An institute for interfacing basic and clinical research on the normal and the pathological brain function.

The Mediterranean Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience (INCM) is a research unit operated by the CNRS and the Université de la Méditerranée. It was created in January 2004 on a research programme centred on higher brain functions in human and non-human primate.

Our main mission is to investigate the neuronal bases of perception, cognition and action with a multi-level approach ranging from single neurons to neuronal populations and networks, and in different models (non human primates, healthy humans and patients). Our research strategy is to tackle fundamental basic research issues in close relation with major brain pathologies (Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Schizophrenia, Autism ?).

The Institute's scientific programme stands on five major milestones:

1. The concept of dynamic, context-dependent neural processing,
2. Inter-disciplinary research,
3. A unique group of researchers working with non human primates,
4. Strong cross-links between clinical and basic research, and
5. State-of-the-art technological tools, such as a 3T fMRI plate form, Optical Imaging setup for behaving primates, Multi-electrode recordings, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, MEG/EEG ?).

Driss Boussaoud

Selected recent publications

• Perrinet L. (2010), «Role of homeostasis in learning sparse representations», Neural Computation, in press
• Guerrasio, L; Quinet, J; Büttner, U; Goffart, L (2010), «The fastigial oculomotor region and the control of foveation during fixation», Journal of Neurophysiology , in press
• Ponce-Alvarez, A; Kilavik, BE; Riehle, A (2009), «Comparison of local measures of spike time irregularity and relating variability to firing rate in motor cortical neurons», Journal of Computational Neuroscience, in press
• Rickert,J; Riehle, A; Aertsen, A; Rotter, S;Nawrot, MP (2009), «Dynamic encoding of movement direction in motor cortical neurons», Journal of Neuroscience, 29: 13870-13882
• Kilavik, BE; Roux,S;Ponce-Alvarez, A;Confais,J;Grün,S;Riehle, A (2009), «Long-term modifications in motor cortical dynamics induced by intensive practice», Journal of Neuroscience, 29: 12653-12663
• Quinet, J; Goffart, L (2009), «Electrical microstimulation of the fastigial oculomotor region in the head unrestrained monkey», Journal of Neurophysiology , 102: 320-336, 2009.
• Hafed, Z.M; Goffart, L; Krauzlis, R.J (2009), «A neural mechanism for microsaccade generation in the primate superior colliculus», Science, 323: 940-943
• Longcamp, M; Boucard, C; Gilhodes, J.C; Nazarian, B; Anton, J.L; Roth, M; Velay, J.L (2008), «Learning through hand- or type-writing influences visual recognition of new graphic shapes: behavioral and functional imaging evidences», Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20(5) 802-15
• De Graaf, J; Frolov, A; Fiocchi, M; Nazarian, B; Anton, J.L; Pailhous, J; Bonnard, M (2008), «Preparing for a motor perturbation : early implication of primary motor and somatosensory cortices.», Human Brain Mapping, in press
• Brovelli, A; Laksiri, N; Nazarian, B; Meunier, M; Boussaoud, D (2008), «Understanding the neural computations of arbitrary visuomotor learning through fMRI and associative learning theory », Cereb Cortex, 18(7):1485-95
• Barthélemy, F; Perrinet, LU;Castet, E; Masson, GS (2008), «Dynamics of distributed 1D and 2D motion representations for short-latency ocular following», Vision Research, 48(4):501-22
• Schön, D; Boyer, M; Moreno, S; Besson, M; Peretz, I; Kolinsky, R (2008), «Songs as an aid for language acquisition», Cognition , 975–983
• Wicker, B; Fonlupt, P; Hubert, B; Tardif, C; Gepner, B; Deruelle, C (2008), «Abnormal cerebral effective connectivity during explicit emotional processing in adults with autism spectrum disorder», Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, sous presse
• Nawrot, MP; Boucsein, C; Rodriguez Molina, V; Riehle, A; Aertsen, A; Rotter, S (2008), «Measurements of variability dynamics in cortical spike trains», J Neurosci Methods, 169: 374-390
• Hafed, Z; Goffart, L; Krauzlis, R (2008), «Superior colliculus inactivation causes stable offsets in eye position during tracking», Journal of Neuroscience , 28 : 8124-8137
• Parron, C; Deruelle, C; Fagot, J (2007), «Processing of biological motion point-light displays by baboons (Papio papio)".», Journal of Experimental Psychology:Animal Behavior Processes., 33, 381-391
• Denker, M; Roux, S; Timme, M; Riehle, A; Grün, S (2007), «Phase synchronization between LFP and spiking activity in motor cortex during movement preparation», Neurocomputing, 70: 2096-2101
• Sharon, D.; Jancke, D.; Chavane, F.; Naaman, S.; Grinvald, A. (2007), «Cortical Response Field Dynamics in Cat Visual Cortex», Cerebral Cortex,
• Santos, A; Rondan, C; Rosset, D; Da Fonseca, D; Deruelle, C (2007), «Mr. Grimace or Ms. Smile: Does categorization impacts perceptual processing in autism?», Psychological Science, 19, 70-76
• Bonnard, M; Galléa, C; de Graaf, J; Pailhous, J (2007), «Corticospinal control of the thumb-index grip depends on precision of force control : a TMS and fMRI study in humans. », European Journal of Neuroscience, 25 (3), 872-880
• Magne, C; Astésano, C; Aramaki, M; Ystad, S; Kronland-Martinet, R ; Besson, M (2007), «Influence of syllabic lengthening on semantic processing in spoken French: Behavioural and electrophysiological evidence», Cerebral Cortex: Advance access, published January 30, 2007,
• Meunier, M; Monfardini, E; Boussaoud, D (2007), «Learning by observation in rhesus monkeys», Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 2, 243-8
• Kaladjian; A, Jeanningros, R; Azorin, JM; Grimault, S; Anton, JL; Mazzola-Pomietto, P (2007), «Blunded activation in right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex during response inhibition in schizophrenia», Schizophr Res., 97: 184-193
• Bernard, J-B; Scherlen, A-C; Castet, E (2007), «Page mode reading with simulated scotomas: A modest effect of interline spacing on reading speed», Vision Research, 47(28) , 3447-3459
• Quinet, J; Goffart, L (2007), «Head unrestrained gaze shifts after muscimol injection in the caudal fastigial nucleus of the monkey», Journal of Neurophysiology, 98 : 3269–3283