Thèse

Developmental speech sound disorders (DSDs) are a group of disorders that affect speech intelligibility in children. The aim of the EULALIES ANR project is to gain a better understanding of their prevalence and characteristics in France. In this thesis, the aim will be to investigate these disorders more closely in children and adolescents with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. The aim will also be to study the development of phonological awareness in this population, i.e. the ability to consciously detect and manipulate the infra-lexical units (syllables, phonemes) of speech.

Supervisors
Anne VILAIN, MCF UGA, - GIPSA-Lab
Hélène LOEVENBRUCK, DR CNRS - LPNC

• Read more about Thesis Claire BOILLEY

Rasmussen's encephalitis is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by progressive unilateral hemispheric atrophy. The disease causes drug-resistant partial epilepsy and is accompanied by progressive, disabling neurocognitive disorders. Because of its drug resistance, the only curative treatment is hemispherotomy, a functional disconnection of the affected hemisphere. Given the young age of the surgery, Rasmussen patients should benefit from significant cerebral reorganisation, enabling significant recovery of cognitive functions. This reorganisation occurs unevenly, depending on the specific development trajectories of these functions and the individual cognitive and cerebral reserve, resulting in several cognitive and cerebral plasticity phenotypes. In addition to the cognitive recovery observed in adulthood, different patterns of cerebral reorganisation have also been described. It is therefore of particular interest to understand the strategies recruited by these patients and the neuroplasticity mechanisms involved. Overall, the aim of this research project is to assess the cognitive and cerebral determinants of recovery and reorganisation in adult patients with Rasmussen's encephalitis following hemispherotomy in childhood. A multimodal approach will be used, combining experimental psychology and neuropsychology to assess cognitive interaction for a wide range of cognitive functions (language, executive functions, theory of mind and memory), clinical parameters, and neuroimaging to specifically measure anatomical brain organisation. We hope to improve our understanding of patients with Rasmussen's encephalitis by describing cognitive and cerebral phenotypes in order to propose a dynamic and integrative model of neurocognitive functioning after hemispherotomy in Rasmussen's patients. New avenues of cognitive rehabilitation and pre-habilitation may be considered, to ensure the best possible neurocognitive recovery.

Supervisors
-  Monica BACIU - Monica.Baciuuniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (Monica[dot]Baciu[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr) -
- Marcela PERRONE-BERTOLOTTI - marcela.perrone-bertolottiuniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (marcela[dot]perrone-bertolotti[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr) -
- Christine BULTEAU-PEYRIE - cbulteaufor.paris.fr (cbulteau[at]for[dot]paris[dot]fr)

Keywords : neuroplasticity,cognition, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, brain, recovery/rehabilitation

• Read more about Thesis Anna BORNE

Most research on reading acquisition and the cognitive processes involved relates to Indo-European languages, and mainly English (Share, 2008). Very few studies have looked at other language families, especially Semitic languages such as Arabic. As a result, theoretical models of reading and learning to read that are now widely accepted internationally may be highly biased. Instead of responding to the demand for the universality they claim, some postulates of these models might in fact only apply to Indo-European languages (Frost, 2012; Hansen, 2014). This is more problematic as theoretical views on learning to read have consequences for teaching practices.
In many Arabic-speaking countries, the teaching of reading adopts the principles of teaching French, emphasizing phonological recoding and the development of phonemic awareness. However, many studies underline that Arabic more than French calls for morphological treatments and more mobilizes visual and visuo-attentional treatments for the identification of letters and relevant units within written words (Saiegh- Haddad & Malatesha-Joshi, 2014).
The thesis project aims to create tools for training cognitive visuo-attentional processes. These training sessions will be offered to Arabic-speaking students who are just starting to learn to read. The performance progress of the students will be evaluated (pre-post training comparison) by comparison with untrained control groups. The objective is to offer a first experimental validation of training protocol, followed by validation on a larger scale in ecological conditions. Ultimately, validated training could be made available to teachers and be the subject of national recommendations.

Supervisors :
- Sylviane VALDOIS -  Sylviane.Valdoisuniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (Sylviane[dot]Valdois[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr)
- Dominique GUILLO - Dominique.GUILLOum6p.ma (Dominique[dot]GUILLO[at]um6p[dot]ma) -

Keywords : Orthographic complexity,visuo-attentional skills,Arabic language,Reading,Spelling,Children,

• Read more about Thesis Alaa GHANDOUR

Supervisors : Martine Bouvard, PREM USMB, martine.bouvarduniv-smb.fr (martine[dot]bouvard[at]univ-smb[dot]fr)

Keywords : psychological processes,functionnal neurological disorder,transdiagnostic,,

