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The role of subcortical structures in perceptual consciousness: a causal investigation

Obiettivo

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.

Campo scientifico (EuroSciVoc)

Parole chiave

Programma(i)

Argomento(i)

Meccanismo di finanziamento

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships

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Invito a presentare proposte

(si apre in una nuova finestra) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinatore

KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
Contributo netto dell'UE
€ 424 129,44
Indirizzo
OUDE MARKT 13
3000 Leuven
Belgio
Regione
Vlaams Gewest Prov. Vlaams-Brabant Arr. Leuven
Tipo di attività
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Collegamenti
Costo totale
Nessun dato

Partner (2)