Le mardi 25 novembre, Monsieur Glenn VAN DER LANDE,  titulaire d'un Master of science in biomedical sciences (Université d'Amsterdam) et d'un certificat de formation à la recherche en sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques, sous la direction de Monsieur Steven LAUREYS et de Madame Jitka ANNEN.

Cette épreuve consistera en la défense publique d'une thèse intitulée : "Fluctuations in physiological and neurological data within and between states of consciousness: The relevance for the management of patients with a disorder of consciousness". 

Le jury sera composé de :

Aurore THIBAUT (Présidente), Mohamed Ali BAHRI (Secrétaire), Jitka ANNEN, Marek BINDER (Univ. Zaklad), Olivia GOSSERIES, Rikkert HINDRIKS (Univ. Amsterdam), Steven LAUREYS, Armand MENSEN (Univ. Bern), Marie VANDEKERCKHOVE (UGent), Gorka ZAMORA-LOPEZ (Univ. Barcelone).

Résumé de la thèse

Following the observation that states of consciousness fluctuate in controls, e.g., sleep, and in prolonged disorders of consciousness (DoC), this thesis aims to track these fluctuations and quantify the underlying brain dynamics from long (>=24 h) to short (<1 s) timescales. First, a literature review including statistics shows that the natural fluctuation of consciousness, sleep, is altered in DoC subgroups (Chapter 1), a view corroborated by altered circadian and ultradian rhythms, as longitudinally measured through actigraphy (Chapter 2). As a consequence, the putative integral presence of insomnia in this patient population and its negative consequences are discussed (Chapter 3). A deeper dive into the literature on the altered brain state in these patients shows their slower and less complex nature (Chapter 4). Within-state fluctuations are also characterized on the basis of endogenous events in resting-state EEG and their propagation, that show slower and less spatially specific integration in patients (Chapter 5). Finally, it is shown that different dynamical regimes based on the EEG power spectrum are related to diagnosis, and to the brain’s glucose metabolism, based on FDG-PET (Chapter 6). In summary, it is crucial to understand the variability in (neuro)physiological data for the management of patients with a DoC.