Sylvain Baillet's Avatar

Sylvain Baillet

@sylvainbaillet.bsky.social

Director, CRCHUM Research Centre, and Research & Innovation, Montreal University Hospital (CHUM) | Professor, Neuroscience @ University of Montreal.

2,627 Followers  |  495 Following  |  131 Posts  |  Joined: 07.10.2023
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Posts by Sylvain Baillet (@sylvainbaillet.bsky.social)

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🚨A busy start of the year for the lab, with another preprint just out in PsyArXiv, with @lenapl.bsky.social's group. Fernando Gonzales Aste goes deep into the potential for neurophys brain imaging with MEG in severe mental illness research & transformation of care.
osf.io/preprints/ps...

01.03.2026 15:40 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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🚨new lab preprint; brain fingerprinting entirely revisited:
Can we differentiate individuals from just seconds of neurophysiological recordings with machine learning, without resorting to black-box approaches?

In this work, Maxence Lapatrie says 'yes'.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

17.02.2026 22:26 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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πŸ’‘ Job opp, please repost! How does Director Innovation & Partnership @crchum.bsky.social sound to you? This is a great moment to join a powerful ecosystem at a moment of transition & acceleration in that core mission. DM if interested & for more info. French language proficiency required.

11.02.2026 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Neural Signatures of Post-Decision Outcome Expectation and Evaluation in Human Sensorimotor Choice Behavior The concept of embodied sensorimotor decision-making proposes that processes implicated in evaluating sensory inputs and selecting appropriate motor actions unfold partly in cortical regions traditionally associated with movement planning and execution. Reinforcement learning models emphasize the role of reward prediction error (RPE) in optimizing action selection based on decision outcome feedback. However, most evidence for the existence of RPE signals locates them in midline frontal and parietal cortex, and comes from tasks with externally manipulated reward probabilities that create artificial prediction errors. Whether RPE signals are expressed in human cortical motor areas during deterministic (non-probabilistic) tasks remains unclear, and would provide further support for embodied decision-making. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study post-decision neural dynamics in a color discrimination task in selected cortical regions of interest (ROIs). Participants had to press buttons with their left or right index finger in response to checkerboard stimuli with different levels of color evidence for the correct choice. Outcomes were fully determined by participants' choices. Delayed auditory feedback veridically indicated whether their hand choice was correct or not. We observed a robust beta-band (15-29 Hz) rebound after correct outcome feedback, strongest in ventral and dorsal premotor, anterior cingulate and superior parietal ROIs as well as occipital and auditory ROIs, and weakest in the primary motor and somatosensory ROIs. Critically, the rebound magnitude after correct feedback scaled inversely with color evidence strength and associated decision error rates. It was minimal in strong-evidence trials (~0.1% errors) and maximal in weak-evidence trials (~34% errors), resembling a context-sensitive positive RPE signal that was strongest when a correct outcome was least expected. Alpha-band (8-12 Hz) post-feedback rebound increases in weak evidence trials were not as strong as in the beta band and appeared mainly in occipital, superior parietal and posterior cingulate ROIs. After the decision but before feedback, both beta and alpha band power showed sensitivity to the level of sensory evidence on which the decisions had been based, with reduced post-movement rebound or enhanced suppression in trials with weak evidence, suggestive of internally generated outcome expectations. Pre-feedback alpha rebound suppression was strongest in occipital, superior parietal and posterior cingulate ROIs. Pre-feedback beta rebound suppression was not as strong. Together, these findings reveal distinct beta- and alpha-band dynamics that reflect internal pre-feedback outcome expectations and feedback-driven RPE-like outcome assessments. They support distributed cortical mechanisms, including premotor, parietal and cingulate regions, in reward expectation, outcome evaluation, and adaptive control, highlighting a role for motor and associative cortices in embodied decision-making, performance monitoring, and flexible behavior under uncertainty. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Fonds de recherche du QuΓ©bec, https://ror.org/00w3qhf76, FRQ 318042, DOI: https://doi.org/10.69777/318042 NSERC-CREATE: Complex Dynamics of Brain and Behaviour program Canadian Institutes of Health Research, https://ror.org/01gavpb45, CIHR MOP-97944, MOP-142220 [J.K., S.B.]

