Marianne Barbu-Roth
Retired research Scientist – CNRS
There is a close relationship between the development of walking and that of vision. We have shown that, from birth, newborns are able to adapt the rhythm of their pace to the scanning of their visual environment. Conversely, the advent of autonomous walking, a few months later, changes the way the child perceives his or her visual environment. How do these studies implicate children’s visual and motor development? Should we stimulate walking as soon as possible? How can we improve children’s visual perception of their own movement? This is what we explore at the “Babylab” of Maternité Port-Royal in Paris and the Infant Studies Center in the USA.
Ongoing projects
Early development of cerebral representations of the body in infants: explorations in neuroimaging and behaviour
The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of how a baby’s brain perceives and represents different parts of its body in the first few months after birth, using functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioural assessments.
Project collaborator
Marianne Barbu-Roth
Effect of early training in crawling using a mini skateboard on the locomotor and motor development of very premature cerebral palsy patients
The project consists of evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of 8 weeks of early stimulation training in quadruped walking on a mini skateboard, the Crawli skate, in 50 very premature babies at high risk of neurodevelopmental disorders and followed longitudinally.
Project collaborator
Marianne Barbu-Roth