Project description DEENESFRITPL Decoding the relationship between space and numbers in the brain Space, time and numbers provide a priori intuitions that structure how humans experience their environment. Research in cognitive science has showed that the temporal, spatial, and numerical representations of a stimulus can interact with each other. Numerical-spatial associations (NSA) are indeed pervasive in humans. An example is the tendency to map increasing numerical magnitudes with a left-to-right orientation in the brain. The EU-funded SPANUMBRA project will conduct research to shed further insight into the developmental, neural and genetic origins of NSA in animals and humans. Research findings will help inform treatments for conditions such as dyscalculia, which causes difficulty in processing numbers. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Research in cognitive science has revealed that the temporal, spatial, and numerical features of a stimulus can interact with one another. An example is the tendency to map increasing numerical magnitudes with a left-to-right orientation. Numerical-spatial associations (NSA) are pervasive in human behaviour and have relevance to health (e.g. dyscalculia is thought to be related to improper understanding of the so-called «mental number line»). NSA have been shown to occur in human newborns and in non-human animals for non-symbolic numerousness. SPANUMBRA aims to investigate NSA in different animal models (domestic chicks, mice and zebrafish) and in human neonates and infants to provide a comprehensive and comparative perspective on the developmental, neural and genetic origins of this phenomenon. The project will be guided by a new hypothesis that links the direction of NSA to a differential role of the two sides of the brain to the perceived value (valence) of changes in magnitudes. The role of the experience (WP1) in the development of NSA will be investigated making use of early exposure to light in chicks’ embryos to modulate brain asymmetry, and controlled-rearing experiments in which newly-hatched chicks will be exposed to correlated and anti-correlated discrete and continuous magnitudes. Development of NSA will be also studied in human neonates and infants (WP2) before, during, and after the exposure to culture-specific NSA associations (numbers organized in spatially oriented layouts) to investigate the role of culture in shaping/reinforcing NSA. The study of the neural basis of the NSA (WP3) will combine neurobiological techniques (immediate early gene expression in chicks and zebrafish), and non-invasive methods (EEG and fNIRS in human neonates). The genetic bases of NSA (WP4) will be investigated using transgenic lines of zebrafish and mice, in order to understand the role of some genes implicated in the development of lateralization and in dyscalculia. Fields of science medical and health sciencesclinical medicineembryologysocial sciencespsychologycognitive psychology Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2018-ADG - ERC Advanced Grant Call for proposal ERC-2018-ADG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant Host institution UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO Net EU contribution € 2 352 796,00 Address VIA CALEPINA 14 38122 Trento Italy See on map Region Nord-Est Provincia Autonoma di Trento Trento Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 352 796,00 Beneficiaries (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO Italy Net EU contribution € 2 352 796,00 Address VIA CALEPINA 14 38122 Trento See on map Region Nord-Est Provincia Autonoma di Trento Trento Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 352 796,00 QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON United Kingdom Net EU contribution € 275 537,00 Address 327 MILE END ROAD E1 4NS London See on map Region London Inner London — East Tower Hamlets Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 275 537,00