http://hdl.handle.net/2268/164 Search this channel search http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/simple-search http://hdl.handle.net/2268/148469 Title: Impaired short-term memory for order in adults with dyslexia <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Martinez Perez, Trecy; Majerus, Steve; Poncelet, Martine <br/> <br/>Abstract: Verbal short-term memory (STM) deficits are consistently associated with dyslexia, but the nature of these deficits remains poorly understood. This study used the distinction between item and order retention processes to achieve a better understanding of STM deficits in adults with dyslexia. STM for item information has been shown to depend on the quality of underlying phonological representations, and hence should be impaired in dyslexia, which is characterized by poorly developed phonological representations. On the other hand, STM for order information is considered to reflect core STM processes, which are independent from language processing. Thirty adults with dyslexia and thirty control participants matched for age, education, vocabulary, and IQ were presented STM tasks, which distinguished item and order STM capacities. We observed not only impaired order STM in adults with dyslexia, but this impairment was independent of item STM impairment. This study shows that adults with dyslexia present a deficit in core verbal STM processes, a deficit which cannot be accounted for by the language processing difficulties that characterize dyslexia. Moreover, these results support recent theoretical accounts considering independent order STM and item STM processes, with a potentially causal involvement of order STM processes in reading acquisition. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/148085 Title: Le vagabondage de l'esprit : aspects cognitifs, affectifs et neuronaux des pensées découplées des situations et tâches en cours <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Stawarczyk, David <br/> <br/>Abstract: Dans ce travail de thèse, nous avons défini et validé une conceptualisation plus précise du vagabondage de l’esprit en tant que pensées à la fois stimulus-indépendantes et non-liées à la tâche en cours en distinguant clairement celles-ci des pensées interférentes liées à la tâche et des distractions externes. À l’aide de cette conceptualisation, nous avons exploré quatre aspects peu étudiés ou sujets à débats du vagabondage de l’esprit que sont les fonctions possibles de ce phénomène, ses soubassements cérébraux, le lien qu’il entretient avec les capacités de contrôle de l’attention, ainsi que la nature de la relation entre le vagabondage de l’esprit et les affects négatifs. Les résultats des études réalisées au sein de ce travail suggèrent qu’une fonction importante du vagabondage de l’esprit concerne la planification et la préparation des évènements futurs en lien avec nos buts et projets personnels. Notre travail démontre par ailleurs que le vagabondage de l’esprit est sous-tendu par un ensemble spécifique de régions cérébrales (généralement référenciées sous le terme de réseau du mode par défaut) et que ce phénomène représente plus que des échecs au niveau des processus de contrôle de l’attention en impliquant notamment un état d’attention découplée de l’environnement présent. Nous avons également montré que le vagabondage de l’esprit peut résulter d’une augmentation des affects négatifs et que sa présence est associée au maintien de ces affects dans le temps. Le fait que les individus qui vagabondent le plus en pensées font l’expérience d’un plus haut taux d’affects négatifs pourrait être expliqué par une moindre conscience et attention portées au moment présent. Sur base de ces résultats, nous avons proposé une perspective intégrative du vagabondage de l’esprit qui suppose que ce phénomène représente l’accès à la conscience, à travers un espace de travail global limité, des processus de mise à jour des scripts, schémas et plans stockés en mémoire à long terme et sous-tendus par le réseau du mode par défaut. La fonction de ces scripts, schémas et plans serait de guider les comportements des individus en formant une plate-forme cognitive impliquée dans la génération de prédictions relatives au futur. Nous avons dès lors proposé que le vagabondage de l’esprit peut représenter un phénomène adaptatif mais uniquement lorsque les bénéfices de ces pensées en termes de préparation et de planification du futur dépassent leurs conséquences délétères sur la qualité de l’attention portée à la tâche en cours et au moment présent. