Thérèse and René Planiol Foundation for the study of the brain

Registered charity from 2 February 2005

The Foundation's work

Supporting mobility and training programmes

Juin 2007

Beneficiary: Dr Gabriele Tripi (Faculté de médecine, Hôpital " Aiuto Materno " Service de neuropsychiatrie de l'enfant Palermo-Italie )

Name of host organisation: Servive Universitaire d'Exploration Fonctionnelle en Pédopsychiatrie CHU Bretonneau 2 boulevard Tonnellé 37000 Tours France

Duration and goal of the training:6 months to study "Minor morphological anomalies in a group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder"

Summary: I investigate the rate and topological profile of minor physical anomalies (prenatal errors of morhogenesis) in a group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder with a wide range of cognitive and communicative abilities. This investigation will be made by a research protocol constituted by mixed technique of photogrammetry computerized and neuropsychological investigations. In this study, I hope to better set a temporal framing of embryological factors involved in neurodevelopmental theory of autism spectrum disorder

Amount of funding: 4 000 euros

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Beneficiary: Dr Céline Descriaud El Hage (LUSSI FRE CNRS 2448, Faculté de Médecine, Tours)

Name of host organisation: Harris Birthright Research Centre, Suite 9, 3rd Floor, Golden Jubilee Wing, Kings College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS UK

Duration and goal of the training:12 months to study "Cerebral 3D sonography in normal and hypotrophic fœtus"

Summary: The growth of the foetus depends on the placental efficiency. In case of placental insufficiency the foetus is in lack of calories and oxygen. The foetus has capacity of adaptation (vascular redistribution) which protects the noblest structures: heart and brain. In case of placental insufficiency the mechanisms of adaptation can be exceeded. The sonography tries to optimize the birth's date to avoid on one hand the brain damages or the death and on the other hand to avoid a useless prematurity. This following is not however perfect and it persists a risk of too premature intervention and a also risk of brain damages or death .That is why we wish to develop a study using 3-Dimensions sonography to measure the cerebral structures of foetus between 5 and 8 months of pregnancy. This method does not present risk for the mother and the foetus. The scientific objectives are:
- To measure growth velocity of the cerebral structures of the normal foeti to obtain reference data adapted to the current practice.
- For the hypoxic foetus to:
- Quantify in a reliable way the slowing down on the cerebral growth
- Clarify witch structures are injured and the chronology
- Estimate if the consequences on the brain are the same the lack of oxygen occurs early in foetal life
- A better knowledge of the brain's growth in the normal conditions of pregnancy and the consequences on this growth in case of placental insufficiency could allow us to improve still the detection and the care of foetus subjected to the severe placental defect.

Amount of funding: 6 000 euros

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Beneficiary: Dr Frédérique Bonnet-Brilhault (Service Universitaire d'Exploration Fonctionnelle en Pédopsychiatrie CHU BretonneauTours)

Name of host organisation: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute Department of Psychogy 132 Barker Hall, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94 720-3190 USA.

Duration and goal of the training: 6 months to study cortical psychophysiologic models of préfrontal cortex and to analyse the cerebral processes associated using electrophysiological methods ".

Summary: I am a member of a research team whose project is to specify in autism the relations which exist between the behavioural and cognitive abnormalities and the underlying neuronal dysfunctions. Autism which prevalence is now 1/1000, may lead to high social disabilities. We use electrophysiological methods (EEG and evoked potentials) to explore cerebral functioning. The team of Professor Knight at the Helen Wills Institute in University of Berkeley is internationally known for its research on brain functioning. This team has shown that ultra-high gamma activity is generated in the human neocortex to sensory salient events ant that theta rythms modulate the occurrence of ultra high gamma. These processes are very interesting for pervasive developmental disorders such as autism. The aim of this mobility is to acquire knowledge on psychophysiological models and electrophysiological methods developed by Professor Knight's lab and to apply in autism.

Amount of funding: 5000 euros

Decembre 2006

Beneficiary: Dr Béchir Jarraya (CEA-CNRS, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, Orsay)

Name of host organisation Martinos Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University (Pr Wim Vanduffel), Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, http://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/martinos/flashHome.php

Duration and goal of the training: 12 months from decembre 2006 to learn brain imaging of cerebral functions using fMRI in awake monkey

Amount of funding: 15000 euros

Septembre 2006

Beneficiary: Dr Christina Schmitz (CNRS-UMR 6196 Groupe développement et pathologie de l’action Marseille)

Name of host organisation : Unité INSERM 619 équipe n°1 : autisme et troubles de développement - Tours.

Duration and goal of the training: 2 months to learn a new method to investigate anticipating motor functions in children.

Amount of funding: 6000 euros

Director of publication:
Professeur Thérèse Planiol

Administrator :Yves Tillet

Last update : 24 octobre 2007

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