Biographical Info

Current research interests

I am interested in studying autobiographical memory and future thinking, using cognitive and neuroimaging measures.

• Autobiographical memory

My research is focused on identifying the role of the medial temporal lobe, specifically the hippocampus, in the recollection of episodic autobiographical memories, especially those encoded in the far past, in order to test the memory consolidation theories (Viard et al., 2007, 2010, 2013).

• Future thinking

Another facet of episodic memory is the ability to project ourselves into the future, in order to plan and pre-experience future projects. I am interested in understanding similarities and differences between past and future mental time travel (Viard et al., 2011, 2012, 2014).

• Translational research

I am involved in numerous translational projects, through collaborations with other researchers: 1) exploring the effects of reminiscence therapy on memory (R. Roche/A. Allen); 2) examining the impact of trauma on adolescent stress in PTSD (B. Guillery-Girard); 3) studying compensative processes in functional and hippocampal amnesia (P. Quinette); 4) examining episodic and semantic memory systems in fronto-temporal dementias (B. Desgranges).

• Methods and participants

My work is based on neuroimaging studies (structural MRI, resting state functional MRI, task-based functional MRI) and neuropsychological data from neurodegenerative patients (semantic dementia, Alzheimer’s disease), amnesic syndromes (developmental amnesia, autoimmune encephalitis) and psychiatric patients (PTSD).

Peer-reviewed articles

o    Viard A, Allen AP, Doyle CM, Naveau M, Bokde ALW, Platel H, Eustache F, Commins S, Roche RAP. Autobiographical Cerebral Network Activation in Older Adults Before and After Reminiscence Therapy: A Preliminary Report. Biol Res Nurs. 2023 Oct 31:10998004231210982.

o    Viard A, Eustache F, Segobin (2021) History of Magnetic Resonance Imaging: a trip down memory lane. Neuroscience:S0306-4522(21)00337-7.

o    Viard A, Mutlu J, Chanraud S, Guénolé F, Egler PJ, Gerardin P, Baleyte JM, Dayan J, Eustache F, Guillery-Girard B (2019) Altered default mode network connectivity in adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder. Neuroimage: Clin 22:101731.

o    Eustache F, Viard A, Desgranges B (2016) The MNESIS model: memory systems and processes, identity and future thinking. Neuropsychologia 87:96-109.

o    Viard A, Piolino P, Belliard S, de La Sayette V, Desgranges B, Eustache F (2014) Episodic future thinking in semantic dementia: a cognitive and fMRI study. PLoS One 9: e111046

o    Viard A, Desgranges B, Matuszewski V, Lebreton K, Belliard S, de La Sayette V, Eustache F, Piolino P (2013) Autobiographical memory in semantic dementia: new insights from two patients using fMRI. Neuropsychologia 51: 2620-2632.

o    Viard A, Desgranges B, Eustache F, Piolino P (2012) Factors affecting medial temporal lobe engagement for past and future episodic events: an ALE meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. Brain Cogn 80: 111-125.

o    Viard A, Doeller CF, Hartley T, Bird CM, Burgess N (2011) Anterior hippocampus and goal-directed spatial decision making. J Neurosci 31: 4613-4621.

o    Viard A, Chételat G, Lebreton K, Desgranges B, Landeau B, de La Sayette V, Eustache F, Piolino P (2011) Mental time travel into the past and the future in healthy aged adults: an fMRI study. Brain Cogn 75: 1-9.

o    Viard A, Lebreton K, Chételat G, Desgranges B, Landeau B, Young A, de La Sayette V, Eustache F, Piolino P (2010) Patterns of hippocampal-neocortical interactions in the retrieval of episodic autobiographical memories across the entire life-span of aged adults. Hippocampus 20: 153-165.

o    Viard A, Piolino P, Desgranges B, Chételat G, Lebreton K, Landeau B, Young A, De La Sayette V, Eustache F (2007) Hippocampal activation for autobiographical memories over the entire lifetime in healthy aged subjects: an fMRI study. Cereb Cortex 17:2453-2467.

o    Viard A, Flament MF, Artiges E, Dehaene S, Naccache L, Cohen D, Mazet P, Mouren MC, Martinot JL (2005) Cognitive control in childhood-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder: a functional MRI study. Psychol Med 35:1007-1017.

Full list of publications here : PubMed

Google Scholar citations : GoogleScholar