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/147686 Title: Characteristics of Near-Death Experiences Memories as Compared to Real and Imagined Events Memories <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Thonnard, Marie; Charland-Verville, Vanessa; Brédart, Serge; Dehon, Hedwige; LEDOUX, Didier; Laureys, Steven; Vanhaudenhuyse, Audrey <br/> <br/>Abstract: Since the dawn of time, Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) have intrigued and, nowadays, are still not fully explained. Since reports of NDEs are proposed to be imagined events, and since memories of imagined event have, on average, fewer phenomenological characteristics than real events memories, we here compared phenomenological characteristics of NDEs reports with memories of imagined and real events. We included three groups of coma survivors (8 patients with NDE as defined by the Greyson NDE scale, 6 patients without NDE but with memory of their coma, 7 patients without memories of their coma) and a group of 18 age-matched healthy volunteers. Five types of memories were assessed using Memory Characteristics Questionnaire (MCQ – Johnson et al., 1988): target memory (NDE for NDE memory group, coma memory for coma memory group, and first childhood memory for no memory and control groups), old and recent real event memories and old and recent imagined event memories. Since NDEs are known to have high emotional content, participants were requested to choose the most emotionally salient memories for both real and imagined recent and old event memories. Results showed that, in NDE memories group, NDE memories have more characteristics than memories of imagined and real events (p<0.02). NDE memories contain more self-referential and emotional information and have better clarity than memories of coma (all p<0.02). The present study showed that NDE memories contain more characteristics than real event memories and coma memories. Thus, this suggests that they cannot be considered as imagined event memories. On the contrary, their physiological origins could lead them to be really perceived although not lived in the reality. Further work is needed to better understand this phenomenon. <br/> <br/>Commentary: MT & VCV contributed equally to this work http://hdl.handle.net/2268/147309 Title: Troubles spécifiques de développement du langage. Théorie, évaluation et prise en charge <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Maillart, Christelle http://hdl.handle.net/2268/147248 Title: Metabolic and structural connectivity within the default mode network relates to working memory performance in young healthy adults <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Yakushev, Igor; Chételat, Gael; Fischer F.U.; Lanbeau, Brigitte; Bastin, Christine; Scheurich, Armin; Perrotin, Audrey; Bahri, Mohamed Ali; Drzezga, Alexander; Eustache, Francis; Schreckenberger, Matthias; Fellgiebel, Andreas; Salmon, Eric <br/> <br/>Abstract: Studies of functional connectivity suggest that the default mode network (DMN) might be relevant for cognitive functions. Here, we examined metabolic and structural connectivity between major DMN nodes, the posterior cingulate (PCC) and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), in relation to normal working memory (WM). DMN was captured using independent component analysis of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) data from 35 young healthy adults (27.1±5.1 years). Metabolic connectivity, a correlation between FDG uptake in PCC and MPFC, was examined in groups of subjects with (relative to median) low (n=18) and high (n=17) performance on digit span backward test as an index of verbal WM. In addition, fiber tractography based on PCC and MPFC nodes as way points was performed in a subset of subjects. FDG uptake in the DMN nodes did not differ between high and low performers. However, significantly (p=0.01) lower metabolic connectivity was found in the group of low performers. Furthermore, as compared to high performers, low performers showed lower density of the left superior cingulate bundle. Verbal WM performance is related to metabolic and structural connectivity within the DMN in young healthy adults. Metabolic connectivity as quantified with FDG-PET might be a sensitive marker of the normal variability in some cognitive functions. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/147057 Title: La guidance langagière parentale <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Maillart, Christelle <br/> <br/>Abstract: Le langage adressé à l’enfant joue un rôle essentiel dans son développement langagier. Lorsque le langage se met difficilement en place, l’enfant ne parvient pas à maintenir la qualité de l’interaction avec son entourage. De nombreux travaux attestent alors de la dégradation de la qualité de l’input adressé à l’enfant. La guidance langagière parentale est une prise en charge langagière indirecte : en aidant des parents à enrichir le langage adressé à leur enfant, la guidance leur permet de stimuler plus efficacement le développement langagier de ces enfants et de casser le cercle vicieux mis en place (peu de