Project description
From neuronal input to behaviour: the role of neuromodulation
The animals’ brains perceive and interpret sensory stimuli from the external world, as well as internal signals, to modulate behaviour. Neurons in the brain undertake a staggering number of computations and accommodate the needs of animals through complex interactions that are regulated by chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Funded by the European Research Council, the JANUS project focuses on neuromodulators, neurotransmitters that fine tune cognitive functions. Emphasis will be given to the superior colliculus (SC), a brain structure that serves as a hub for the integration of visual, auditory, and somatosensory information to initiate movement. Researchers will provide insight into the mechanism and dynamics of the SC, which has clinical projections given the involvement of neuromodulation in brain disorders.
Objective
In an ever-changing natural world, animals must constantly adapt their behavior by extracting relevant information from the environment in a context-dependent manner. This is a complex task because the relevance of sensory stimuli rapidly changes according to the animal’s internal states, evidence, attention and goals. In the brain, neuromodulatory systems are thought to encode environmental and internal signals, such as novelty, reward, effort and risk, providing critical input to ensure appropriate action selection. However, classically, neuroscientists have opted to study sensorimotor transformations as a reflex arc, largely ignoring complex modulatory contributions due to their experimental inaccessibility. In this proposal, I will explore the neuromodulatory strategies used by the brain to tailor sensorimotor computations according to the immediate needs of the animal.
A key node for sensorimotor transformation and spatial attention is the Superior Colliculus (SC). The SC is also a neuromodulatory hub, where retinal streams converge with highly diverse and functionally mysterious neuromodulatory inputs. Here, I will take advantage of the SC’s role as a gatekeeper in sensory processing and behavioral control to unravel the multiplexed logic and function of neuromodulation. To do so, I will first quantitatively describe SC’s visual and non-visual dynamics on a moment-by-moment basis and define their interactions. Next, I will determine the properties, orchestration and influence of SC’s neuromodulatory inputs on sensory processing, goal-directed behaviors and spatial attention. Finally, I will describe the role of neuromodulation mechanistically by developing a novel functional connectomics approach and mapping circuit motif changes. Given the implication of neuromodulation in brain disorders, this work will shed light on the tight orchestration of neuromodulation that ensures appropriate or abnormal selection of actions, according to the animal’s immediate needs
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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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.
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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.
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2022-COG
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3400 KLOSTERNEUBURG
Austria
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