Robert Lalonde

• PhD
• Professor at Université de Rouen Normandie

When placed in a T-maze, rats or mice possess a strong tendency of alternating arm choices on successive trials. The exploration of novel environmental stimuli is dependent on the integrity of limbic and non-limbic pathways, including the basal forebrain, the hippocampus, the thalamus, the prefrontal cortex, and the dorsal striatum, as well as the...

The discovery of gene mutations underlying autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease has enabled researchers to reproduce several hallmarks of this disorder in transgenic mice, notably the formation of Aβ plaques in brain and cognitive deficits. APP transgenic mutants have also been investigated with respect to survival rates, neurologic functions, an...

As disabled-1 protein (DAB1) acts downstream in the reelin signaling pathway modulating neuronal migration, glutamate neurotransmission, and cytoskeletal function, the disabled-1 gene mutation (scrambler or Dab1(scm) mutation) results in ataxic mice displaying dramatic neuroanatomical defects similar to those observed in the reeler gene (Reln) muta...

First described by Boissier and Simon in (Ther Recreat J 17:1225–1232, 1962), the hole-board has become a recognized test of anxiety and spatial memory. Benzodiazepines acting at the GABAA-BZD site increase hole-pokes in rats and mice, indicating a loss in behavioral inhibition concordant with the behavior of mutant mice deficient in the GABA trans...

The function of the HERC1 gene has mainly been delineated by studying Herc1tbl (tambaleante) mutant mice, characterized by losses in cerebellar Purkinje cells, a lower number of synaptic vesicles in the hippocampus, and anomalies in climbing fiber projections from the inferior olive as well as alpha-motoneuron projections to the skeletal muscle. Th...

The neurochemical anatomy underlying Cushing’s syndrome is examined for regional brain metabolism as well as neurotransmitter levels and receptor binding of biogenic amines and amino acids. Preliminary studies generally indicate that glucose uptake, blood flow, and activation on fMRI scans decreased in neocortical areas and increased in subcortical...

Responses occurring during intervals of operant tasks have been subdivided as interim, facultative, and terminal, depending on the time between response onset and reward. Although interval responses, also known as adjunctive responses, have been described in pigeons, rats, mice, monkeys, and humans, most experiments have been conducted in rats. We...

DST is a gene whose alternative splicing yields epithelial, neuronal, and muscular isoforms. The autosomal recessive Dstdt (dystonia musculorum) spontaneous mouse mutation causes degeneration of spinocerebellar tracts as well as peripheral sensory nerves, dorsal root ganglia, and cranial nerve ganglia. In addition to Dstdt mutants, axonopathy and n...

A review is presented as to the neurochemical basis of the straight runway task, usually consisting of an acquisition phase followed by an extinction phase. During the acquisition of the appetitive runway task, running speeds from the start box to the goal box progressively increase over trials and then decrease when the reward is withheld. Runway...

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been proposed as a treatment for neurodegeneration, including diseases of the cerebellum, where BDNF levels or those of its main receptor, TrkB, are often diminished relative to controls, thereby serving as replacement therapy. Experimental evidence indicates that BDNF signaling countered cerebellar dege...

The effects of probiotics have mostly been shown to be favorable on measures of anxiety and stress. More recent experiments indicate single- and multi-strain probiotics in treating motor- related diseases. Initial studies in patients with Parkinson's disease and Prader-Willi syndrome are concordant with this hypothesis. In addition, probiotics impr...

The 5-HT syndrome in rats is composed of head weaving, body shaking, forepaw treading, flat body posture, hindlimb abduction, and Straub tail. The importance of the brainstem and spinal cord for the syndrome is underlined by findings of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT)-induced denervation supersensitivity in response to 5-HT-stimulant drugs. For h...

One-trial appetitive learning developed from one-trial passive avoidance learning as a standard test of retrograde amnesia. It consists of one learning trial followed by a retention test, in which physiological manipulations are presented. As in passive avoidance learning, food- or water-deprived rats or mice finding food or water inside an enclosu...

The Maier 3-table task comprises three phases conducted each day. During the exploration phase, rats explore the entire apparatus. During the information phase, the rats are placed on one of the three tables where food is found. During the test phase, the animals are placed at the starting point on one of the two remaining tables and must enter the...