🍾 First published work of 2026 from the lab.
Congrats to recently graduated Dr Niloofar Gharesi on her study of reward prediction error processes under the co-supervision of Prof John Kalaska at @umontreal-en.bsky.social.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

@crchum.bsky.social & @theneuro.bsky.social

27.01.2026 22:35 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Scientific Director - Biomedical Research Institute in Montreal, Canada - MontrΓ©al, Quebec (CA) job with Centre d'innovation biomΓ©dicale - UniversitΓ© de MontrΓ©al | 12851492 The Courtois Institute for Biomedical Innovation (CIΒ²B) is seeking a distinguished scientist to steer its development.

πŸŒŸπŸ«±πŸΌβ€πŸ«²πŸ»Join the fun & scientific excellence of Montreal and become a primary partner of Centre de recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM) [please repost].

www.nature.com/naturecareer...

18.01.2026 17:47 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ‘

17.01.2026 23:02 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Please submit your manuscripts to the journal and indicate that you’d like me to be the handling editor.

15.01.2026 10:32 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Thank you to @aaas.org for the opportunity to lead a new editorial pod at Science Advances on Systems, Computational, Neuro-AI & Neurotechnology (SCANN).
Top opportunity to highlight outstanding work at the intersection of neuroscience, computation, and emerging technologies. Send your papers now!

15.01.2026 00:26 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Please repost: we're hiring!

Apply now! πŸ‘‰ can-acn.org/professor-re...

06.01.2026 16:56 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Redirecting

Very proud to announce that the final chapter of my thesis is now out in Cell Reports! How do neurophysiological traits that characterize individuals evolve across the lifespan? We combined data from over 1,000 individuals aged 4–89 to answer this question. (1/6) πŸ§ πŸ‘ΆπŸ‘¦πŸ‘§πŸ‘±πŸ‘©β€πŸ¦±πŸ§”β€β™‚οΈπŸ§“πŸ‘΄
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...

15.12.2025 14:42 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2
Post image 17.12.2025 23:07 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

New paper out today in @cp-cellreports.bsky.social !

15.12.2025 17:36 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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--
A lot of brains and one big heart tonight at the farewell-to-2025 party of @crchum.bsky.social.

See you in 2026 as we continue moving the lines across the full continuum: research, innovation, better care, and a knowledge-driven, healthier society!

12.12.2025 12:26 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Please repost: another kind of Black-Friday deal!

28.11.2025 18:43 β€” πŸ‘ 27    πŸ” 17    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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1) We’re ready ; 2) we’re equipped ; 3) we’re happy.

The Royal Society of Canada | La SociΓ©tΓ© royale du Canada induction ceremony.

Grateful πŸ™: family, trainees, colleagues, πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦, @mcgill.ca and now @crchum.bsky.social (CRCHUM) et @facmed-umontreal.bsky.social.

15.11.2025 23:17 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Tracking electrophysiological signatures of Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of multimodal studies We conducted a review of the electrophysiological manifestations of Alzheimer's disease (AD) as captured by electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG), with a focus on tracking th...

🚨New review paper ! Lovely to reconnect with Sheraz Khan around what we think is a timely review of the state of knowledge about brain electrophysiological markers of early/late Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology, and what's left to discover.
alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

13.11.2025 17:36 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Altered cortical alpha modulations and connectivity in complex regional pain syndrome Chronic pain alters resting-state cerebral alpha rhythms (8–12 Hz), including whole-brain slowing of peak alpha frequency (PAF). Nevertheless, how the…

New pain research study in collaboration with @clevelandclinic.bsky.social πŸ‘‡.
β€”
Altered cortical alpha modulations and connectivity in complex regional pain syndrome

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

12.11.2025 19:10 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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This morning, Dr. Drew Weissman delivered an inspiring talk at @crchum.bsky.social, emphasizing the importance of continued curiosity and purpose. πŸ™

22.10.2025 14:36 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Congratulations Dr. Niloofar Gharesi, on your brilliant McGill University PhD defence today! Thank you, Prof. John Kalaska for the collaboration with UniversitΓ© de MontrΓ©al.
Another newly minted lab graduate on her way to do great things. Her next employer will be lucky to have her.

