[Eeglablist] M2 internship proposal - Postural and neural correlates of motivation

[Harold Mouras]

Dear all, 

please find an internship proposal. 

Best regards, 
Harold Mouras

Description of the internship <>
This project is based on experimental results (Lelard et al., 2013; Lelard et al., 2017; Beaumont et al., 2021; Mouras and Lelard, 2021) from the collaboration between the LNFP (UR-UPJV 4559, contact: H Mouras) and APERE (UR-UPJV 3300, contact: T Lelard) laboratories . Particularly in the functional context of the perception of painful stimuli, this collaboration between the APERE (UR-UPJV 3300) and LNFP (UR-UPJV 4559) teams has been fruitful (Lelard et al., 2013; Lelard et al., 2017; Beaumont et al, 2021; Mouras and Lelard, 2021) demonstrating: (i) a mean differential modulation of postural control in response to the perception of painful versus non-painful stimuli (approach behavior in passive condition vs. avoidance behavior in mental simulation situation - imagining being in the represented situation) ; (ii) a time effect allowing the complexity of the modulating effect of mental simulation on these correlates to emerge, with an early effect (4 s after stimulation) and a later effect (11 to 12 s after stimulation); (iii) dichotomy effects between subjective reports and objective measures, questioning the importance of the level of awareness of the postural modulation operating. Collaboration with the Belgian team involved in this project has demonstrated different patterns of postural modulation among subjects with alcohol use disorders between relapsers or abstainers (Noel et al., 2021). However, the use of posturography to study the peripheral correlates of socioemotional information processing remains recent and the nature of the central processes at work in the modulation of postural control at work during socioemotional information processing remains to be clarified. In this sense, electroencephalography (EEG) could be a technique of choice to collect central neural markers in conjunction with peripheral posturographic markers. In this respect, some studies have, for example, provided results on eeg markers of approach-avoidance behavior whose correlates are explored in posturography (Lange et al., 2022; Marrero et al., 2022 etc...).

For several years, we have been able to set up a collaboration with a Belgian team (Prfs Campanella and Noel, ULB and CHU Brugmann, Brussels, Belgium) to apply posturography to the field of addictions. Interestingly, postural markers have been used to discriminate between abstainers and relapsers (Noel et al., 2021). The Belgian team with which we work has developed an expertise in the collection and analysis of electroencephalographic correlates of social and emotional information processing. In this project, we wish to combine the expertise developed within the LNFP (UR-UPJV 4559) and APERE (UR-UPJV 3300) units of the UPJV in the analysis of postural control related to the processing of social and emotional information with that of the Belgian team in EEG. This project will provide preliminary results on the covariations of postural and neural correlates at work during the processing of socioemotional stimuli. Moreover, important development perspectives appear when considering the importance of mental simulation (Mouras and Lelard, 2021). The modulatory effect of mental simulation could be seen as an indication of increased embodiment of the situation. The complexity of its effect, especially with respect to the temporal variable, remains to be characterized. The coupling of eeg and posturography will shed considerable light on the nature of the cognitive processes at work to exert the modulating effect of mental simulation.

Practical information <>
•          Possible internship period: 6 months during the academic year 2024-2025

•          Prerequisite:

–         Complete M1 at the end of the academic year 2023-2024 in Neurosciences or related subjects

–         Internship bonus according to the classic scale (about 3600 euros)

–         Send CV, cover letter and transcripts if available to harold.mouras at u-picardie.fr <mailto:>
–         Skills / Interests : Posturography, Social neuroscience, affective neuroscience, EEG, time-frequency analysis




————
Harold Mouras
Professeur de Neurosciences

Laboratoire de Neurosciences Fonctionnelles et Pathologies (LNFP) EA 4559
CHU Amiens Picardie - Site Sud
Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé (Bâtiment CURS)
Avenue René Laënnec
80054 Amiens Cedex 1

Tél : +33 7 83 62 93 31
E-mail: harold.mouras at u-picardie.fr <mailto:harold.mouras at u-picardie.fr>
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