Objective
A child’s first steps may be small, but they are a giant leap for its development. Children have an instinct to walk from the moment they are born – a 'stepping reflex' hardwired in their neural circuitry – but it typically takes about one year before they can start walking independently. In a pioneering work published on Science in 2011, I demonstrated that the coordinated muscle activation in neonate stepping is described by two basic activation patterns that are retained throughout development, and supplemented by two new ones that be-come manifest in toddlers.
These seminal findings triggered profound questions: Is the development of new patterns an emergent property, indicative of spontaneously changing cortico-muscular interaction? Does locomotor impairment change the spontaneous character of this emergent property into a gradual one? With the proposed research, I plan to answer these questions by studying the interplay between brain and muscular activity at the onset of independent walking.
The overarching aim is to characterize the emergence of independent walking in typically developing children and in children affected by cerebral palsy, and to identify an optimal rehabilitation strategy to promote normal walking in the latter. I plan to perform a combined analysis of brain and muscular activity in typically developing children, unraveling the detailed processes underlying the learning of walking. I will then elucidate the reorganization of cortical and cortico-muscular activity accompanying the altered development of walking in children with cerebral palsy. Finally, I will apply these results to the identification of optimal rehabilitation techniques for children with cerebral palsy.
It is my long-term ambition to exploit fundamental insights into neuro-motor control for promoting normal walking in children with locomotor impairments. The proposed project provides an exciting opportunity for me to realize this goal.
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
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine physiotherapy
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
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.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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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.
(opens in new window) ERC-2016-STG
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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.
1081 HV 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.