20.10.2025 21:04 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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We are thrilled to announce that our lab has two newly minted @mcgill.ca Neuroscience PhDs: congratulations, Dr. @xiaoboliu.bsky.social and Dr. Jonathan Gallego!

16.10.2025 03:00 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Thousands of researchers. One shared mission: mapping the human brain. 🌍🧠
Join the OHBM community at OHBM 2026 in Bordeaux, France, from June 14–18, 2026.
Together, we advance the science of the human brain.
#OHBM2026 #OHBMCommunity #HumanBrainMapping

06.10.2025 11:02 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Today is my first day as Director, Research & Innovation and CRCHUM Research Centre @crchum.bsky.social
(University of Montreal's main Research & Teaching Hospital).

Also starting a new research group @umontreal.ca.

Stay tuned for updates along this new collective journey!

01.10.2025 20:47 β€” πŸ‘ 55    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 0
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The PREVENT‐AD cohort: Accelerating Alzheimer's disease research and treatment in Canada and beyond The PResymptomatic EValuation of Experimental or Novel Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease (PREVENT-AD) is an investigator-driven study that was created in 2011 and enrolled cognitively normal older ...

This is a major milestone for @sylviavilleneuve.bsky.social & PREVENT-AD. Their vision & dedication have led to a series of impactful studies & high-profile publications, and the future promises insights as this unique dataset continues to grow.

alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

29.09.2025 17:24 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Exploring Deep Magnetoencephalography via Thalamo‐Cortical Sleep Spindles Results from functional connectivity analyses of MEG data (left) show that many thalamic nuclei can be distinguished via functional connectivity (right). However, results depend on the metric and con...

A fascinating update about how deep and fast MEG noninvasive imaging can be: differentiation b/w thalamus subnuclei, slow vs fast sleep spindles, and the talent and skills of Emily Coffey & her team. Grateful for being aboard this collaborative work.

doi.org/10.1002/hbm....

26.09.2025 19:01 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Authors retract Science paper on controversial fMRI method Several MRI artifacts contribute to the neuronal activity signal picked up by the method, according to a preprint the authors posted this month.

Science is self correcting. Finally!

25.09.2025 18:51 β€” πŸ‘ 43    πŸ” 17    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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The multimodal sky's the limit now with Brainstorm.

Now featuring PET data integration with electrophysiology and MRI.
neuroimage.usc.edu/brainstorm/T...

Open source, free, for anyone interested (>50,000 users registered so far, >4,500 studies published.)

19.09.2025 19:45 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ™πŸΌ

17.09.2025 16:52 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Rejoignez ma nouvelle Γ©quipe au @crchum.bsky.social.
Merci de partager!
www.chumontreal.qc.ca/emplois/tech...

17.09.2025 15:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Alpha oscillations mediate inhibitory control and perceptual transitions during binocular rivalry Binocular rivalry is a visual phenomenon that involves alternating percepts despite stable input, providing a window into perceptual processing and ne…

Just published in @cp-iscience.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

10.09.2025 16:50 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New study ✨!
⍺ regulates perceptual switches during binocular rivalry:
⍺↓ before dominant percepts, ↑ before mixed percepts + PO connectivity shifts from top-down to feedforward after perceptual alternations
Led by Janine Mendola @mcgill.ca, w/ E Mokri & @jasondasilvac.bsky.social

10.09.2025 16:50 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0