langage/ langage adressé appauvri, etc.). http://hdl.handle.net/2268/146897 Title: Role of the supplementary motor area in the automatic activation of motor plans in de novo Parkinson's disease patients <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: D'Ostilio, Kevin; DEVILLE, Benjamin; CREMERS, Julien; Grandjean, Julien; SKAWINIAK, Eva; DELVAUX, Valérie; GARRAUX, Gaëtan http://hdl.handle.net/2268/146618 Title: Preference for rich, random tactile stimulation in woodlice (Porcellio scaber) <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Anselme, Patrick <br/> <br/>Abstract: All living beings exhibit preferences for a variety of biologically significant stimuli. Interestingly, stimuli without biological significance, such as saccharine, are also able to induce preferences in vertebrates. Can invertebrates show preferences for biologically neutral cues as well – i.e. independently of any conditioning process? Experiment 1 aimed to determine the preference of woodlice (Porcellio scaber Latreille 1804) exposed to floor textures that differed in tactile cues, how they expressed their tactile preference, and whether they were able to inhibit that preference when a shelter of variable quality was available on the non-preferred floor texture. Experiment 2 provided additional information relative to the strength of woodlice’s tactile preference as well as the way of measuring it. Experiment 3 complemented the previous one in attempting to determine woodlice’s preference for regular versus random tactile cues. Taken together, the results suggest that (i) woodlice are able to process sensory information relative to biologically non-significant stimuli and (ii) that, because the motivation induced can interact with sheltering as a survival-related behavior, the processing of both types of motivation might depend on the same brain systems. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/146353 Title: Generation of rapid eye movements during paradoxical sleep in humans <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Peigneux, Philippe; Laureys, Steven; Fuchs, Sonia; Delbeuck, Xavier; Degueldre, Christian; Aerts, Joël; Delfiore, Guy; Luxen, André; Maquet, Pierre <br/> <br/>Abstract: Although rapid eye movements (REMs) are a prominent feature of paradoxical sleep (PS), their origin and functional significance remain poorly understood in humans. In animals, including nonhuman primates, REMs during PS are closely related to the occurrence of the so-called PGO waves, i.e., prominent phasic activities recorded throughout the brain but predominantly and most easily in the pons (P), the lateral geniculate bodies (G), and the occipital cortex (O). Therefore, and because the evolution of species is parsimonious, a plausible hypothesis would be that during PS in humans, REMs are generated by mechanisms similar to PGO waves. Using positron emission tomography and iterative cerebral blood flow measurements by H(2)(15)O infusions, we predicted that the brain regions where the PGO waves are the most easily recorded in animals would be differentially more active in PS than in wakefulness, in relation with the density of the REM production [i.e., we looked for the condition (PS versus wakefulness) by performance (REM density) interaction]. Accordingly, we found a significant interaction effect in the right geniculate body and in the primary occipital cortex. The result supports the hypothesis of the existence of processes similar to PGO waves in humans, responsible for REM generation. The interest in the presence of PGO waves in humans is outstanding because the cellular processes involved in, or triggered by, PGO waves might favor brain plasticity during PS. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/145849 Title: Exploration of the mechanisms underlying the ISPC effect: Evidence from behavioral and neuroimaging data <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Grandjean, Julien; D'Ostilio, Kevin; Fias, Wim; Phillips, Christophe; Balteau, Evelyne; Degueldre, Christian; Luxen, André; Maquet, Pierre; Salmon, Eric; Collette, Fabienne <br/> <br/>Abstract: The item-specific proportion congruent (ISPC) effect in a Stroop task – the observation of reduced interference for color words mostly presented in an incongruent color – has attracted growing interest since the original study by Jacoby (2003). Two mechanisms have been proposed to explain the effect: associative learning of contingencies and item-specific control through word reading modulation. Both interpretations have received empirical support from behavioral data. