Project description
Uncovering how the brain represents tactile space during tool use
Unravelling how the brain combines somotosensory information with spatial awareness of the body and non-bodily elements is key to understanding tool-based object localisation. With the support of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions programme, the WhiskerSchema project plans to use mice to study this process. Researchers will use advanced techniques like two-photon imaging and optogenetics to record and manipulate brain activity in the somatosensory cortex. By presenting objects at different locations and using a prosthetic whisker, the research aims to reveal how the brain perceives space through non-bodily elements. They hypothesise that feedback from higher brain regions shapes tactile processing in the cortex. The research hopes to uncover how the brain creates spatial representations, offering valuable insights into cognitive neuroscience.
Objective
When walking with a cane, a blind person can localize the objects they touch. Tool-based sensing requires the brain to combine sensory signals at the hand and proprioceptive information together with knowledge of the physical properties of the tool. To correctly interpret the signals sensed with a tool, the brain incorporates the tool in its internal representation of the body in space, known as the body schema. However, the neuronal basis for integrating somatosensory with the body schema information is largely unknown. I hypothesize that feedback projections from higher cortical areas involved in body schema shape cortical somatosensory processing to create a spatial representation of touch. I propose to tackle this question at the cellular and circuit levels by introducing the mouse as a model organism. Mice use their whiskers to effectively localize objects in space, yet the whiskers themselves lack mechanoreceptors. Here, I will record neuronal activity in the somatosensory cortex (S1) using two-photon imaging while presenting mice with objects at different locations in a two-dimensional horizontal plane. From my preliminary experiments, I found that individual layer 2/3 neurons in S1 have preferences for different spatial positions. Using optogenetics, I will test the impact of feedback projections from the body schema network on the spatial representation in S1. Finally, I will employ a prosthetic whisker designed in the host lab to vary the physical parameters of the mouse whisker. This experimental design will allow exploring the consequences of a mismatch between the body schema and the actual physical properties of the tool used in the cortical representation of space. Through the development of a prosthetic whisker, this proposal aims to leverage the mouse model to shed light on a major open question in cognitive neuroscience.
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
- natural sciences computer and information sciences knowledge engineering
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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.
Funding Scheme
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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75794 PARIS
France
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