Catherine Mercier

525, boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel

Québec (Québec)  G1M 2S8

418 529-9141 # 6701

catherine.mercier@rea.ulaval.ca

Occupational therapist focusing on interactions between pain and motor learning, as well as on strategies to promote optimal recovery when physical rehabilitation is performed in the context of pain. 

Scientific Director of the CIRRIS
Regular Researcher, CIRRIS
FRSQ Senior Scholar
Research theme: 
Motor function, sense and perception
Research goal: 
Development and validation
Understanding of the mechanisms, phenomena and needs

Academic background

  • Postdoctoral fellow in Cognitive Neurosciences (CNRS, Lyon, France, 2005)
  • Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences, option rehabilitation (Université de Montréal, 2003)
  • M. Sc. Biomedical Sciences, option rehabilitation (Université de Montréal, 1999)
  • B.Sc. Occupational Therapy (Université de Montréal, 1997)

Research interests

  • Impact of pain on body representations and motor learning.
  • Neural plasticity following a lesion or a rehabilitation intervention.
  • Use of virtual reality and non-invasive brain stimulation in rehabilitation

Articles in scientific journals (peer-reviewed)

Impact of online visual feedback on motor acquisition and retention when learning to reach in a force field.

Batcho CS, Gagné M, Bouyer LJ, Roy JS, Mercier C. Neuroscience. 2016;337:267–275

Assessing the perception of trunk movements in military personnel with chronic non-specific low back pain using a virtual mirror
Roosink M, McFadyen BJ, Hébert LJ, Jackson PL, Bouyer LJ, Mercier C.
PLoS One. 2015 Mar 23;10(3):e0120251. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120251. eCollection 2015.
PMID: 25799009
 
Real-time modulation of visual feedback on human full-body movements in a virtual mirror: development and proof-of-concept
Roosink M, Robitaille N, McFadyen BJ, Hébert LJ, Jackson PL, Bouyer LJ, Mercier C. (2015) J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2015 Jan 5;12(1):2. doi: 10.1186/1743-0003-12-2.  PMID: 25558785 [PubMed - in process]
 
Virtual feedback for motor and pain rehabilitation after spinal cord injury.

Roosink M, Mercier C.
Virtual feedback for motor and pain rehabilitation after spinal cord injury.
Spinal Cord. 2014, 52(12):860-866.

Virtual reality therapies for phantom limb pain.
Perry BN, Mercier C, Pettifer SR, Cole J, Tsao JW.
Eur J Pain. 2014 Aug;18(7):897-9. doi: 10.1002/ejp.559.
PMID: 25045000
 
Tonic pain experienced during locomotor training impairs retention despite normal performance during acquisition.
Bouffard J, Bouyer LJ, Roy JS, Mercier C.
J Neurosci. 2014 Jul 9;34(28):9190-5.
doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5303-13.2014. PMID: 25009252
 
Alterations in central motor representation increase over time in individuals with rotator cuff tendinopathy.
Ngomo S, Mercier C, Bouyer LJ, Savoie A, Roy JS.
Clin Neurophysiol. 2015 Feb;126(2):365-71. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2014.05.035. Epub 2014 Jun 21.
PMID: 25043198
 
Cortical mapping of the infraspinatus muscle in healthy individuals.

Ngomo, S., Mercier, C., & Roy, J.-S. (2013). Cortical mapping of the infraspinatus muscle in healthy individuals. BMC Neuroscience, 14, 52. doi:10.1186/1471-2202-14-52

Effect of motor cortex rTMS on neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury. Neurorehabil Neural Repair

Jetté, F., Côté, I., Meziane, H. B., & Mercier, C. (2013). Effect of single-session repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied over the hand versus leg motor area on pain after spinal cord injury. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 27, 636–643. doi:10.1177/1545968313484810

Effect of painful and non-painful sensorimotor manipulations on subjective body midline

Bouffard, J., Gagné, M., & Mercier, C. (2013). Effect of painful and non-painful sensorimotor manipulations on subjective body midline. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 77. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00077

Interactions between the phantom limb sensations, prosthesis use and rehabilitation as seen by amputees and health professionals.

Bouffard, J., Vincent, C., Boulianne, E., Lajoie, S., & Mercier, C. (2012). Interactions between the phantom limb sensations, prosthesis use and rehabilitation as seen by amputees and health professionals. Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, 24(1), 25-33.

Using purposeful tasks to improve motor performance: does object affordance matter?

Hétu, S., & Mercier, C. (2012). Using purposeful tasks to improve motor performance: does object affordance matter? British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75, 367-376.

Comparison of transcranial magnetic stimulation measures obtained at rest and under active conditions and their reliability.

Ngomo S, Leonard G, Moffet H, Mercier C. Comparison of transcranial magnetic stimulation measures obtained at rest and under active conditions and their reliability. J Neurosci Methods. 2012 Mar 30;205(1):65-71.

Interactions between motor imagery and pain - comment on Raffin et al. 2011

Mercier, C. (2012). Interactions between motor imagery and pain - comment on Raffin et al. 2011. Cortex, 48, 778-780.

Influence of the amount of use on hand motor cortex representation: contrasting immobilization and motor training

Ngomo S, Leonard G, Mercier C. Influence of the amount of use on hand motor cortex representation: contrasting immobilization and motor training. Neuroscience 2012;220:208-14.

Modulation of the response to a somatosensory stimulation of the hand during the observation of manual actions.

Voisin, J. I. A., Rodrigues, E. C., Hétu, S., Jackson, P. L., Vargas, C. D., Malouin, F., … Mercier, C. (2011). Modulation of the response to a somatosensory stimulation of the hand during the observation of manual actions. Experimental brain research., 208(1), 11–9. doi:10.1007/s00221-010-2448-3

Is somatosensory excitability more affected by the perspective or modality content of motor imagery?

