Presentation

The PresAge team aims at determining lifelong morphological and functional biomarkers that characterize and predict cerebral and cognitive ageing, and pathological stages of neurodegenerative diseases. Our projects are based on two primate models of brain ageing: marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus) and human. The brain biomarkers we investigate are mostly derived from multi-modal MRI imaging, including grey and white matter volumes, myelin content, flow characteristics in blood and CSF compartments, neuromodulation (tonic and phasic). We are also interested in physiological (pupil response, cardiac parameters) and cognitive (targeted memory tests) markers of brain ageing, as well as in neuroinflammation processes. We use longitudinal approaches whenever possible, spanning from young to late adulthood in some projects. We also develop innovative biomarkers’ analysis and processing methods, such as super-resolution techniques and machine learning using neural networks.

Projects

Publications (selection)

• Arribarat G., Mescam M., Desmoulin F., Fonta C. (2025). Arterial and venous flow dynamics are modified by age in the non-human primate. Imaging Neuroscience, 3.
• Causse M., Lepron E., Mandrick K., Peysakhovich V., Berry I., et al. (2022). Facing successfully high mental workload and stressors: An fMRI study. Human Brain Mapping, 43(3), 1011–1031.
• de Jager E.J., Risser L., Mescam M., Fonta C., Beaudet A. (2022). Sulci 3D mapping from human cranial endocasts: A powerful tool to study hominin brain evolution. Human Brain Mapping.
• Bazzi F., Mescam M., Diab A., Falou O., Amoud H., et al. (2021). Marmoset brain segmentation from deconvolved magnetic resonance images and estimated label maps. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 86(5), 2766–2779.
• Causse M., Chua Z.K., Rémy F. (2019). Influences of age, mental workload, and flight experience on cognitive performance and prefrontal activity in private pilots: a fNIRS study. Scientific Reports, 9(1).
• de Jager E., van Schoor A., Hoffman J., Oettlé A., Fonta C., et al. (2019). Sulcal pattern variation in extant human endocasts. Journal of Anatomy, 235(4), 803–810.
• Risser L., Sadoun A., Mescam M., Strelnikov K., Lebreton S., et al. (2019). In vivo localization of cortical areas using a 3D computerized atlas of the marmoset brain. Brain Structure and Function, 224(5), 1957–1969.

Funding