Objective
The investigation of the neural substrates of perceptual consciousness has mainly relied on correlative analyses of brain activity. Additionally, subcortical structures — which have long been believed to play a role in perceptual consciousness — have been understudied. StimConscious proposes a new, causal line of research to test the hypothesis that a transient arousal pulse from subcortical structures facilitates cortical processes that are necessary for consciousness. Electrical pulses will be delivered with precisely controlled timing during a well-validated visual detection task, in which face stimuli are presented to human participants at their perceptual threshold. In WP1, I will investigate how the timing and anatomical location of non-invasive neurostimulation of subcortical structures affect behavioral markers of perceptual consciousness. In WP2, I will test if direct, invasive neurostimulation of the central thalamus concurrent with stimulus presentation impacts those markers. In both WPs, I will investigate how neurostimulation of subcortical structures influences cortical signals associated with perceptual consciousness. StimConscious will generate a unique dataset from a population of epilepsy patients with rare thalamic implants. These findings will be complemented by a cutting-edge, non-invasive method in healthy participants — temporal interference stimulation — that expands neurostimulation targets beyond the central thalamus to include the midbrain and cerebellum. For the first time, StimConscious will directly test if perception of a stimulus is facilitated by a pulse of activity in subcortical structures. The proposed project therefore promises to unravel the role of subcortical structures in perceptual consciousness, moving beyond correlations to establish causal explanations.
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.
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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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.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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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.
3000 LEUVEN
Belgium
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.