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André Mouraux

UCLouvain (University of Louvain), Institute of Neuroscience (IONS), Faculty Member

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My main research interest is to understand how the human brain processes nociceptive sensory input, and how this leads to the perception of pain.

See also : Letswave, a free, open-source EEG signal-processing toolbox, developed to perform fast multi-subject analysis of event-related potentials and steady-state evoked potentials with specific focus on time-frequency and single-trial analysis methods. http://nocions.webnode.com/letswave
Phone: +32 2 764 9349
Address: Institute of Neuroscience (IONS)
Université catholique de Louvain
53, Avenue Mounier (UCL53.75)
B1200, Brussels, Belgium

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Books by André Mouraux

Preceding events condition the central processing of nociceptive input as revealed by laser-evoked potentials

Papers by André Mouraux

IMI2-PainCare-BioPain-RCT3: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, multi-center trial in healthy subjects to investigate the effects of lacosamide, pregabalin, and tapentadol on biomarkers of pain processing observed by electroencephalography (EEG)

Trials, 2021

Background IMI2-PainCare-BioPain-RCT3 is one of four similarly designed clinical studies aiming a... more Background IMI2-PainCare-BioPain-RCT3 is one of four similarly designed clinical studies aiming at profiling a set of functional biomarkers of drug effects on the nociceptive system that could serve to accelerate the future development of analgesics, by providing a quantitative understanding between drug exposure and effects of the drug on nociceptive signal processing in human volunteers. IMI2-PainCare-BioPain-RCT3 will focus on biomarkers derived from non-invasive electroencephalographic (EEG) measures of brain activity. Methods This is a multisite single-dose, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 4-period, 4-way crossover, pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) study in healthy subjects. Biomarkers derived from scalp EEG measurements (laser-evoked brain potentials [LEPs], pinprick-evoked brain potentials [PEPs], resting EEG) will be obtained before and three times after administration of three medications known to act on the nociceptive system (lacosamide, pregaba...

Nociceptive Local Field Potentials Recorded from the Human Insula Are Not Specific for Nociception

PLOS Biology, 2016

Informations supplémentaires de l'article : Physiologie de la douleur : aspects psychophysiologiques et mécanismes périphériques

Anesthesie-Reanimation - Epreuve corrigee par l'auteur. Disponible en ligne depuis le 06/03/2018

TRACKING TIME VARYING ACOUSTIC RHYTHM: an EEG frequency-tagging approach of dynamic attending

Body Movement Shapes Selectively the Neural Representation of Musical Rhythms

It is increasingly recognized that motor routines dynamically shape the processing of sensory inf... more It is increasingly recognized that motor routines dynamically shape the processing of sensory inflow (e.g. hand movements to feel a texture or identify an object). These exploratory movements are often rhythmic, and it has been suggested that movement-perception shaping could be supported by movement-induced neural entrainment. In auditory perception, the shaping of perception by movement has been reported in humans using behavioral methods, but neurophysiological evidence is lacking. To fill this gap, we took advantage of a specific context, music. Participants listened to a cyclical rhythm before and after moving the body on this rhythm according to a specific meter. We found that the brain responses to the rhythm as recorded with EEG after body movement was significantly enhanced at meter frequencies to which participants had moved. These results provide evidence that body movement can shape selectively the subsequent perception and neural representation of auditory rhythms.

Temporal dynamics and muscle specificity of the changes in motor excitability triggered by a transient noxious stimulus

Iconografías adicionales del artículo : Fisiología del dolor

Frequency-tagging of steady-state evoked potentials to characterize the cortical integration of nociceptive and non-nociceptive somatosensory inputs in human

Whether the cortical processing of nociceptive input relies on the activity of nociceptive-specif... more Whether the cortical processing of nociceptive input relies on the activity of nociceptive-specific neurons or whether it relies on the activity of non-specific neuronal populations remains a matter of intense debate. Here, we address this question using EEG “frequency-tagging” of steady-state evoked potentials (SS-EPs) combined with an intermodal selective attention paradigm to test whether the cortical processing of nociceptive input relies on nociceptive-specific neuronal populations which can be selectively modulated by top-down attention. Specifically, we hypothesized that if the cortical processing of nociceptive and non-nociceptive sensory inputs involves distinct neuronal populations, selective attention would selectively enhance the SS-EPs elicited by the attended stream of sensory input. Conversely, if the cortical processing of the two sensory inputs involves the same neuronal populations, selective attention would indistinctly enhance the responses elicited by the attend...

