted life years, and solutions are lacking. Can digital twins be useful? At least in some cases, we hold they will be central to progress. Recent findings suggest that non-invasive brain stimulation may be a valuable option in conditions such as epilepsy or Alzheimer's (AD). Still, a better understanding of mechanisms and patient-specific factors is needed. Personalized hybrid brain models uniting the physics of electromagnetism with physiology – neurotwins or NeTs – are poised to play a fundamental role in understanding and optimizing the effects of stimulation at the individual level. We ambition to deliver disruptive solutions through model-driven, individualized therapy. We will build a computational framework – weaved and validated across scales and levels of detail– to represent the mechanisms of interaction of electric fields with brain networks and assimilate neuroimaging data. This will allow us to characterize the dynamical landscape of the individual brain and define strategies to restore healthy dynamics. Benefitting from existing databases of healthy and AD individuals, we will deliver the first human and rodent NeTs predicting the effects of stimulation on dynamics. We will then collect detailed multimodal measurements in mice and humans to improve the predictive power of local and whole-brain models under the effects of electrical stimulation, and translate these findings into a technology pipeline for the design of new personalized neuromodulation protocols which we will test in a cohort of AD patients and healthy controls in randomized double-blinded studies. With research at the intersecting frontier of nonlinear dynamics, network theory, biophysics, engineering, neuroscience, clinical research, and ethics, Neurotwin will deliver model-driven breakthroughs in basic and clinical neuroscience, with patients ultimately benefiting from safe, individualized therapy solutions. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiologynatural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicselectromagnetismmedical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologyepilepsymedical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologydementiaalzheimermedical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiology Keywords Non-invasive brain stimulation hybrid brain models Alzheimer's disease Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.2. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Main Programme H2020-EU.1.2.2. - FET Proactive Topic(s) FETPROACT-EIC-07-2020 - FET Proactive: emerging paradigms and communities Call for proposal H2020-FETPROACT-2018-2020 See other projects for this call Sub call H2020-FETPROACT-2020-2 Funding Scheme RIA - Research and Innovation action Coordinator NEUROELECTRICS BARCELONA SL Net EU contribution € 844 750,00 Address Av. tibidabo 47 bis 08035 Barcelona Spain See on map Region Este Cataluña Barcelona Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Participants (7) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSIDAD POMPEU FABRA Spain Net EU contribution € 664 650,00 Address Placa de la merce, 10-12 08002 Barcelona See on map Region Este Cataluña Barcelona Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 UNIVERSIDAD PABLO DE OLAVIDE Spain Net EU contribution € 698 875,00 Address Carretera de utrera km 1 41013 Sevilla See on map Region Sur Andalucía Sevilla Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT FUR ARBEITSPHYSIOLOGIE UND ARBEITSSCHUTZ EV Germany Net EU contribution € 927 848,00 Address Ardeystrasse 67 44139 Dortmund See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Arnsberg Dortmund, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,75 UPPSALA UNIVERSITET Sweden Net EU contribution € 313 517,00 Address Von kraemers alle 4 751 05 Uppsala See on map Region Östra Sverige Östra Mellansverige Uppsala län Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,50 BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER, INC NON PROFIT CORPORATION Participation ended United States Net EU contribution € 23 688,39 Address Brookline avenue 330 02105 Boston ma See on map Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 FONDAZIONE SANTA LUCIA Italy Net EU contribution € 867 500,00 Address Via ardeatina 306 00179 Roma See on map Region Centro (IT) Lazio Roma Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION United States Net EU contribution € 144 906,61 Address Fruit street 55 02114 Boston ma See on map Activity type Other Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00