Movement Scientist Huub Maas, together with Rick Dijkhuizen (UMC Utrecht) and Jeannette Hofmeijer (U. Twente), will investigate how changes in communication between the hemispheres of patients contribute to the loss and restoration of functions after a stroke. For their research proposal InterAction between the brain hemispheres – key to motor recovery after stroke they receive 850 thousand euros from the ZonMw Open Competition. 31 research teams will start their project, which will be funded with a grant from the ZonMw Competition 2021 with a total amount of € 24.2 million. Each research team receives an average of € 750,000. Six of the research teams will receive an additional € 250,000 for an investment in infrastructure. Maas: "An important question in our research is whether brain stimulation can eliminate a disturbed communication between the hemispheres of the brain. The research consists of cell, animal and patient studies." One PhD candidate will be appointed at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam as part of the project.
Disrupted communication
After a stroke, communication between the hemispheres of the brain is disrupted. As a result, patients recover less well. In this project, the cause and effect of the disrupted communication are investigated. "This is done at the microscopic level in rat brains and by measurements of the brains of patients. Subsequently, it will be investigated whether brain stimulation can eliminate the disturbance and thus improve arm and hand function," says Maas.
Research topics
The 31 research projects focus on a wide range of topics. Among other things, they will conduct research into: how dopamine and serotonin systems in the brain together contribute to motives for drug use, threat of effective treatment in bacterial infections due to increasing resistance, the development of a new smart computer system with which the doctor has more time for the patient, cause and effect of the disturbed communication between two hemispheres of the brain after a stroke, research and development of new methods of diagnosis and treatment for fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease that will contribute to healthy ageing.ZonMw Open Competition The aim of ZonMw Open Competition is to create space for curiosity-driven and creative collaboration that leads to groundbreaking science of exceptional quality in the field of health research. The ZonMw Open Competition programme is specifically intended for researchers from two or more disciplines who promote excellent team science in a synergistic way. The applications were therefore tested and ranked on these points based on the criteria of relevance and quality. Because knowledge utilisation and participation are also important criteria, all applications awarded funding have a convincing plan for knowledge utilisation, with well-thought-out plans for implementation and participation of stakeholders in a broad sense.