Probiotics are bacteria whose favorable physiological properties have mostly been demonstrated in regard to anxiety and stress. More recent experiments indicate potential use of single- and multi-strain probiotics on motor-related diseases. Initial studies in patients with Parkinson’s disease and Prader-Willi syndrome are concordant with this hypot...

Partly because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, cocoa flavanols have been examined in reversing age-related cognitive deficits. Epidemiological studies indicate a relation between flavonoid intake and prevention of dementia. In confirmation of this relation, several pharmacological studies show faster speed of responding and bet...

Understanding gene variations in people living under extreme conditions has the potential of curing diseases caused by exposure to heat, cold, fatty diets, hypoxia, and pathogens. One candidate gene associated with heat resistance is ACE1 , encoding angiotensin-converting enzyme 1. Associations have also been made between cold resistance or fatty d...

Gut microbiota have been shown to be useful in treating gastrointestinal diseases, cancer, obesity, infections, and, more recently, neuropsychiatric conditions such as degenerative diseases and depression. There has also been recent expansion in testing probiotics and prebiotics on anxiety-like behaviors in animals. Current results indicate that pr...

In mice, rats, and rabbits vigorous jumping and hyperexcitability occur at the popcorn stage of postnatal development. In view of subcortical structures appearing before cortical ones, the trait is deemed to occur at the maturation time of ascending excitatory projections from the brainstem and to disappear at the maturation time of descending inhi...

The dorsal immobility response (DIR) and the tonic immobility response (TIR) are cutaneo-motor reflexes typically triggered when a prey is seized. The neurochemical basis of the DIR appears to pass through the basal ganglia via dopaminergic fibers, while the neurochemical basis of the TIR appears to include a circuit comprising the amygdala, the pe...

Background: A plethora of evidence support that central and systemic inflammation promotes AD progression. Amyloid plaques are closely accompanied with neuroinflammation characterized by activated microglia and reactive astrocytes. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which inflammation contributes to development of AD remain to be elucida...

Various clinical results are obtained regarding the effects of cerebellar GABA transmission on spinocerebellar ataxias. Based on animal studies, it is proposed that balanced GABAergic transmission between GABA and other neurotransmitters such as glutamate may lead to more promising results in treating such conditions.

The function of the Agtpbp1 gene has mainly been delineated by studying Agtpbp1pcd (pcd) mutant mice, characterized by losses in cerebellar Purkinje and granule cells along with degeneration of retinal photoreceptors, mitral cells of the olfactory bulb, thalamic neurons, and alpha-motoneurons. As a result of cerebellar degeneration, cerebellar GABA...

Although the link between developmental dyslexia and visual-spatial deficit has been recurrently highlighted, the relationship between visual-spatial abilities and reading performance is still a controversial issue, considering the orthographic variability of the language being learned. This study aimed to examine whether visuo-spatial abilities (i...

The SmithKline, Harwell, Imperial College, Royal Hospital, Phenotype Assessment (SHIRPA) is a rapid battery of tests comprising 42 measurements of motor activity, coordination, postural control, muscle tone, autonomic functions, and emotional reactivity, as well as reflexes dependent on visual, auditory, and tactile modalities. Individual scores in...

We examined the effects of a morphological awareness (MA) training program on the enhancement of word and pseudo-word reading and phonological awareness in Arabic-speaking children with dyslexia. We compared two groups of children with dyslexia from Grade 3, an experimental group (n = 12; mean age = 112.4 months) with a control group (n = 13; mean...

We examined the effects of a combined phonological and print intervention program on the enhancement of phonological awareness, text reading accuracy and comprehension in fourth grade Arabic-speaking children with severe difficulties in reading accuracy (dyslexia) and reading comprehension. We compared an experimental group (n = 22; mean age = 122....

Purpose: The present cross-sectional study examined the individual role of rapid automatized naming (RAN), verbal short-term memory (VSTM), and phonological verbal fluency (PVF) along with word reading performance in predicting phonological awareness (PA). Materials and methods: A total of 225 Arabic speaking children from grades 2, 3, 4 and 5 took...

