Research undertaken in the Lab aims to develop additional knowledge regarding language difficulties following a stroke or in the context of dementia.
The impact of bilingualism on cognitive aging and its effects on cerebral functioning is also studied.
Cerebral plasticity is the mind’s capacity to modify its connections to optimize performance. Plasticity is a lifelong phenomenon that continues throughout aging. Functional neuroimaging allows the observation of the mechanisms underlying cerebral plasticity during events such as learning a second language or recovery after a brain lesion resulting in language deficits.
A better understanding of the mechanisms of cerebral plasticity in aging will favor proper aging, both in healthy aging populations and in populations suffering from cerebral lesions. The Laboratoire de plasticité cérébrale, communication et vieillissement [Brain Plasticity, Communication and Aging Laboratory] aims to describe the phenomenon of cerebral plasticity associated to language in the aging individual. Research is rooted in cognitive neuroscience and speech-language pathology, all while integrating functional neuroimaging technologies.
Research conducted in the Laboratoire de plasticité cérébrale, communication et vieillissement [Brain Plasticity, Communication and Ageing Laboratory] shows that the aging brain reacts to specific and intense stimuli. It is, therefore, possible to stimulate cerebral plasticity in the aging individual so as to improve cognitive functioning and optimize the quality of life.
Speech-language pathologist by profession, Dre Ana Inés Ansaldo’s interests are focused on the mechanisms of brain plasticity involved in language processing, more specifically in the context of aging.
The Laboratoire de plasticité cérébrale, communication et vieillissement [Brain Plasticity, Communication and Ageing Laboratory] welcomes graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral students from a wide variety of educational backgrounds and universities across the globe.