Voisin, J. I. A., Mercier, C., Jackson, P. L., Richards, C. L., & Malouin, F. (2011). Is somatosensory excitability more affected by the perspective or modality content of motor imagery? Neuroscience Letters, 493(1-2), 33-37.

I Am Touched by Your Pain: Limb-Specific Modulation of the Cortical Response to a Tactile Stimulation During Pain Observation.

Voisin, J. I. A., Marcoux, L.-A., Canizales, D. L., Mercier, C., & Jackson, P. L. (2011). I Am Touched by Your Pain: Limb-Specific Modulation of the Cortical Response to a Tactile Stimulation During Pain Observation. The Journal of Pain, 12(11), 1182-1189.

The map is not the territory: motor system reorganisation in upper limb amputees

Gagné M, Hétu S, Reilly KT, Mercier C. The map is not the territory: motor system reorganisation in upper limb amputees. Hum Brain Mapp. 2011;32:509-19.

Interactions between pain and the motor cortex: Insights from research on phantom limb pain and complex regional pain syndrome

Mercier C, Léonard G. Interactions between pain and the motor cortex: Insights from research on phantom limb pain and complex regional pain syndrome. Physiother Can. 2011;63:305-14.

Effect of pain and pain expectation on primary motor cortex excitability

Dubé J, Mercier C. Effect of pain and pain expectation on primary motor cortex excitability. Clin Neurophysiol. 2011;122:2318-23.

Use of an innovative model to evaluate mobility in seniors with lower-limb amputations of vascular origin: a pilot study

Vincent C, Demers E, Moffet H, Corriveau H, Nadeau S, MercierC and Rehabilitation RQRV group 2006-2009.  2010  Use of an innovative model to evaluate mobility in seniors with lower-limb amputations of vascular origin: a pilot study BMC Geriatrics 2010, 10:68 

Variability in the effector-specific pattern of motor facilitation during the observation of everyday actions: implications for the clinical use of action observation

Hétu S, Gagné M, Jackson PL, Mercier C. Variability in the effector-specific pattern of motor facilitation during the observation of everyday actions: implications for the clinical use of action observation. Neuroscience 2010;170:589-98.

Training with virtual visual feedback to alleviate phantom limb pain.

Mercier,C, Sirigu S. Training with virtual visual feedback to alleviate phantom limb pain. J Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2009;23:587-94.

Scientific presentations (oral or poster)

Effect of experimental muscle pain on the acquisition and retention of locomotor adaptation

Bouffard J, Salomoni SE, Tucker K, Van der Hoorn W, Mercier C, Roy JS, Hodges PW, Bouyer LJ.
Society for Neuroscience, Washington, USA, November 15-19, 2014

Measuring the effect of pain on sensorimotor integration using short-latency afferent inhibition

Bouyer LJ, Gagné M, *Beaumont JA, Mercier C.
Society for Neuroscience, Washington, USA, November 15-19, 2014.
 

A longitudinal study of pain modulation in patients with spinal cord injury during intensive rehabilitation
Gagné M, *Roosink M, Côté I, Boulet M, Mercier C.
15th IASP World congress on pain, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 6-11th 2014.
 
 
Est-ce que les échanges gazeux sont modifiés chez les personnes présentant de la douleur chronique?

Laberge D, Perreault K, Mercier C. 35th Annual Scientific meeting of the Canadian Pain Society, Québec, 20-23 mai 2014. Pain Research & Management, 19 (3): e83.  

Interactive Virtual Reality Real-Time Avatar for Military Rehabilitation in the Canadian Forces.

Hébert LJ, McFadyen B, Robitaille N, Larochelle J, Mercier C, Jackson P. L., Bouyer L, Fecteau S, Richards, CL. (2013) Interactive Virtual Reality Real-Time Avatar for Military Rehabilitation in the Canadian Forces. Collaboration and Support Office de l'OTAN, NATO Science and Technology Organisation Meeting Proceedings, March 2013;1-13.

Interactive Virtual Reality Real-Time Avatar for Military Rehabilitation in the Canadian Forces.

Hébert, L.J., McFadyen, B.J., Robitaille, N., Larochelle, J., Mercier, C., Jackson, P. L., Bouyer, L., Fecteau, S., Richards, C. (2013, April). Interactive Virtual Reality Real-Time Avatar for Military Rehabilitation in the Canadian Forces. Oral presentation at the HFM-228 SYMPOSIUM, Milan, Italy.

Corticospinal excitability asymmetry is associated with altered shoulder control in individuals with shoulder subacromial pain

Savoie A, Roy JS, Mercier C.
15th IASP World congress on pain, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 6-11th 2014.

Research professionals

  • Martin Gagné
  • Steve Forest

Students

  • Meyke Roosink (postdoc)
  • Charles Batcho (postdoc)
  • Jason Bouffard (Ph.D.)
  • Nicolas Mavromatis (Ph.D.)
  • Mélanie Lamothe (M.Sc.)
  • Alexandre Savoie (M.Sc.)
  • Marie-Claude Bilodeau (B.Sc.)

Affiliations

  • Member of the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec
  • Regular researcher, REPAR, Leader of Strategic initiative #2 (Upper limb movement and functional performance), member of the scientific committee.
  • Regular researcher, RQRD
  • Regular researcher, RBIQ
  • Member of the scientific committee of the Consortium d’imagerie en neurosciences et santé mentale de Québec (CINQ)

CIUSSS-CN Université Laval Alliance santé Québec