Glucocorticoids are involved in the developing brain but, in excessive amounts, may depress its growth and cause psychomotor development disorders. To test the long-term vulnerability of motor structures such as the cerebellum to supraphysiological corticosterone (CORT), the hormone was subcutaneously delivered at a dose of 20 mg/kg from postnatal...

We predicted that Arabic‐speaking children with specific learning disabilities in reading (dyslexia) and spelling (in writing) benefit from a visuomotor‐based intervention programme for the development of letter knowledge and the improvement of word and pseudo‐word decoding as well as spelling (dictation). It was predicted that the mediation of vis...

Chance discovery of spontaneous mutants with atrophy of the cerebellar cortex has unearthed genes involved in optimizing motor coordination. Rotorod, stationary beam, and suspended wire tests are useful in delineating behavioral phenotypes of spontaneous mutants with cerebellar atrophy such as Grid2Lc, Grid2ho, Rorasg, Agtpbp1pcd, Relnrl, and Dab1s...

In this study, we conducted a lexical decision test using masked priming paradigm to examine the morphological and orthographic priming effects in word recognition. Morphologically related word pairs can be derivational, sharing the same root or not (pseudo derivational). However, the orthographically related pairs share the same letters in differe...

The following errors require correction in the article. The authors apologize for these errors.

We examined the effects of an adaptive phonological training program on the enhancement of 3 processing abilities—namely, phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, and phonological short-term memory—as well as word and pseudoword reading in Arabic-speaking children with dyslexia. We compared an experimental group (n = 20; mean age = 122.9 m...

We report the results of three tasks of two-dimensional pictures, letters and symbols mental rotation (MR) among 9-11 years aged Arabic readers with dyslexia, in order to examine a potential stimulus type effect on MR ability in terms of accuracy and speed. Results showed that readers with dyslexia (n=32) performed significantly lower and were slow...

Deficits in motor coordination have been reported at midbrain, pontine, and bulbar levels. In particular, deficits are prominent in patients with Parkinson's disease and have been reproduced in animal models of this disease caused by injections of neurotoxic agents such as 6-OHDA and MPTP. At the pontine level, the pedunculopontine tegmentum and th...

There is strong evidence of a role for the substantia nigra pars compacta in executive-type functions in Parkinson's disease as well as in experimental models of this disease using neurotoxic agents. More tentative relations exist between brainstem lesions and executive-type functions at pontine and bulbar levels. In particular, there is evidence o...

We examined whether the working memory (WM) capacity of developmentally dyscalculic children can be improved by a WM training program and whether outcomes relate to mathematical performance. The experimental design comprised two groups with developmental dyslexia with grade 4 schooling: an experimental group (n = 14; mean age = 129.74 months) and a...

The effects of haloperidol on motor versus cognitive factors were determined in mice. Haloperidol decreased open-fi eld activity and impaired motor coordination in suspended bar and rotorod tests. The drug also augmented escape latencies in swimming towards submerged or visible goals in the Morris water maze without increasing path length or affect...

When injected via the intracerebroventricular route, corticosterone-releasing hormone (CRH) reduced exploration in the elevated plus-maze, the center region of the open-field, and the large chamber in the defensive withdrawal test. The anxiogenic action of CRH in the elevated plus-maze also occurred when infused in the basolateral amygdala, ventral...

Neuroinflammation is a pervasive feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and characterized by activated microglia, increased proinflammatory cytokines and/or infiltrating immune cells. T helper 17 (Th17) cells are found in AD brain parenchyma and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is identified around deposits of aggregated amyloid β protein (Aβ). However, the r...

Receptors for glucocorticoid (GR) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) are largely found in brain sensorimotor structures, particularly in cerebellum, underlining a potential role of stress hormones in the regulation of motor function. Since CRH is involved in neuroplasticity, known for its trophic effect on synapses, we investigated how manip...

The monograph entitled The Brainstem and Behavior, edited by Robert Lalonde, reports on physiological functions undertaken by different parts of the brainstem. Pfaff, Bubnys, and Tabansky describe the role of the reticular formation on arousal, with information completed by Lemaire from a more clinical viewpoint. Berezovskii enumerates general cont...

