Objective
Estrogens have a well-characterized central beneficial effect in women on cognition, memory and mood, which is compromised in the postmenopausal period due to the failure of ovarian estrogen synthesis. Androgen production from gonadal and adrenal sources in both sexes also declines substantially with age. Since androgens have been demonstrated to facilitate cognitive functions and attenuate the risks for developing neurodegenerative disorders, maintenance of androgen levels may be at least as important as t hat of estrogens. Despite these beneficial effects, central action of androgens has, to date, received only limited attention. Research in the third country host laboratory has demonstrated that androgens can potently influence hippocampal synaptic remodelling, an action that was observed in both sexes.
This synaptoplasticity mechanism is postulated to be the morphological basis of the cognition-enhancing effect of both estrogens and androgens in the hippocampus. In the outgoing period of the fellowship, the fellow will be involved in studies that aim to clarify the mechanisms and behavioural consequences of androgen-induced hippocampal synaptic remodelling, using an innovative interdisciplinary behavioural and morphological approach. The expected results may have important health and therapy-related implications in the fields of neuropsychiatry and endocrinology, particularly hormone replacement therapy. During these studies, the fellow will receive extensive training in the fields of steroid endocrinology, neuroanatomy, stereotaxic surgery, electron microscopic stereology, and behavioural neuroscience. Establishing this innovative method in the EU host institution in the returning phase will serve the best interests of the European Research Area, since this kind of integrated endocrine, behavioural and morphological expertise is currently not available in Europe.
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 cognitive neuroscience
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine surgery
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology
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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.
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.
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.
FP6-2004-MOBILITY-6
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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.
OIF - Marie Curie actions-Outgoing International Fellowships
Coordinator
Hungary
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.