Our Projects

The PETALE study is interested in the long-term side effects of survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This study first started in 1989, and examines survivors that were 19 years old or younger at the time of the diagnosis. Also, to qualify this study, they must have been in remission for a minimum of five years. This accounts for approximately 350 patients from the CHU Sainte-Justine.

Our objective in this project is to create a new measurement of self-esteem development trajectory. We want to explore the moderator effect of chronological age on how multiple selves and social comparison are associated with outcomes such as global self- worth and positive affect. We will investigate how affective maturity and development impact these relationships.

The aim of this research project is to examine synaptic plasticity in populations with intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder using electroencephalography and behavioral measures in order to unveil the neuronal mechanisms underlying learning disabilities.

This study focuses on the cognitive development of babies and children having suffered from early life prolonged complex febrile seizures (CFS), the most prominent seizure disorder between the ages of six months and five years of age. The objectives of the study are two-fold.

RE is the most common form of childhood epilepsy. It is caused by the hyperexcitability of a system of neurons in only one hemisphere without apparent brain injury or cerebral structural abnormalities (Capovilla et al., 2009), it is usually well controlled by medication and seizures disappear by adolescence. Although RE is still officially considered as a benign syndrome without cognitive impairments (Berg et Scheffer, 2011), a growing body of literature highlights the existence of a wide range of cognitive deficits (Sarco et al., 2011; Baglietto et al., 2001; Metz-Lutz et Filippini, 2006; Weglage, Demsky, Pietsch, et Kurlemann, 1997). In RE, we know that abnormal epileptic activity is found in central and temporal regions of the brain.

The objective of our project is to develop a morphological predictor for early diagnosis of TLE which can identify differences in hippocampal and sulci shapes to normal populations.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children. Despite efficient treatments allowing a survival rate of more than 80%, it is known that treatments against leukemia can cause cognitive difficulties in survivors, amongst other things difficulties in mathematics and in short-term memory.

Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is one of the most common childhood epilepsy syndromes, which occurs in children aged from three to 13 years old. Initially, BECTS was considered as benign, but recently some studies have found cognitive and behavioral deficits, which may persist even after remission. Recent neuroimaging studies have found a link between these cognitive deficits and dysfunctions in specific brain structures, which shows the possibility of neuroanatomical alterations in these brain regions.

In neonates, ultrasound is the initial neuroimaging modality used to detect and follow up on intracranial pathologies, since MRI is challenging due to immobilization, cost and sedation issues. Ultrasound is typically acquired in 2D and interpretations are performed slice by slice.

In this study, we aim at investigating if babies are using their social evaluations for learning purposes during the first two years of life.

The aim of this study is to understand how stress in infants affects important cognitive functions such as learning and memory. To do so, we measure brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) during a learning task. Further, saliva samples are collected during the experimentation. Using these measures, we will investigate the relationship between stress and learning in infants.

Stress is the most important risk factor associated with seizure incidence, frequency and severity. Although numerous animal studies suggest early programming with stress influences seizure disorders and their prognosis, developmental human studies of this link are lacking.