Marc Jeannerod
Encyclopedia
Marc Jeannerod was a neurologist, a neurophysiologist and an internationally recognized expert in cognitive neuroscience
and experimental psychology
. His research focuses on the cognitive and neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning motor control
, motor cognition
, the sense of agency
, and more recently language
and social cognition
. Jeannerod's work bridges with elegance and rigor various levels of analysis, ranging from neuroscience
to philosophy of mind
, with clear implications for the understanding of a number of psychiatric and neurological disorders, especially schizophrenia
.
at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, France, and specialized in Neurology
. He was awarded his MD degree in 1965. He got his research training in experimental medicine, studying the neurobiology of sleep under the supervision of Michel Jouvet
, one of the discoverers of REM sleep. After his medical degree, Jeannerod became a research assistant in the Department of Anatomy at the University of California at Los Angeles, and then at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
with Hans-Lucas Teuber in the Department of Psychology. He subsequently became a professor of physiology
at the University Claude Bernard Medical School in Lyon and headed the unit Vision and Motricity of the National Institute of Health and the Medical research (INSERM) until 1997. He then founded and headed the Institute for Cognitive Sciences of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) until 2003.
Jeannerod was a member of the French Academy of Sciences
. He was appointed Knight of the Légion d'honneur
in July 2008. He left a wife and four children.
and was at the time of his death the president elect of the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology
.
and clinical neuropsychology
has significantly contributed to new concepts that have impacted on the field of cognitive motor control
and motor cognition
, including motor imagery
, and have led to new vistas for the understanding of higher-order motor disorders. Specifically, he has conducted a number of empirical investigations of clinical disorders including those of bimanual coordination, apraxia
and sensorimotor transformation deficits, motor neglect, anarchic hand syndrome, and imitation
.
More recently, studies conducted in Jeannerod's INSERM laboratory and CNRS Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience have led him to put forward an original account of the simulation theory in the context of motor cognition
and motor imagery
. This theory states that an action involves a covert stage, corresponding to its pragmatic representation, which includes its goal, the means to achieve it, and its consequences. Further, such pragmatic representation may be activated under a variety of conditions in relation to action, either self-intended or perceived from other individuals. Even though this process may have a conscious counterpart (one can consciously generate a mental image), most of its generation occurs at the covert level. One persuasive source of evidence in support of such a view comes from studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation
that show that the mere observation of grasping movements results in the specific modulation of motor-evoked potentials.
Cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience is an academic field concerned with the scientific study of biological substrates underlying cognition, with a specific focus on the neural substrates of mental processes. It addresses the questions of how psychological/cognitive functions are produced by the brain...
and experimental psychology
Experimental psychology
Experimental psychology is a methodological approach, rather than a subject, and encompasses varied fields within psychology. Experimental psychologists have traditionally conducted research, published articles, and taught classes on neuroscience, developmental psychology, sensation, perception,...
. His research focuses on the cognitive and neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning motor control
Motor control
Motor control are information processing related activities carried out by the central nervous system that organize the musculoskeletal system to create coordinated movements and skilled actions...
, motor cognition
Motor cognition
The concept of motor cognition grasps the notion that cognition is embodied in action, and that the motor system participates in what is usually considered as mental processing, including those involved in social interaction...
, the sense of agency
Sense of agency
The "sense of agency" refers to the subjective awareness that one is initiating, executing, and controlling one's own volitional actions in the world. It is the pre-reflective awareness or implicit sense that it is me who is presently executing bodily movement or thinking thoughts...
, and more recently language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
and social cognition
Social cognition
Social cognition is the encoding, storage, retrieval, and processing, in the brain, of information relating to conspecifics, or members of the same species. At one time social cognition referred specifically to an approach to social psychology in which these processes were studied according to the...
. Jeannerod's work bridges with elegance and rigor various levels of analysis, ranging from neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
to philosophy of mind
Philosophy of mind
Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. The mind-body problem, i.e...
, with clear implications for the understanding of a number of psychiatric and neurological disorders, especially schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
.
