Involvement of the Mediodorsal Nucleus of the Thalamus in Higher Order Cognitive Processes

Last updated: January 10, 2020
Sponsor: University Hospital, Toulouse
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

N/A

Condition

Occlusions

Treatment

N/A

Clinical Study ID

NCT03867149
RC31/18/0337
IDRCB
  • Ages 18-70
  • All Genders
  • Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Summary

The aim is to expand evidence about the importance of the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus as a key node in human higher-order cognitive functions such as learning, decision-making, and adaptive behavior. Thus, the project proposes to assess global cognition along with higher-order cognition integrity via sensitive behavior tasks in patients with well localized lesions (mediodorsal thalamic infarcts) compared with healthy participants.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion criteria for patients:

  • French as their mother tongue

  • Absence of cognitive deterioration before the stroke.

  • Visual, auditory (equipment authorized) and oral or written skills sufficient for the proper assessment using neuropsychological tests.

  • First infarct affecting the thalamus.

  • At least seven years' schooling from primary school

  • Signed informed consent

  • Chronic lesion (> 3 months)

Inclusion criteria for controls:

  • French as their mother tongue

  • Absence of cognitive complain

  • Visual, auditory (equipment authorized) and oral or written skills sufficient for the proper assessment using neuropsychological tests.

  • At least seven years of school from primary school

  • Signed informed consent

Exclusion criteria for patients:

  • Neurological deficit or significant residual disability at inclusion.

  • Aphasia, agnosia, apraxia or severe neglect, as demonstrated by clinical examination and neuropsychological tests.

  • Subjects with a contraindication to MRI.

  • General, neurological or psychiatric progressive disease.

Exclusion criteria for controls:

  • Subjects with a contraindication to MRI.

  • General, neurological or psychiatric progressive disease.

Study Design

Total Participants: 40
Study Start date:
May 14, 2019
Estimated Completion Date:
April 30, 2023

Study Description

The recruitment of patients with isolated thalamic lesion after stroke is known to be a challenge that the investigators overcame through the expertise of neurologists within their stroke unit.

First, they will describe the cognitive profile consecutive to a lesion of the thalamus, assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests.

Second, and more specifically, they will study performances at experimental tasks focusing on higher-order cognition (decision-making, updating, interference managing, multitasking).

They will use the automatic localization method already performed : the lesions will be manually segmented from T1 morphologic sequences, and then normalized in a template. Finally a numerical atlas of thalamus will be applied on the lesions, determining the injured substructure and the lesion volume.

Besides, this method will be compared with new high resolution thalamus-centered anatomical sequences allowing direct and individual identification of the involved thalamic nucleus.

Connect with a study center

  • Hopital Purpan - CHU de Toulouse

    Toulouse, 31059
    France

    Active - Recruiting

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