Objective
Humans are exquisitely able to sense the motor intentions and emotions of others. In the last decade, using single cell recordings in monkeys and fMRI in humans, I have contributed to show that (1) mirror neurons and brain regions involved in the execution of a goal directed action also respond to the sound and sight of other people performing a corresponding action and (2) brain regions involved in feeling an emotion also respond when witnessing that emotion in others. Here, I propose to explore two critical questions raised by these findings.
1) How does the distributed network of brain regions involved in action observation integrate information across regions? We will use effective connectivity analyses of electrophysiological signals in monkeys (ECoG) and humans (EEG, MEG, ECoG) to explore the direction of information flow between these regions to challenge traditional models of action observation. Results might turn traditional models of (social) perception up-side-down by demonstrating that internal models are the driving force of perception.
2) I will leverage an animal model of empathy we recently developed, to finally explore how neurons in brain regions associated with empathy respond during the experience and witnessing of emotions. Through a combination of PET, multi-tetrode recordings and deactivation studies, I will shift the focus of the neuroscience of empathy from fMRI blobs to neurons and their interactions across brain regions. Given the tremendous interest in emotional empathy across many fields, understanding its neural causes will open exciting new horizons for our mechanistic understanding of this fundamental human capacity and the therapy of psychiatric disorders of empathy costing our society hundreds of billions every year.
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
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine psychiatry
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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.
ERC-2012-StG_20111124
See other projects for this call
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.
Host institution
1011 JV AMSTERDAM
Netherlands
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.