An improved mechanical stimulator with precise timing for the recording of pinprick-evoked brain potentials

Challenges and opportunities in translational pain research – An opinion paper of the working group on translational pain research of the European pain federation (EFIC)

European Journal of Pain

Dynamics of the perception and EEG signals triggered by tonic warm and cool stimulation

PLOS ONE

Assessing thermal sensitivity using transient heat and cold stimuli combined with a Bayesian adaptive method in a clinical setting: A proof of concept study

European Journal of Pain

Within‐ and between‐session reliability of secondary hyperalgesia induced by electrical high‐frequency stimulation

European Journal of Pain

Dynamics of the perception and EEG signals triggered by tonic warm and cool stimulation

PLOS ONE, Apr 23, 2020

Capsaicin-Induced Skin Desensitization Differentially Affects A-Delta and C-Fiber-Mediated Heat Sensitivity

Frontiers in Pharmacology

Impact of conflict expectation on selective attention and action selection processes during motor decisions: an EEG study

Frontiers in Neuroscience

No evidence of widespread mechanical pressure hyperalgesia after experimentally induced central sensitization through skin nociceptors

PAIN Reports

Quickly responding C-fibre nociceptors contribute to heat hypersensitivity in the area of secondary hyperalgesia

The Journal of physiology, 2018

A recent animal study showed that high frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of C-fibres induces... more A recent animal study showed that high frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of C-fibres induces a gliogenic heterosynaptic long-term potentiation at the spinal cord that is hypothesized to mediate secondary hyperalgesia in humans. Here this hypothesis was tested by predominantly activating C-fibre nociceptors in the area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia induced by HFS in humans. It is shown that heat perception elicited by stimuli predominantly activating C-fibre nociceptors is greater, as compared to the control site, after HFS in the area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia. This is the first study that confirms in humans the involvement of C-fibre nociceptors in the changes in heat sensitivity in the area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia induced by HFS. It has recently been shown that high frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of C-fibres induces a gliogenic heterosynaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) at the spinal cord in animals, which has been hypothesized to be th...

Mind Your Grip: Even Usual Dexterous Manipulation Requires High Level Cognition

Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 2017

Simultaneous execution of cognitive and sensorimotor tasks is critical in daily life. Here, we ex... more Simultaneous execution of cognitive and sensorimotor tasks is critical in daily life. Here, we examined whether dexterous manipulation, a highly habitual and seemingly automatic behavior, involves high order cognitive functions. Specifically, we explored the impact of reducing available cognitive resources on the performance of a precision grip-lift task in healthy participants of three age groups (18-30, 30-60 and 60-75 years). Participants performed a motor task in isolation (M), in combination with a low-load cognitive task (M + L), and in combination with a high-load cognitive task (M + H). The motor task consisted in grasping, lifting and holding an apparatus instrumented with force sensors to monitor motor task performance. In the cognitive task, a list of letters was shown briefly before the motor task. After completing the motor task, one letter of the list was shown, and participants reported the following letter of the list. In M + L, letters in the list followed the alpha...

Preceding events condition the central processing of nociceptive input as revealed by laser-evoked potentials

IMI2-PainCare-BioPain-RCT3: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, multi-center trial in healthy subjects to investigate the effects of lacosamide, pregabalin, and tapentadol on biomarkers of pain processing observed by electroencephalography (EEG)

Trials, 2021

Background IMI2-PainCare-BioPain-RCT3 is one of four similarly designed clinical studies aiming a... more Background IMI2-PainCare-BioPain-RCT3 is one of four similarly designed clinical studies aiming at profiling a set of functional biomarkers of drug effects on the nociceptive system that could serve to accelerate the future development of analgesics, by providing a quantitative understanding between drug exposure and effects of the drug on nociceptive signal processing in human volunteers. IMI2-PainCare-BioPain-RCT3 will focus on biomarkers derived from non-invasive electroencephalographic (EEG) measures of brain activity. Methods This is a multisite single-dose, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 4-period, 4-way crossover, pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) study in healthy subjects. Biomarkers derived from scalp EEG measurements (laser-evoked brain potentials [LEPs], pinprick-evoked brain potentials [PEPs], resting EEG) will be obtained before and three times after administration of three medications known to act on the nociceptive system (lacosamide, pregaba...

Nociceptive Local Field Potentials Recorded from the Human Insula Are Not Specific for Nociception

PLOS Biology, 2016

Informations supplémentaires de l'article : Physiologie de la douleur : aspects psychophysiologiques et mécanismes périphériques

Anesthesie-Reanimation - Epreuve corrigee par l'auteur. Disponible en ligne depuis le 06/03/2018

TRACKING TIME VARYING ACOUSTIC RHYTHM: an EEG frequency-tagging approach of dynamic attending

Body Movement Shapes Selectively the Neural Representation of Musical Rhythms

It is increasingly recognized that motor routines dynamically shape the processing of sensory inf... more It is increasingly recognized that motor routines dynamically shape the processing of sensory inflow (e.g. hand movements to feel a texture or identify an object). These exploratory movements are often rhythmic, and it has been suggested that movement-perception shaping could be supported by movement-induced neural entrainment. In auditory perception, the shaping of perception by movement has been reported in humans using behavioral methods, but neurophysiological evidence is lacking. To fill this gap, we took advantage of a specific context, music. Participants listened to a cyclical rhythm before and after moving the body on this rhythm according to a specific meter. We found that the brain responses to the rhythm as recorded with EEG after body movement was significantly enhanced at meter frequencies to which participants had moved. These results provide evidence that body movement can shape selectively the subsequent perception and neural representation of auditory rhythms.

