COoperation and BRAin-Synchrony: a multiscale and translable approach – Funded under the PRIN PROGETTI DI RICERCA DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NAZIONALE (2022-2024)

Humans are social animals. The success of humans is mainly due to cooperation of individuals, at least of a small group. The ability to successfully cooperate can be ascribed to several factors, among which the capacity of synchronizing the brain activity, through embodiment, visual and auditory messages. The psychological reward for a successful cooperation and synchronicity is a component of individual well-being.

The aim of this project is that of exploring the connections among brain synchronization and effective cooperation in animals and humans, and how this reflects on human well-being. Our central hypothesis is that a prominent feature of cooperation is represented by the synchronization of different cortical areas among interacting subjects. Moreover the emergence of this synchronization depends upon the activation of a particular network of brain areas, namely the dorsolateral prefrontal network. We believe that promoting synchronization can improve the quality of social interactions, and that it is a crucial step for human well-being. We plan to develop an experimental setup using animal models and humans, in order to test the translatability of the hypothesis and develop robust computational approximation of this behavior.

For any further information, please contact: Daniele Vilone: daniele.vilone@gmail.com