NIBS Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation

Research lines of the group documented by publications in the period 2020-2024

• Investigation of human behavior and the underlying cognitive and affective processes through behavioral methods and neurostimulation, combined with electrophysiological and functional imaging techniques.
• Study of brain plasticity, connectivity, and oscillatory activity to understand their role and significance in shaping human behavior.
• Development and application of novel non-invasive neurostimulation approaches aimed at advancing basic research, translational studies, and clinical applications.

Head:

Alessio Avenanti, Full Professor

Other Members

• Naomi Bevacqua - dottoranda Sapienza Università di Roma

ERC Sectors

• SH4_2 Personality and social cognition; emotion  
• SH4_4 Neuropsychology  
• SH4_5 Attention, perception, action, consciousness 
• LS5_9 Neural basis of cognition  
• LS5_10 Ageing of the nervous system  
• LS5_16 Systems and computational neuroscience  
• LS5_17 Imaging in neuroscience 

Scientific Disciplinary Sector: PSIC-01/B

Selected publications of the group for the period 2020-2024

1. Turrini S, Fiori F, Bevacqua N, Saracini C, Lucero B, Candidi M, Avenanti A (2024). Spike-timing-dependent plasticity induction reveals dissociable supplementary- and premotor-motor pathways to automatic imitation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science U.S.A. 121, e2404925121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404925121
2. Chiappini E, Turrini S, Zanon M, Marangon M, Borgomaneri S, Avenanti A (2024). Driving Hebbian plasticity over ventral premotor-motor projections transiently enhances motor resonance. Brain Stimulation 17, 211-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2024.02.011
3. Borgomaneri S, Vitale F, Battaglia S, de Vega M, Avenanti A (2024). Task-related modulation of motor response to emotional bodies: A TMS motor-evoked potential study. Cortex 171, 235-246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2023.10.013
4. Borgomaneri S, Zanon M, Di Luzio P, Cataneo A, Arcara G, Romei V, Tamietto M, Avenanti A (2023). Increasing associative plasticity in temporo-occipital back-projections improves visual perception of emotions. Nature Communications 14,5720. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41058-3
5. Turrini S, Bevacqua N, Cataneo A, Chiappini E, Fiori F, Candidi M, Avenanti A (2023). Transcranial cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) over ventral premotor-motor pathways enhances action performance and corticomotor excitability in young adults more than in elderly adults. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 15, 1119508. | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1119508
6. Decroix J, Borgomaneri S, Kalenine S, Avenanti A (2020). State-dependent TMS of inferior frontal and parietal cortex highlights integration of motor acts and functional goals during action recognition. Cortex 132, 51-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2020.08.004

Funding for the period 2020-2024

International Projects 

• 2023. Imminent Research grant Translated (PI: AA). 
• 2022 Grant, Bial Foundation, Portogallo. Prot. n° 304/22; years: 2022-2026 (PI: AA). 
• 2022 Grant, Bial Foundation, Portogallo. Prot. n° 033/22; years: 2022-2026 (PI: SB). 
• 2018 Grant, Bial Foundation, Portogallo. Prot. n° 298/16; years: 2019-2023 (PI: AA). 
• Research Grant 2014, Cogito Foundation, Svizzera. Prot. n° 14-139-R; years: 2014-2020 (PI: AA). 

 National Projects 

• PRIN 2022, MUR, Italy. Prot. n° 2022NEE53Z; years: 2023-2025 (PI: AA) 
• Bando FISM 2022, Associazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla. Italy. Prot. n° 2022/R-Single/071; years: 2023-2025 (PI: AA) 
• Partenariati Estesi PNRR, Neuroscienze e neurofarmacologia, MUR, Italy. Prot. n° PE0000006 – MNESYS; years: 2022-2025 (Co-PI: AA). 
• Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna, Italy. Prot. n° 1402bis/2021; years: 2021-2024 (PI: AA). 
• Bando Ricerca Finalizzata 2019, Ministero della Salute. Prot. n° RF-2019-12368598; years: 2019-2022 (Co-PI: AA) 
• Bando Giovani Ricercatori 2018, Ministero della Salute. Prot. n° GR-2018-12365733; years: 2019-2022 (Local coordinator: SB) 
• PRIN 2017, MIUR, Italy. Prot. n° 2017N7WCLP; years: 2019-2021 (Local coordinator: AA). 
• Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna, Italy. Prot. n° 339bis/2017; years: 2017-2020 (PI: AA). 

 

Active National and International Collaborations 2020-2024

International collaborations 

• de Vega M, & Vitale F, Universidad de la Laguna (Spain) 
• Fracasso A, University of Glasgow (UK) 
• Kalénine S & Decroix J, Université de Lille (France) 
• Keysers C & Gazzola V, Netherland Institute of Neuroscience (Netherland) 
• Lucero B, & Saracini C, Universidad Católica del Maule (Chile) 
• Meconi F, University of Birmingham (UK) 
• Nitsche MA & Salehinejad MA, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (Germany) 
• Santarnecchi E, Harvard University (USA) 
• Silvanto J, University of Surrey (UK) 
• Tidoni E, University of Hull (UK) 

National collaborations 

• Aglioti SM, Bevacqua N & Candidi M, Sapienza Università di Roma 
• Arcara G, IRCCS San Camillo 
• Avanzino L & Botta A, Università di Genova  
• Becchio C & Panzeri S, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia 
• Sessa P, Università di Padova 
• Tamietto M, Università di Torino 
• Vicario CM, Università di Messina 
• Zanon M, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) 

 Unibo collaborations 

• Tessari A, & Costa M, Dipartimento PSI, SSD PSI, PSIC-01/A
• Ciaramelli E, di Pellegrino G, & Romei V, Dipartimento PSI, SSD PSI, PSIC-01/B
• Benassi MG, & Giovagnoli S, Dipartimento PSI, SSD PSI, PSIC-01/C
• Fino E, Menegatti M & Rubini M, Dipartimento PSI, SSD PSI, PSIC-03/A
• Breviglieri R, Bosco A, & Fattori P, Dipartimento DIBINEM, SSD BIOS-06/A
• Russo M & Spinolo N, Dipartimento DIT, SSD SPAN-01/C

Editorial activities in the period 2020-2024

• Cognitive Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience (Alessio Avenanti is consulting editor),

• Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Alessio Avenanti is guest associate editor)

• Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (Alessio Avenanti is guest associate editor)

• Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience (Sara Borgomaneri is a reviewing editor)

• Neuroimage (Alessio Avenanti is guest associate editor)

• PLoS ONE (Alessio Avenanti is section editor and academic editor),

• Scientific Reports (Alessio Avenanti is an editorial board member)

• Brain Sciences (Alessio Avenanti and Sara Borgomaneri are associate editors)

Fellow in scientific academies and / or executive committees of scientific associations for the period 2020-2024

• Vice President of the Italian Society of Psychophysiology and Cognitive Neuroscience (SIPF) (Alessio Avenanti) 
• President of the International Advisory Board and Honorary Member of the Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia Universidad de La Laguna (Alessio Avenanti) 
• Member of the International Advisory Board of the BrainLat Institute Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (Alessio Avenanti)