Projects
PremAtuRe nEwborn motor and cogNitive impairmenTs: Early diagnosis KU Leuven
Prematurity exponentially increases the risk for an altered neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood and adolescence. Many survivors children, face a lifetime of disability. Despite the advances in neonatal care have greatly improved survival of preterm born infants even at extremely low gestational ages we are now at a period of steadiness where no further improvement in long-term neurodevelopmental outcome is seen. The impact of these ...
Neural tracking of the speech envelope: unraveling the effects of listening effort, age and hearing impairment KU Leuven
Partly due to the rapid pace of aging of the world population, it is expected that by 2050 more than 900 million people will experience hearing loss. Since adequate hearing is a prerequisite for daily life communication, hearing impairment increases the risk of social isolation and poorer physical functioning, which in turn negatively affects quality of life. Currently, hearing aids are the most used and well-known treatment for hearing ...
Visuoperceptual profiling and game-based rehabilitation in children with cerebral visual impairment KU Leuven
Intact visual skills are essential for positive cognitive and social development, as well as independent movement in the environment. Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is one of the most prominent causes of severe visual impairment in childhood. The most common cause of CVI is damage to the periventricular white matter, a characteristic lesion in prematurely born children. CVI involves visual dysfunction due to pathology affecting the ...
The Effects of Gut Bacterial Metabolites Short-Chain Fatty Acids on Stress-Induced Impairment in Core Executive Functions KU Leuven
The gut microbiome has emerged as a likely mediator of physiologic (e.g., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis), emotional, and cognitive responses to stress. The short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate and butyrate are the main metabolites of fermentation of complex carbohydrates in the colon by the gut microbiota, and are thought to play a key role in microbiota-gut-brain communication. The effects of SCFAs on these ...
Communication for Children with Hearing Impairment to optimise Language Development KU Leuven
The World Health Assembly adopted a 2017 resolution recognising Hearing Impairment (HI) as a priority worldwide health issue. Children with HI present significant risks for language acquisition, educational achievement, socio-emotional development, and well-being. Current intervention plans fail to prepare those children for academic achievement and social participation in contemporary society where the diversity of their needs is increasing. ...
iVision-2 - Game-based adaptive therapy for children with cerebral visual impairment KU Leuven
The overall goal of the current research grant proposal for iVision-2 is to
evaluate the effectiveness of a personalized, adaptive gamified
visuoperceptual therapy program on visuoperceptual capacities and
viewing behaviour of children with CVI. We will combine the knowledge
of the iVision-1 and eye-tracking projects in order to optimize the
automated adaptivity approach and thereafter evaluate the
effectiveness ...
Predictive value of brain lesions for the presence and characteristics of cerebral visual impairment in children with cerebral palsy below the age of 6. KU Leuven
Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is a neurological condition, in which our eyes can work perfectly yet our brain is not capable of interpreting the information. CVI occurs typically in children born preterm and specifically those who have brain lesions, leading to cerebral palsy. CVI has a negative impact on the cognitive and motor development of the child and that is why early diagnosis is necessary. Currently, our knowledge about the ...
The neural basis of lumbosacral proprioceptive impairment in recurrent low back pain. KU Leuven
De neural basis of complex postural tasks </>
in individuals with and without non-specific low back pain</></>
Sensorimotor control is the ongoing integration of sensory and motor signals in the central nervous system, in order to provide an appropriate motor output that corresponds to all internal and external demands. To make an accurate assessment of these demands, an efficient transmission ...
Perceptual discrimination impairment in chronic pain: the role of fear learning. KU Leuven
A growing body of evidence has identified pain-related fear as key process in the development of chronic pain, a common and disabling disorder that remains challenging to treat. Yet, how such fear amplifies pain or affects perception remains unclear. Recently, we suggested that fear learning towards bodily sensations impairs the ability to discriminate between bodily sensations. Preliminary clinical findings report of a relationship between ...