Project description DEENESFRITPL Insight into motor cortical activity Daily human tasks involve complex actions that require the integration of sensory information, muscle coordination, and movement evaluation. Current evidence shows that human sensorimotor behaviour is associated with changes in the oscillatory activity of the brain and, in particular, beta oscillations. The EU-funded MOBETA project aims to challenge the existing theories about motor-related beta activity. Researchers will employ different methodologies to study how the brain controls motor activity in different organisms and at discrete stages during development. Results are expected to provide novel insights into the role of motor-related beta activity, with important ramifications for the treatment of pathophysiological disorders. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Each of us performs thousands of actions during the course of daily tasks, ranging from relatively simple (e.g. clicking on a mouse button), to highly complex (e.g. holding a sheet of paper in one hand while using scissors to cut it in a straight line with the other). All of these actions involve an intricate interplay between sensory integration, muscle coordination, and movement evaluation processes. Motor cortical activity in the beta frequency range (13-30Hz) is a hallmark signature of healthy and pathological movement, but its behavioral relevance remains unclear. Recently, it has become apparent that oscillatory beta activity actually occurs in discrete, transient bursts, and that short-lasting, high-powered bursts of activity only appear to be sustained oscillations when averaged over multiple trials. This renders previous theories of beta activity’s functional relevance, which involve slow changes of oscillatory power, untenable. However, this insight provides an exciting opportunity to examine beta activity on a trial-by-trial basis and directly relate it to forthcoming and ongoing motor behavior. Here, I propose a new theory for understanding motor-related beta activity that has the potential to overturn current thinking of the motor role of beta. The proposed project will build upon my recent research and use a multi-modal (electrophysiological recordings, non-invasive neuroimaging, and computational modeling), multi-scale (from cortical columns to multi-region networks), comparative (monkey and human), and developmental (longitudinal measures of human infants) approach to develop and test this theory. Not only will results from this project substantially extend our knowledge on the role of motor-related beta activity, they will have important implications for personalized, online treatments for pathophysiological disorders characterized by aberrant beta signaling. Keywords beta bursts naturalistic actions movement planning sensorimotor processing MEG EEG DTI computational model development Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2019-COG - ERC Consolidator Grant Call for proposal ERC-2019-COG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Host institution CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS Net EU contribution € 1 988 189,00 Address RUE MICHEL ANGE 3 75794 Paris France See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations 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 € 1 988 189,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS France Net EU contribution € 1 988 189,00 Address RUE MICHEL ANGE 3 75794 Paris See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations 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 € 1 988 189,00
