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Content archived on 2024-05-29

The neural basis of number space: probing connectivity and interactions between number and space processing with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Objective

By adopting a virtual lesion approach, the present project is aimed to map the brain circuitry responsible for the interaction between numbers and space in healthy adults. Some people possess a mental image of the number sequence that is spatially distributed and can be used to carry out calculations. People without an explicit number form nevertheless represent numbers spatially, in Western cultures with small numbers toward the left of mental space and large numbers towards the right. It is still unclear to what extent space and number processing are intermingled in the brain, and whether number magnitude representations can be dissociated from their mental spatial representation. Also, it is unclear whether mapping numbers onto a mental space is an instance of a domain-general cognitive mechanism rather than a domain specific feature.

The present project is aimed to address these questions with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a technique that allows one to unveil causal rather than correlational relations between brain circuits and cognitive processes. In case of anatomical overlap, functional overlap will also be tested by probing time intervals in which specific cortical circuits are necessary for normal number and space processing. In the long run, this study will be beneficial for educational practice, since it could clarify the role of spatial representations in shaping number understanding.

The project will allow the applicant to build on technical and conceptual skills acquired during her PhD at the University of Padova and University College London, and refined during her post-doctoral training at University College London. The host institution will provide the applicant with the opportunity to use and develop its TMS facilities, also in view of combining TMS with other techniques such as EEG and fMRI at the recently established Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC).

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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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.

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP6-2004-MOBILITY-11
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.

ERG - Marie Curie actions-European Re-integration Grants

Coordinator

UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO
EU contribution
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Total cost

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.

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