Project description
Synchronised movement as a path to pain relief
Chronic pain affects millions across the EU, with fibromyalgia (FM) causing persistent discomfort and social isolation. FM disrupts not only physical sensations, but also how individuals connect with others, leading to invisible disabilities and emotional challenges. While dance is known to alleviate pain and foster social bonds, its effects on FM remain poorly understood, particularly the role of interpersonal neural synchrony (the brain and body’s rhythm alignment during shared movement). Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MDaNSEC project will design a tailored dance protocol to study INS in FM patients, using advanced brain imaging and motion tracking. By comparing social and individual dance impacts, it aims to uncover how synchronised movement can restore the social bodily self and reduce pain.
Objective
Chronic pain is a major public health challenge in the EU. Fibromyalgia (FM), a common chronic pain condition, disrupts both bodily self-consciousness and its connection to that of others (the social bodily self). No cure and complex symptomatology lead to invisible disability, alienation and social difficulties, creating an urgent need for new theoretical approaches and treatments. One of the most effective interventions is dance, although there are no specific dance training protocols for FM, and the mechanisms in dance responsible for its health benefits remain unknown. In typical adults, moving in synchrony with others triggers interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) (of movement, physiological function and brain activity), which increases bonding and reduces pain. It is unknown whether people with chronic pain experience the same INS and how this may affect their bodily self and social connectedness.
Therefore, our aims are: 1) to co-design and validate a dance protocol for investigating INS in FM, and 2) to investigate the effects of social (vs individual) dance on the social bodily self in FM to reveal the role of INS in these effects. Our project is based on a participatory design and a robust experimental plan, including a randomised controlled trial. We will use functional near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning, physiological recording, and precise body tracking to quantify INS during dance in people with pain and pain-free controls. The key impact of DaNSEC will be new high quality knowledge, made possible by the complementary expertise of two world-class advisors in interpersonal synchrony (lead advisor) and dance (co-advisor).
The results of this project will open up new avenues to explore the therapeutic potential of interpersonal synchrony for FM and other chronic pain conditions.
The fellowship will complement my expertise in FM and the bodily self with knowledge of INS and dance, and will be a major step towards becoming an independent researcher.
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.
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
WC1E 6BT London
United Kingdom
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.