Participants :
Denis MOTTET (équipe Pointage & saisie
, Professeur )
Marion VERNEAU (équipe Pointage & saisie
, Master 2 )
Goal of the project
The objective of the present project originate in the observation that the search for biological markers of Alzheimer is dominant in the present days, and that qualitative behavioural tests used by clinicians could easily be complemented with more quantitative and sensitive measures.
Following the logic developed with the analyses of postural stabilisation as a global marker of ageing, we aim toward a better characterisation and understanding of the subtle changes that are the consequence of normal and pathological ageing, here addressed at the level of sensorimotor and cognitive control of gesture. We chose to address this issue with a multidisciplinary perspective, that combines expertise in neurology, expertise in behavioural neurosciences and expertise in signal processing and data analysis.
The research program
The research program will take the opportunity of the access to the E3C patients in Montpellier (about 1000 elderly, among the whole cohort, are to be tested within the next 6 months). Among these persons, we propose to select about 45-60 patients between 70 and 90 with 1) normal ageing, 2) mild cognitive impairment, 3) Alzheimer disease. These persons will undertake the standardised neurological evaluation to check their cognitive and motor abilities. We will introduce a new neurobehavioral cognitivo-motor test consisting in a repetitive pointing task (a Fitts' task, that elicits a speed-accuracy trade-off), with an experimental design that allows a systematic scanning of increasing cognitive load (Mottet et al., 2001). The sensitivity of classical performance analyses will be enhanced using an in depth variability analysis that relies on state of the art non-linear methods (Ramdani et al. 2006). Results obtained with the neurobehavioral test will be correlated with the comprehensive measures in the E3C program (including full neurological testing and psychological examination, initial cerebral imagery) to assess the sensitivity and usefulness of the neurobehavioral test in the diagnosis of pathological ageing.
The challenges
In the present project, there are several challenges and scientific motivations that have never been sufficiently addressed before :
* to probe a model and methodology to better describe cognitive and motor ageing at the neurobehavioral level
to define and assess a model for the measurement of the “quality” of ageing, providing the medical community with new and easy quantitative techniques
* to address the knowledge on the mechanisms of ageing from the perspective of perception and action, involving mechanisms such as visual control of hand movement, dual hand coordination, etc...
Expected benefits
* better knowledge of the neurobehavioral changes during ageing
better collaboration and sharing of multidisciplinary expertise among the teams,
* to improve diagnostic of Alzheimer's disease
* validation of a simple and easy-to-set-up neurobehavioral test against comprehensive measures in E3C
* the test requires inexpensive equipment and lasts about 10 minutes
* the test is objective, quantitative and its sensitivity in enhanced with variability analyses
* the test should also lead to establish a standard that could inform on the AD’s stage and could help diagnostic in other neurological pathologies
Partners
Florence PORTET (CHU Montpellier & INSERM 888)
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Equipes impliquées :
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