Background
Marc Jeannerod studied MedicineMedicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, France, and specialized in Neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
. He was awarded his MD degree in 1965. He got his research training in experimental medicine, studying the neurobiology of sleep under the supervision of Michel Jouvet
Michel Jouvet
Michel Valentin Marcel Jouvet is Emeritus Professor of Experimental Medicine at the University of Lyon. He spent one year in the laboratory of the Horace Magoun in Long Beach, California in 1955...
, one of the discoverers of REM sleep. After his medical degree, Jeannerod became a research assistant in the Department of Anatomy at the University of California at Los Angeles, and then at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
with Hans-Lucas Teuber in the Department of Psychology. He subsequently became a professor of physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
at the University Claude Bernard Medical School in Lyon and headed the unit Vision and Motricity of the National Institute of Health and the Medical research (INSERM) until 1997. He then founded and headed the Institute for Cognitive Sciences of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) until 2003.
Jeannerod was a member of the French Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
. He was appointed Knight of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in July 2008. He left a wife and four children.
Editorial duties
Jeannerod has been for ten years the chief editor of Neuropsychologia. He serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals, including Neuroimage, European Journal of Neuroscience, European Journal of Physiology, Neuroreport, Physiological Reviews, Journal of Motor Behavior, Perception, Cognition, Behavioural Brain Research, and Experimental Brain Research. He has been the president of the European Brain and Behaviour SocietyEuropean Brain and Behaviour Society
The European Brain and Behaviour Society is a scientific society founded in 1968 whose stated purpose is the exchange of information between European scientists interested in the relationships between brain mechanisms and behaviour. It is the oldest neuroscience society in the world...
and was at the time of his death the president elect of the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology
European Society for Philosophy and Psychology
The European Society for Philosophy and Psychology is a professional organization in Europe that promotes discussion and research at the intersection of philosophy, psychology and cognitive science. It is the European counterpart of the American Society for Philosophy and Psychology. The first...
.
Academic achievements
Marc Jeannerod's early work in neurophysiologyNeurophysiology
Neurophysiology is a part of physiology. Neurophysiology is the study of nervous system function...
and clinical neuropsychology
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology studies the structure and function of the brain related to specific psychological processes and behaviors. The term neuropsychology has been applied to lesion studies in humans and animals. It has also been applied to efforts to record electrical activity from individual cells in...
has significantly contributed to new concepts that have impacted on the field of cognitive motor control
Motor control
Motor control are information processing related activities carried out by the central nervous system that organize the musculoskeletal system to create coordinated movements and skilled actions...
and motor cognition
Motor cognition
The concept of motor cognition grasps the notion that cognition is embodied in action, and that the motor system participates in what is usually considered as mental processing, including those involved in social interaction...
, including motor imagery
Motor imagery
Motor imagery is a mental process by which an individual rehearses or simulates a given action. It is widely used in sport training , neurological rehabilitation, and has also been employed as a research paradigm in cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology to investigate the content and the...
, and have led to new vistas for the understanding of higher-order motor disorders. Specifically, he has conducted a number of empirical investigations of clinical disorders including those of bimanual coordination, apraxia
Apraxia
Apraxia is a disorder caused by damage to specific areas of the cerebrum. Apraxia is characterized by loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned purposeful movements, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform the movements...
and sensorimotor transformation deficits, motor neglect, anarchic hand syndrome, and imitation
Imitation
Imitation is an advanced behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's. The word can be applied in many contexts, ranging from animal training to international politics.-Anthropology and social sciences:...
.
More recently, studies conducted in Jeannerod's INSERM laboratory and CNRS Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience have led him to put forward an original account of the simulation theory in the context of motor cognition
Motor cognition
The concept of motor cognition grasps the notion that cognition is embodied in action, and that the motor system participates in what is usually considered as mental processing, including those involved in social interaction...
and motor imagery
Motor imagery
Motor imagery is a mental process by which an individual rehearses or simulates a given action. It is widely used in sport training , neurological rehabilitation, and has also been employed as a research paradigm in cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology to investigate the content and the...
. This theory states that an action involves a covert stage, corresponding to its pragmatic representation, which includes its goal, the means to achieve it, and its consequences. Further, such pragmatic representation may be activated under a variety of conditions in relation to action, either self-intended or perceived from other individuals. Even though this process may have a conscious counterpart (one can consciously generate a mental image), most of its generation occurs at the covert level. One persuasive source of evidence in support of such a view comes from studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a noninvasive method to cause depolarization or hyperpolarization in the neurons of the brain...
that show that the mere observation of grasping movements results in the specific modulation of motor-evoked potentials.