• Read more about Thesis Annabelle BOUAMMARI

Experimental studies of processes and representations involved in reading and in reading acquisition rely on a wide variety of behavioral tasks. This offers a wide array of tools for experimental studies, but poses a challenge to computational modeling studies. Indeed, most of the available computational models in the domain are restricted to simulating one, or a couple, of behavioral tasks. For instance, no current model is able to invert the information flow between orthographic and phonological representations, so as to simultaneously account for reading and spelling tasks. The main objective of this doctoral project is to define a probabilistic model of knowledge involved in all tasks related to reading, to simulate as many as possible. Indeed, using probabilities and Bayes’ theorem allows to “invert knowledge”, and thus to study mathematically the two-way information transfer between orthographic and phonological representations. Defining the model will rely on a family of models, the BRAID models, previously developed in the lab. The model will be evaluated on its capacity to simulate a wide variety of behavioral tasks, and to account for behavioral effects out of the scope of previous models.

Supervisors :
Marie-Line BOSSE Marie-line.Bosseuniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (Marie-line[dot]Bosse[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr)
Julien DIARD julien.diarduniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (julien[dot]diard[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr) (Codirection)

Keywords : orthographic knowledge,probabilistic modeling,reading acquisition,reading,spelling,

• Read more about Thesis Camille CHARRIER

Résumé du projet de thèse: La maîtrise des activités numériques simples est cruciale dans notre société puisqu’elle sous-tend la compréhension de raisonnements arithmétiques de plus haut niveau. Échouer à se représenter le problème « 5+3 » et à en calculer rapidement le résultat provoque de nombreuses difficultés à rendre la monnaie, lire l’heure, manipuler des dates, etc. Pourtant, les mécanismes cognitifs qui nous permettent d’additionner très rapidement deux nombres sont encore mal connus, ce qui rend difficile la conception de programmes de remédiation. Faut-il agir sur la mémoire ? Faut-il agir sur les opérations de comptage ? Faut-il agir sur la ligne numérique mentale qui représente la succession des chiffres ?
L’addition mentale de deux petits nombres est en effet une tâche que nous effectuons si rapidement qu’il est difficile de décrire comment elle est réalisée au niveau cognitif. Deux modèles théoriques s’opposent aujourd’hui. Le modèle classique (Logan, 1988; Siegler & Shrager, 1984) considère que l’on récupère directement la réponse en mémoire. Au cours des apprentissages, les enfants réalisent d’abord une procédure de comptage explicite (6..7..8) qui produit une trace mnésique associant les opérandes et le résultat. Après de nombreuses additions avec les mêmes opérandes, la trace mnésique se renforce au point que le résultat puisse être directement récupéré en mémoire (apprentissage « par cœur ») plutôt que calculé. Un nouveau modèle plus récent (Uittenhove, Thevenot, & Barrouillet, 2016) considère que l’apprentissage conduit à automatiser la procédure de comptage. Même après une grande expérience avec les mêmes opérandes, le résultat n’est pas directement récupéré mais plutôt calculé par un processus très rapide qui suit la ligne numérique mentale (1.2.3.4.5.6…). Le résultat de l’apprentissage n’est donc pas un passage du comptage à la récupération en mémoire, mais plutôt une amélioration du comptage qui devient plus rapide, et même automatique, avec l’expérience.
L’objectif principal de cette thèse est d'aborder la problématique théorique de l’addition mentale en associant la démarche expérimentale et la modélisation computationnelle. Le modèle théorique récent AutoCoP (Automated Counting Procedures, Uittenhove et al., 2016) stipulant que le comptage n’est pas récupéré en mémoire mais calculé, sera le point de départ du projet. Les trois axes du projet sont les suivants :
1. étendre le modèle théorique pour inclure le rôle de la mémoire de travail. Ce travail de modélisation sera facilité par son implémentation informatique qui pourra s’appuyer sur des modèles computationnels modernes de la mémoire de travail (Lemaire & Portrat, 2018).
2. étudier le rôle de la ligne numérique mentale au cœur du modèle dont on sait qu’elle est représentée spatialement, de gauche à droite. On pourra notamment solidifier le modèle théorique initial, à la fois en montrant un effet néfaste d’une ligne mentale inversée et en exprimant dans un cadre computationnel le lien entre comptage et représentation spatiale.
3. tester le modèle sur une population dyscalculique. Là encore, des données expérimentales seront recueillies et le modèle computationnel pourra ensuite être altéré pour simuler des comportements dyscalculiques et aider à isoler les causes possibles du déficit.

