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Investigating the sensorimotor mechanisms of respiration and their contribution to bodily self-consciousness by combining virtual reality, physiology, and neuroimaging.

Project description

Insight into the sensorimotor mechanisms of respiration

Breathing is an automatic function that happens continuously and rhythmically even when we sleep. However, being able to manipulate the act of breathing provides bodily self-consciousness. To better understand the process of human respiration, scientists of the EU-funded RESPVR project will use a combination of virtual reality (VR), online physiology and cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques. They will provide evidence to link the sensorimotor processes of breathing to sensorimotor aspects of bodily self-consciousness, especially breathing agency. The project's results have important consequences for patients suffering from hyperventilation syndrome, associated with an abnormal breathing pattern in the absence of organic respiratory disease.

Objective

Breathing-related manipulations modulate the bodily self-consciousness. Such effects are particularly reliable and robust for breathing agency that is the feeling of controlling the act of breathing. Interestingly, breathing control is very similar to the control of action. This proposal approaches breathing and breathing function in a novel theoretical and experimental framework, providing firm behavioral and neural evidence to link sensorimotor processes of breathing to sensorimotor aspects of bodily self-consciousness, especially breathing agency. The aim of the research proposed here is, first, to scientifically advance our understanding of human respiration by validating a novel paradigm in healthy subjects, by combining the use of virtual reality (VR), online physiology and cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques. Subsequently, such new methods and findings will be applied to patients suffering from Hyperventilation Syndrome (HVS; i.e. abnormal breathing patterns in the absence of an organic respiratory disease) to gain unprecedented insights into HVS underlying mechanisms. This innovative proposal is intrinsically interdisciplinary and will both benefit the host institution as well as advance the fellow’s academic career. Finally, in line with the public health strategies proposed by Europe 2020, the project findings will increase science-based understanding of HVS and will inform the development of future VR-based rehabilitation in respiration disorders.

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Topic(s)

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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

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

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019

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Coordinator

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 191 149,44
Address
BATIMENT CE 3316 STATION 1
1015 LAUSANNE
Switzerland

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Vaud
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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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.

€ 191 149,44
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