Project description
Improving understanding of brain’s selective attention
The brain uses selective attention to filter out irrelevant information, but how it maintains attention over time is less understood. Research using volumetric functional ultrasound imaging (vfUSI) has found that the midbrain reticular nucleus (MRN), part of the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS), plays a significant role. However, we lack a detailed study of ARAS. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the AWARE project will explore the MRN by mapping its connectivity in mice and examining its role in spatial attention tasks. Using two-photon calcium imaging, the project will investigate how different MRN subpopulations affect attentional states, thereby enhancing our understanding of attention regulation in relation to psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
Objective
To effectively interact with our environment, the brain must filter out vast amounts of irrelevant information. This process is known as selective attention. Although the circuits that mediate selective attention have been extensively studied, little is known about how the brain sustains attention over time. In my previous work, I used volumetric functional ultrasound imaging (vfUSI) to examine the mouse brain while it performed tasks that probe sustained attention. Unexpectedly, one of the areas that showed the strongest modulation was the midbrain reticular nucleus (MRN), which is part of the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS). Evidence from fMRI and lesion studies in humans implicates the ARAS in maintaining wakefulness, arousal, attention, and consciousness. However, limitations in spatial resolution and inter-individual variability have hindered the precise anatomical and functional characterization of this system, which spans several midbrain and brainstem regions. Building on these findings, in this project I will study Attention With an Active Reticular Engagement (AWARE), focusing on the MRN, a central but yet poorly understood component of the ARAS. First, I will map the input and output connectivity of the MRN in mice to establish its anatomical framework. Second, I will use cell-type-specific manipulations to investigate the MRN's functional contributions, particularly to the intermediodorsal thalamus and reuniens, during a visually guided spatial attention task. Finally, I will use two-photon calcium imaging with GRIN lenses to investigate whether and how distinct MRN subpopulations modulate attentional states. These experiments will provide fundamental insights into how the brain sustains attentional focus, an essential cognitive function disrupted in many psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
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-2025-PF
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.
3400 Klosterneuburg
Austria
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.