Supervisors :
- Benoit LEMAIRE - 0476825631 - benoit.lemaireuniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (benoit[dot]lemaire[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr) -
- Karine MAZENS - 0476825673 - karine.mazensuniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (karine[dot]mazens[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr)

Keywords: computational modeling,mental calculation,numerical cognition,

• Read more about Thesis CHOUTEAU ROUSSET

Supervisors :
-Martine BOUVARD - martine.bouvarduniv-smb.fr (martine[dot]bouvard[at]univ-smb[dot]fr) -
-Nathalie FOURNET - nathalie.fournetuniv-savoie.fr (nathalie[dot]fournet[at]univ-savoie[dot]fr) -

Keywords : processus, transdiagnostique, dépression, adolescent, anxiété

• Read more about Thesis Sandra CASARIN

Handwriting deficits, also known as 'dysgraphia', affect 5 to 10% of school-age children. Currently, the diagnosis of dysgraphia is based on the BHK test which is relatively subjective. If they are not handled, these deificits rapidly impact the others scholar skills, eventually leading to scholar failure. It is thus crucial to diagnose and handle these deficits as early as possible.
While dysgraphia are pretty well described at the motor level in the literature(Danna et al, 2013; Smits-Engelsman & Galen, 1997; Hamstra-Bletz & Blöte, 1993), brain or oculomotor activities associated to handwriting deficits have been poorly investigated in children. Recently, a first algorithm for the automatic detection of dysgraphia has been developed (Asselborn et al, 2018), but technological improvements are required for its use in the dysgraphia diagnosis. In a previous project supported by the CEA Bottom-up program, an important database of handwriting has been collected in typical and dysgraphic children and handwriting parameters specific to dysgraphic children have been identified and used to develop our first algorithm. Performances achieved in terms of dysgraphia detection are around 85%.
The current PhD position aims at analyzing the handwriting in typical and dysgraphic children by using 3 simultaneous measurements: handwriting kinematic parameters, brain activity recorded by EEG and oculomotor activity recorded by eye tracking. From these data, contribution of EEG and oculomotor features in supervised machine learning models will be assessed. The final goal is to develop a new tool, automatic and reliable, for dysgraphia diagnosis.

Supervisors :
- Caroline JOLLY - caroline.jollyuniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (caroline[dot]jolly[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr)
-  Jérôme BOUTET

Keywords : Dysgraphia,EEG,Handwriting,Eye tracking,Child development,Supervised machine learning models,

• Read more about Thesis Raphaël LAMBERT

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a cognitive-motor disorder characterized by difficulties in performing coordinated movements, which may cause academic learning difficulties in children. The prevalence of the disorder is 5-6% in children between the ages of 5 and 11 years, which highlights the importance of better understanding the disorder through scientific research in order to improve its detection and management. In particular, it is necessary to investigate in more detail the cognitive and motor mechanisms underlying the disorder, and to better characterize the different subtypes of the disorder. This must be done by strengthening research on the learning difficulties and the different types of memories involved, as well as the conditions in which these learning difficulties appear.
This thesis project will focus on three main objectives: (1) To evaluate the transfer of cognitive and motor learning between different tasks that are more or less similar to each other, in children with DCD/Dyspraxia. (2) To contribute to a better characterization of the different subtypes of the disorder. (3) To contribute to a better knowledge of the disorder among people who may be confronted with it, in particular parents, teachers, and children themselves.
This thesis project will be carried out in close collaboration with the OCIRP foundation, and will allow the establishment of a network of partners around the disability in children, as well as the implementation of support and information actions on DCD/Dyspraxia.

Supervisors :
Jérôme CLERC -  jerome.clercuniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (jerome[dot]clerc[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr)
Caroline JOLLY  - caroline.jollyuniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (caroline[dot]jolly[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr) -

Keywords : Dyspraxia,Learning,DCD,transfer of learning,

• Read more about Thesis Laureen JOSSERON

Language is a privileged communicational medium in humans and a key tool for social interaction. To properly adapt to their social world, infants need to learn the words of their native language(s). Interestingly, this learning is far from linear. Infant only start to memorize their first words at around 6-8 months of age. At 12 months, they know the meaning of 10-50 words and start producing some of them. During their second year, this word learning ability improves drastically, leading to a vocabulary of 300-550 words at 24 months of age. While this abrupt improvement or “vocabulary burst” has been widely reported in the literature, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear, and its age of apparition subject to a great inter-individual variability, even in typically-developing (TD) populations. The novelty of this PhD proposal is to posit that developing an attentional control system that optimizes the audiovisual processing of talking faces is a crucial mechanism by which infants learn the words of their native language in live situations. We posit that it triggers their vocabulary burst and boosts infants’ language learning. We argue that this question is fundamental to improve our understanding of the interindividual variability of typical and atypical language development trajectories. We will explore this question combining experimental and modelling approaches, a necessary but still infrequent practice to pinpoint the specific (a)typical mechanisms involved in (a)typical language learning trajectories.

Supervisors :
Olivier PASCALIS olivier.pascalisuniv-grenoble-alpes.fr (olivier[dot]pascalis[at]univ-grenoble-alpes[dot]fr)
Mathilde FORT mathilde.frtgmail.com (mathilde[dot]frt[at]gmail[dot]com) (Co-encadrant)

Mots-clés : word learning,infancy,attention,face,

• Read more about Thesis Jérémie JOSSE