Books
- Jeannerod, M. (2006). Motor cognition: What actions tell the Self. Oxford University Press.
- Jacob, P. & Jeannerod, M. (2003). Ways of Seeing: The Scope and Limits of Visual Cognition. Oxford University Press.
- Jeannerod, M. (2002). Le Cerveau intime. Paris: Editions Odile Jacob.
- Jeannerod, M. (2002). La Nature de l'esprit. Paris: Editions Odile Jacob.
- Jeannerod, M. (1997). The Cognitive Neuroscience of Action. Wiley-Blackwell.
- Jeannerod, M., & Grafman, J. (1997). Handbook of Neuropsychology, Volume 11. Elsevier Science.
- Jeannerod, M. (1996). De la physiologie mentale: Histoire des relations entre la psychologie et la biologie. Paris: Editions Odile Jacob.
- Jeannerod, M. (1988). The Neural and Behavioural Organization of Goal-Directed Movements. Oxford University Press.
- Jeannerod, M. (1987). Neurophysiological & Neuropsychological Aspects of Spatial Neglect. Elsevier BV.
- Jeannerod, M. (1985). The Brain Machine: The Development of Neurophysiological Thought. Harvard University Press.
Selected publications
- Jeannerod, M. (2008). The sense of agency and its disturbances in schizophrenia: a reappraisal. Experimental Brain Research, Epub ahead of time.
- Nazir, T., Boulenger, V., Roy, A., Silber, B., Jeannerod, M. & Paulignan, Y. (2008). Language-induced motor perturbations during the execution of a reaching movement. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,
- Jeannerod, M. (2008). Putting oneself in the perspective of the other: A framework for self-other differentiation. Social Neuroscience, 3, 356-367.
- Jeannerod, M., & Jacob, P. (2005). The motor theory of social cognition: a critique. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 9, 21-25.
- Jeannerod, M. (1994). The representing brain: Neural correlates of motor intention and imagery. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 17, 187-245.
- Georgieff, N., & Jeannerod, M. (1998). Beyond consciousness of external reality: a "who" system for consciousness of action and self-consciousness. Consciousness and Cognition, 7, 465-77.
- Decety, J., Perani, D., Jeannerod, M., et al. (1994). Mapping motor representations with positron emission tomography. Nature, 371, 600-602.
See also
- NeuropsychologyNeuropsychologyNeuropsychology studies the structure and function of the brain related to specific psychological processes and behaviors. The term neuropsychology has been applied to lesion studies in humans and animals. It has also been applied to efforts to record electrical activity from individual cells in...
- PsychiatryPsychiatryPsychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
- Motor cognitionMotor cognitionThe concept of motor cognition grasps the notion that cognition is embodied in action, and that the motor system participates in what is usually considered as mental processing, including those involved in social interaction...
- Mental Practice of ActionMental Practice of ActionMental practice, or motor imagery, refers to use of visuo-motor imagery, or mental imagery with the purpose of improving motor behavior. Visuo-motor imagery requires the use of one’s imagination to simulate an action. It has come to the fore due to the relevance of imagery in enhancing sports...
- Motor imageryMotor imageryMotor imagery is a mental process by which an individual rehearses or simulates a given action. It is widely used in sport training , neurological rehabilitation, and has also been employed as a research paradigm in cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology to investigate the content and the...
- NeuroscienceNeuroscienceNeuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
- NeurophysiologyNeurophysiologyNeurophysiology is a part of physiology. Neurophysiology is the study of nervous system function...
- Sense of agencySense of agencyThe "sense of agency" refers to the subjective awareness that one is initiating, executing, and controlling one's own volitional actions in the world. It is the pre-reflective awareness or implicit sense that it is me who is presently executing bodily movement or thinking thoughts...
- SchizophreniaSchizophreniaSchizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
- Experimental psychologyExperimental psychologyExperimental psychology is a methodological approach, rather than a subject, and encompasses varied fields within psychology. Experimental psychologists have traditionally conducted research, published articles, and taught classes on neuroscience, developmental psychology, sensation, perception,...