This study explored the role and extent of the involvement of morphological awareness (MA) in contrast to rapid automatized naming (RAN) in word reading and comprehension of Arabic as a morphologically based orthography. We gave measures of word reading, reading comprehension, MA, and RAN in addition to a nonverbal mental ability test to 3 groups o...

Pitx3/ak null mutants are characterized by basal ganglia pathology in a manner resembling Parkinson's disease (PD), with decline in substantia nigra cell numbers as well as striatal tyrosine hydroxylase expression. Although young adult Pitx3/ak mutants were deficient in motor coordination tests, they were more active than non-transgenic controls in...

Es van examinar els efectes d'un programa d'entrenament de consciència fonològica en la lectura de paraules i descodificació pseudo-paraules en nens dislèxics llegeixen la llengua àrab (n = 10; edat mitjana = 129,74 mesos) en comparació amb els lectors normals (n = 10; edat mitjana = 126,90 mesos) a partir dels graus 4 i 5. Particular atenció es va...

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is generally considered as one of the pathogenic factors involved in multiple sclerosis (MS). Indirect evidence for this is that IL-17A-producing T helper 17 (Th17) cells preferentially accumulate in lesions of MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). However, a direct involvement of IL-17A in MS pathogenesis...

Several rodent models with spontaneous mutations causing cerebellar pathology are impaired in motor functions during the neonatal period, including Grid2(Lc), Rora(sg), Dab1(scm), Girk2(Wv), Lmx1a(dr-sst), Myo5a(dn), Inpp4a(wbl), and Cacna1a(rol) mice as well as shaker and dystonic rats. Deficits are also evident in murine null mutants such as Zic1...

B vitamin concentrations affect 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT). 5HT neurons degenerate in the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome marked by thiamine deficiency. Likewise, pyrithiamine-induced thiamine-deficiency in mice reduced 5HT- immunoreactive cell numbers and tryptophan hydroxylase activity in medial and dorsal raphe nuclei along with their target structur...

Reports of individuality in rodent species have been a subject of debate in pharmacology and other fields. In the current study, APPswe + PS1/A246E bigenic mice with Alzheimer's-like pathogenesis and wild-type controls were subdivided at 3 months of age into low, intermediate, and high responders in open-field activity. The mice were then evaluated...

The present study sought to identify cognitive reading-related skills (i.e. visual attention, rapid automatized naming and working memory) that might distinguish dyslexic Arabic children from skilled ones in 4 th and 5 th grades, and to examine the potential contribution of these factors to word reading and reading comprehension. Two experiments we...

Severe deficiencies in vitamins B1 (thiamine), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folate), and B12 cobalamin cause often reversible neurological damage, but their role in development, aging, and dementia are less well established. There is plenty of experimental evidence that thiamine deficiency causes anterograde amnesia in both humans and animals as a result o...

Although reading accuracy of isolated words and phonological awareness represent the main criteria of subtyping developmental dyslexia, there is increasing evidence that reduced reading speed also represents a defining characteristic. In the present study, reading speed and accuracy were measured in Arabic-speaking phonological and mixed dyslexic c...

The second volume of Behavioral Genetics of the Mouse provides a comprehensive overview of the major genetically modified mouse lines used to model human neurobehavioral disorders; from disorders of perception, of autonomous and motor functions to social and cognitive syndromes, drug abuse and dependence as well as neurodegenerative pathologies. Mo...

Changes in gravity conditions have often been shown to affect vestibulo-cerebellar functioning. In the present review, we describe recent experiments indicating a role for hypogravity and hypergravity on limbic system functioning. The effects of spaceflight on the limbic system include changes in cell diameter and monoamine levels as well as immedi...

The volume entitled "Spatial Orientation in Humans and Animals" edited by Dr Robert Lalonde, from the department of Psychology at the University of Normandy, France, provides a summary of our current knowledge on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the way human beings and animals orient themselves in their everyday environment. In chapter 1,...

Methyl donor deficiencies and chronic stress cause depression independently, but their interaction has never been thoroughly evaluated. In our study, methyl donor deficient diet and chronic stress condition consisted respectively of a B2, B9, B12, and choline-free diet and a chronic mild stress procedure. Rats were randomly assigned to six groups w...

