Virtual reality
Virtual reality enables researchers in psychology and neuroscience to assess participants' cognitive abilities in a scientific (controlled) way that is also environmentally friendly, i.e. close to real-life conditions. By creating original scenarios, it also makes the test situations more attractive and entertaining, thereby encouraging participant motivation, an important factor when these tests have to be repeated several times, for example during rehabilitation protocols. We use virtual reality, coupled with EEG and ocular measurements, to gain a better understanding of the cognitive mechanisms linked to the perception of time in healthy volunteers and patients suffering from psychopathological disorders.
Electroencephalography (EEG)
The team routinely records electroencephalograms during cognitive tasks. Analysis of the data obtained (evoked potentials, oscillations, i.e. rhythmic cerebral electrical activity) enables us to study the processing stages that precede and follow the presentation of a stimulus (tactile, visual or auditory) and/or a response (i.e. preparation, prediction, detection, identification, motor programming, monitoring, etc.).
Motion capture
Patients suffering from schizophrenia have subtle disorders of motor preparation, which have been demonstrated experimentally in the unit. Catatonia is also accompanied by abnormal movements. Motion capture techniques can be used to record patients' movement trajectories, whether during walking or for finer movements, as in the example illustrated below. Motion capture techniques can be used to objectivise patients' motor disorders.
