Objetivo Visual awareness affords flexibility and experiential richness, and its loss following brain damage has devastating effects. However, patients with blindness following cortical damage may retain visual functions, despite visual awareness is lacking (blindsight). But, how can we translate non-conscious visual abilities into conscious ones after damage to the visual cortex? To place our understanding of visual awareness on firm neurobiological and mechanistic bases, I propose to integrate human and monkey neuroscience. Next, I will translate this wisdom into evidence-based clinical intervention. First, LIGHTUP will apply computational neuroimaging methods at the micro-scale level, estimating population receptive fields in humans and monkeys. This will enable analyzing fMRI signal similar to the way tuning properties are studied in neurophysiology, and to clarify how brain areas translate visual properties into responses associated with awareness. Second, LIGHTUP leverages a behavioural paradigm that can dissociate nonconscious visual abilities from awareness in monkeys, thus offering a refined animal model of visual awareness. Applying behavioural-Dynamic Causal Modelling to combine fMRI and behavioral data, LIGHTUP will build up a Bayesian framework that specifies the directionality of information flow in the interactions across distant brain areas, and their causal role in generating visual awareness. In the third part, I will devise a rehabilitation protocol that combines brain stimulation and visual training to promote the (re)emergence of lost visual awareness. LIGHTUP will exploit non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in a novel protocol that enables stimulation of complex cortical circuits and selection of the direction of connectivity that is enhanced. This associative stimulation has been proven to induce Hebbian plasticity, and we have piloted its effects in fostering visual awareness in association with visual restoration training. Ámbito científico natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiologymedical and health sciencesclinical medicinephysiotherapy Palabras clave Blindsight Visual Awareness Cortical Blindness Striate Cortex fMRI TMS Computational Neuroimaging Programa(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Tema(s) ERC-2017-COG - ERC Consolidator Grant Convocatoria de propuestas ERC-2017-COG Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoria Régimen de financiación ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Institución de acogida UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TORINO Aportación neta de la UEn € 1 054 564,37 Dirección VIA GIUSEPPE VERDI 8 10124 Torino Italia Ver en el mapa Región Nord-Ovest Piemonte Torino Tipo de actividad Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Enlaces Contactar con la organización Opens in new window Sitio web Opens in new window Participación en los programas de I+D de la UE Opens in new window Red de colaboración de HORIZON Opens in new window Coste total € 1 054 564,37 Beneficiarios (4) Ordenar alfabéticamente Ordenar por aportación neta de la UE Ampliar todo Contraer todo UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TORINO Italia Aportación neta de la UEn € 1 054 564,37 Dirección VIA GIUSEPPE VERDI 8 10124 Torino Ver en el mapa Región Nord-Ovest Piemonte Torino Tipo de actividad Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Enlaces Contactar con la organización Opens in new window Sitio web Opens in new window Participación en los programas de I+D de la UE Opens in new window Red de colaboración de HORIZON Opens in new window Coste total € 1 054 564,37 THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD Reino Unido Aportación neta de la UEn € 266 250,00 Dirección WELLINGTON SQUARE UNIVERSITY OFFICES OX1 2JD Oxford Ver en el mapa Región South East (England) Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Tipo de actividad Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Enlaces Contactar con la organización Opens in new window Sitio web Opens in new window Participación en los programas de I+D de la UE Opens in new window Red de colaboración de HORIZON Opens in new window Coste total € 266 250,00 TILBURG UNIVERSITY- UNIVERSITEIT VAN TILBURG Países Bajos Aportación neta de la UEn € 508 397,63 Dirección WARANDELAAN 2 5037 AB Tilburg Ver en el mapa Región Zuid-Nederland Noord-Brabant Midden-Noord-Brabant Tipo de actividad Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Enlaces Contactar con la organización Opens in new window Sitio web Opens in new window Participación en los programas de I+D de la UE Opens in new window Red de colaboración de HORIZON Opens in new window Coste total € 508 397,63 KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN Bélgica Aportación neta de la UEn € 165 000,00 Dirección OUDE MARKT 13 3000 Leuven Ver en el mapa Región Vlaams Gewest Prov. Vlaams-Brabant Arr. Leuven Tipo de actividad Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Enlaces Contactar con la organización Opens in new window Sitio web Opens in new window Participación en los programas de I+D de la UE Opens in new window Red de colaboración de HORIZON Opens in new window Coste total € 165 000,00