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the responsible mechanisms of the ISPC effect with the classic two-item sets design using fMRI. Results showed that the ISPC effect is associated with increased activity in the anterior cingulate (ACC), dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC), and inferior and superior parietal cortex. Importantly, behavioral and fMRI analyses specifically addressing the respective contribution of associative learning and item-specific control mechanisms brought support for the contingency learning account of the ISPC effect. Results are discussed in reference to task and procedure characteristics that may influence the extent to which item-specific control and/or contingency learning contribute to the ISPC effect. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/145832 Title: La demence chez le patient parkinsonien: facteurs de risque, diagnostic et traitement. <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: BAKAY, Sara; BECHET, Sophie; BARJONA MORGADO DE MOURA, Aude; DELVAUX, Valérie; Salmon, Eric; GARRAUX, Gaëtan <br/> <br/>Abstract: Aside from limb tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity and gait disturbances, Parkinson's disease (PD) is also characterized by non-motor symptoms. A cognitive decline can occur early in the disease course and undoubtedly impact of the patient's quality of life. Dementia affects 80% of patients 20 years after disease onset but a small subgroup of patients remain free of dementia even after decades with PD. Risk factors and diagnosis of dementia can be easily assessed using bed-side clinical instruments. Advances in genetics and imagery will allow improving the diagnosis and therapeutic strategy dementia in Parkinson's disease. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/145772 Title: PROFINTEG: A TOOL FOR REAL-LIFE ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING IN PATIENTS WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Anselme, Patrick; Poncelet, Martine; Bouwens, Sharon; Knips, Stephanie; LEKEU, Françoise; OLIVIER, Catherine; QUITTRE, Anne; Van Heugten, Caroline; Warginaire, Sabine; WOJTASIK, Vinciane; Verhey, Frans; SALMON, Eric; Majerus, Steve <br/> <br/>Abstract: Although there are many instruments for assessing activities of daily living (IADL) in brain injured patients, few instruments specifically target cognitive impairment and its impact on IADL. The present study presents the development of the Profinteg instrument, a tool for real-life assessment as well as rehabilitation of IADL in patients with cognitive impairment. This two-stage instrument covers over 90 activities. Psychometric properties of the different Profinteg measures were explored in twenty-five patients with mild to severe cognitive difficulties and twenty-five caregivers. The feasibility of the Profinteg rehabilitation procedure was explored in three patients. Excellent interrater reliability (r > 0.90, p < 0.01) was observed for all measures. Good sensitivity to changes in IADL disability over time was also observed (T = 2.37, p < 0.02). Significant improvement of IADL functioning was found after rehabilitation guided by Profinteg assessment. The Profinteg instrument detects with precision the difficulties patients encounter in their real-life setting via (1) assessment of a large number of activities and (2) detailed decomposition of activities into sub-activities. The Profinteg tool also provides promising results for guidance of IADL rehabilitation in the patient’s real-life environment. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/145494 Title: Brains creating stories of selves: the neural basis of autobiographical reasoning. <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: D'Argembeau, Arnaud; Cassol, Helena; Phillips, Christophe; Balteau, Evelyne; Salmon, Eric; Van der Linden, Martial <br/> <br/>Abstract: Personal identity critically depends on the creation of stories about the self and one's life. The present study investigates the neural substrates of autobiographical reasoning, a process central to the construction of such narratives. During fMRI scanning, participants approached a set of personally significant memories in two different ways: on some trials, they remembered the concrete content of the events (autobiographical remembering), whereas on other trials they reflected on the broader meaning and implications of their memories (autobiographical reasoning). Relative to remembering, autobiographical reasoning recruited a left-lateralized network involved in conceptual processing (including the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and angular gyrus). The ventral MPFC-an area that may function to generate personal/affective meaning-was not consistently engaged during autobiographical reasoning across participants but, interestingly, the activity of this region was modulated by individual differences in interest and willingness to engage in self-reflection. These findings support the notion that autobiographical reasoning and the construction of personal narratives go beyond mere remembering in that they require deriving meaning and value from past experiences. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/145484 Title: La NEPSY, outil d’évaluation neuropsychologique chez le jeune enfant. Approche critique. <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Catale, Corinne <br/> <br/>Abstract: L'objectif de cette conférence est de présenter la NEPSY, batterie neuropsychologique pour l'évaluation cognitive d'enfants âgés de 3 à 12 ans. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/145480 Title: Effet de lésions frontales précoces sur le développement de la cognition et des émotions <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Catale, Corinne http://hdl.handle.net/2268/145342 Title: Les modifications du fonctionnement exécutif dans le vieillissement normal <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Collette, Fabienne; Salmon, Eric <br/> <br/>Abstract: Il est maintenu bien reconnu que le vieillissement cognitif est associé à une diminution des capacités exécutives. Toutefois, si des déficits sont effectivement observés au sein des différentes fonctions, des dissociations entre performances préservées/altérées ont également été observées au sein de chacune. Dans cette revue de question, nous détaillerons les effets du vieillissement dans les fonctions de mise à jour, flexibilité, inhibition et coordination de tâches doubles, ainsi que les modifications au sein des réseaux cérébraux associés à ces processus. Nous discuterons également l'influence des capacités attentionnelles, des ressources en mémoire de travail et de certaines caractéristiques génétiques sur ces modifications. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/145250 Title: Validation of a French Version of a New Anxiety Trait Scale for Children <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Geurten, Marie; Meulemans, Thierry; Fresson, Megan; Bouden, Asma; Lejeune, Caroline; Catale, Corinne <br/> <br/>Abstract: Anxiety diagnosis is relatively complex in children because intensity as well as symptoms of anxiety change during childhood (Bouden, Halayem, & Fakhfakh, 2002). The principal aim of this study was to validate through Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) the a priori three-factor structure of the French version of the anxiety trait scale for children which includes psychological (“tend to be worried about everything”), behavioral (“tend to be upset, nervous or grumbling”), and somatic symptoms (“headache complaints”) of anxiety. This scale was previously found to discriminate, with high sensitivity and specificity, children with anxiety from control group. A first CFA performed on 288 6-12 year-old children showed an acceptable fit (2/df =2.66; RMSEA=.07 and CFI=.94). A second three-factor model was constructed and showed a better fit with a new sample of 287 children (2/df =2.18; RMSEA=.06 and CFI=.96), with a lower ECVI value for the model 2. For this model, the Cronbach’s alpha for each of the subscales ranged from .71 to .86, which confirmed the good internal reliability of the scale. This study provides a new three-factor structure for this anxiety scale and proposes normative data for French-speaking children. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/145089 Title: Empathy for pain and Alexithymia : a rTMS study <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Lemaire, Morgan <br/> <br/>Abstract: Empathy is a multi-facet function regulating social life. In this study, we investigated empathy in relation to alexithymia. Alexithymia is considered as a state showing difficulties in identification and distinction of one’s own emotional life, as well as difficulties in identification/distinction of others emotions. Thus, alexithymia is considered as an empathy trouble. Previous studies demonstrated that alexithymia is characterized by a particular pattern of cerebral activation comprising some important zones of emotional control (i.e., left DLPFC hyperactivation, left ACC hypoactivation). In the present study, we investigated the electrodermal response of participants during an empathy for pain task before and after an inhibiting rTMS on the right DLPFC to facilitate the ACC activation, with the aim to enhance the emotional expression for alexithymic population. Results showed that rTMS on the right DLPFC increase the relaxation of the alexithymic participants facing the stimuli. This can match our assumptions but further research is needed to clarify this situation. http://hdl.handle.net/2268/144652 Title: CONTROLLED AND AUTOMATIC MEMORY RETRIEVAL IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Bastin, Christine; Genon, Sarah; Willems, Sylvie; Salmon, Eric http://hdl.handle.net/2268/144640 Title: Controlled and automatic memory retrieval in Alzheimer's disease <br/> <br/>Author, co-author: Bastin, Christine