Temporal dynamics and muscle specificity of the changes in motor excitability triggered by a transient noxious stimulus

Iconografías adicionales del artículo : Fisiología del dolor

Frequency-tagging of steady-state evoked potentials to characterize the cortical integration of nociceptive and non-nociceptive somatosensory inputs in human

Whether the cortical processing of nociceptive input relies on the activity of nociceptive-specif... more Whether the cortical processing of nociceptive input relies on the activity of nociceptive-specific neurons or whether it relies on the activity of non-specific neuronal populations remains a matter of intense debate. Here, we address this question using EEG “frequency-tagging” of steady-state evoked potentials (SS-EPs) combined with an intermodal selective attention paradigm to test whether the cortical processing of nociceptive input relies on nociceptive-specific neuronal populations which can be selectively modulated by top-down attention. Specifically, we hypothesized that if the cortical processing of nociceptive and non-nociceptive sensory inputs involves distinct neuronal populations, selective attention would selectively enhance the SS-EPs elicited by the attended stream of sensory input. Conversely, if the cortical processing of the two sensory inputs involves the same neuronal populations, selective attention would indistinctly enhance the responses elicited by the attend...

An improved mechanical stimulator with precise timing for the recording of pinprick-evoked brain potentials

Challenges and opportunities in translational pain research – An opinion paper of the working group on translational pain research of the European pain federation (EFIC)

European Journal of Pain

Dynamics of the perception and EEG signals triggered by tonic warm and cool stimulation

PLOS ONE

Assessing thermal sensitivity using transient heat and cold stimuli combined with a Bayesian adaptive method in a clinical setting: A proof of concept study

European Journal of Pain

Within‐ and between‐session reliability of secondary hyperalgesia induced by electrical high‐frequency stimulation

European Journal of Pain

Dynamics of the perception and EEG signals triggered by tonic warm and cool stimulation

PLOS ONE, Apr 23, 2020

Capsaicin-Induced Skin Desensitization Differentially Affects A-Delta and C-Fiber-Mediated Heat Sensitivity

Frontiers in Pharmacology

Impact of conflict expectation on selective attention and action selection processes during motor decisions: an EEG study

Frontiers in Neuroscience

No evidence of widespread mechanical pressure hyperalgesia after experimentally induced central sensitization through skin nociceptors

PAIN Reports

Quickly responding C-fibre nociceptors contribute to heat hypersensitivity in the area of secondary hyperalgesia

The Journal of physiology, 2018

A recent animal study showed that high frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of C-fibres induces... more A recent animal study showed that high frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of C-fibres induces a gliogenic heterosynaptic long-term potentiation at the spinal cord that is hypothesized to mediate secondary hyperalgesia in humans. Here this hypothesis was tested by predominantly activating C-fibre nociceptors in the area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia induced by HFS in humans. It is shown that heat perception elicited by stimuli predominantly activating C-fibre nociceptors is greater, as compared to the control site, after HFS in the area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia. This is the first study that confirms in humans the involvement of C-fibre nociceptors in the changes in heat sensitivity in the area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia induced by HFS. It has recently been shown that high frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of C-fibres induces a gliogenic heterosynaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) at the spinal cord in animals, which has been hypothesized to be th...

Mind Your Grip: Even Usual Dexterous Manipulation Requires High Level Cognition

Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 2017

Simultaneous execution of cognitive and sensorimotor tasks is critical in daily life. Here, we ex... more Simultaneous execution of cognitive and sensorimotor tasks is critical in daily life. Here, we examined whether dexterous manipulation, a highly habitual and seemingly automatic behavior, involves high order cognitive functions. Specifically, we explored the impact of reducing available cognitive resources on the performance of a precision grip-lift task in healthy participants of three age groups (18-30, 30-60 and 60-75 years). Participants performed a motor task in isolation (M), in combination with a low-load cognitive task (M + L), and in combination with a high-load cognitive task (M + H). The motor task consisted in grasping, lifting and holding an apparatus instrumented with force sensors to monitor motor task performance. In the cognitive task, a list of letters was shown briefly before the motor task. After completing the motor task, one letter of the list was shown, and participants reported the following letter of the list. In M + L, letters in the list followed the alpha...

The tactile perception of transient changes in friction

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface, 2017

When we touch an object or explore a texture, frictional strains are induced by the tactile inter... more When we touch an object or explore a texture, frictional strains are induced by the tactile interactions with the surface of the object. Little is known about how these interactions are perceived, although it becomes crucial for the nascent industry of interactive displays with haptic feedback (e.g. smartphones and tablets) where tactile feedback based on friction modulation is particularly relevant. To investigate the human perception of frictional strains, we mounted a high-fidelity friction modulating ultrasonic device on a robotic platform performing controlled rubbing of the fingertip and asked participants to detect induced decreases of friction during a forced-choice task. The ability to perceive the changes in friction was found to follow Weber's Law of just noticeable differences, as it consistently depended on the ratio between the reduction in tangential force and the pre-stimulation tangential force. The Weber fraction was 0.11 in all conditions demonstrating a very ...