Glutamatergic neurotransmission is crucially involved in memory and cognition and severely affected in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Modulation of NMDA receptors with agonists may reverse their late-stage symptoms. The effects of subchronic treatment of the NMDA receptor agonist, d-serine, were evaluated in APPswe/PS1 mutant mice harboring Aβ...

We previously reported that anti-amyloid-beta (Aβ) single-chain antibody (scFv59) brain delivery via recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) was effective in reducing cerebral Aβ load in an Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse model without inducing inflammation. Here, we investigated the prophylactic effects and mechanism of a muscle-directed gene the...

Myoclonus is defined as large-amplitude rhythmic movements. Brain regions underlying myoclonic jerks include brainstem, cerebellum, and cortex. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) appears to be the main neurotransmitter involved in myoclonus, possibly interacting with biogenic amines, opiates, acetylcholine, and glycine. Myoclonic jumping is a specific...

3xTg-AD mutant mice are characterized by parenchymal Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles resembling those found in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The mutants were compared with non-transgenic controls in sensorimotor and learning tests. 3xTg-AD mutants were deficient in T-maze reversal, object recognition, and passive avoidance learning. In...

Dab1(scm) mutant mice, characterized by cell ectopias and degeneration in cerebellum, hippocampus, and neocortex, were compared to non-ataxic controls for different facets of grooming caused by brief water immersions, as well as some non-grooming behaviors. Dab1(scm) mutants were strongly affected in their quantitative functional parameters, exhibi...

Homozygous Dab1scm mutants with cell ectopias in cerebellar cortex, hippocampus, and neocortex were compared with non-ataxic heterozygous and wild-type controls in spontaneous alternation and Morris water maze tests. Although there were no group differences in alternation rates, wild-type and heterozygote groups alternated above chance levels, wher...

Previous studies on face processing have revealed an asymmetric overlap between identity and expression, as identity is processed irrespective of expression while expression processing partly depends on identity. To investigate whether this relative interaction is caused by dominance of identity over expression, participants performed familiarity a...

The discovery of gene mutations responsible for autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease has enabled researchers to reproduce in transgenic mice several hallmarks of this disorder, notably Aβ accumulation, though in most cases without neurofibrillary tangles. Mice expressing mutated and wild-type APP as well as C-terminal fragments of APP exhibit var...

Deep cerebellar nuclei project directly to the susbantia pars compacta and ventral tegmental area, source of dopamine input to the striatum, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex. Behavioral tests sensitive to lesions of either region in mutant mice include limb-clasping, changes in motor activity, and deficits in motor coordination and spatial...

The dystonia musculorum (Dst(dt-J)) mutant mouse suffers from severe motor coordination deficits, characterized, among various symptoms, by a spastic ataxia and dystonic movements, indicating central defects in motor structures in addition to dystrophy of peripheral sensory tracts and partial degeneration of spinocerebellar tracts. Neurochemical al...

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of pattern-recognition receptors in innate immunity and provide a first line defense against pathogens and tissue injuries. In addition to important roles in infection, inflammation, and immune diseases, recent studies show that TLR signaling is involved in modulation of learning, memory, mood, and neurogenes...

Homozygous Dab1(scm) mouse mutants with cell ectopias in cerebellar cortex, hippocampus, and neocortex were compared to non-ataxic controls on the SHIRPA primary screening battery on postnatal days 8, 15, and 22, as well as in the adult period. Dab1(scm) mutants were distinguished from non-ataxic controls as early as postnatal day 8 based on body t...

The accumulation of β-amyloid protein (Aβ) in the brain is thought to be a primary etiologic event in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Fibrillar Aβ plaques, a hallmark of AD abnormality, are closely associated with activated microglia. Activated microglia have contradictory roles in the pathogenesis of AD, being either neuroprotective (by clearing harmful...

Research has demonstrated that people readily pay more attention to negative than to positive and/or neutral stimuli. However, evidence from recent studies indicated that such an attention bias to negative information is not obligatory but sensitive to various factors. Two experiments using intergroup evaluative tasks (Study 1: a gender-related gro...