Abstract
<jats:p>This book represents the culmination of a fruitful and multi-faceted collaboration between our research teams in Brazil and France. Our journey began in 2019 at the ISPGR International Congress in Edinburgh, when Prof. José Barela and Dr. Cédrick Bonnet discussed shared scientific interests and immediately envisioned collaborative projects. Early interactions via video meetings allowed us to exchange ideas and to share co-developing projects. By 2021, our first joint publication had emerged, and by June 2022, we had co-authored four international articles. Recognizing our productive collaboration, the directors of international relations at University of Lille (ULille) and São Paulo State University (UNESP) invited us to propose a CAPES-COFECUB project for 2023–2026. This initiative brought together additional colleagues: on the French side, Dr. Laurent Sparrow and Prof. Séverine Casalis from SCALab, and on the Brazilian side, Prof. Sérgio Rodrigues and Dr. Paula Polastri from LIVIA, along with Prof. Fabio Barbieri from MOVI-LAB. Our successful CAPES-COFECUB proposal, “Gaze Behavior and Postural Control in Visual Static and Dynamic Environments”, has supported researchers’ mobility, enabling multiple short-term and extended visits, fostering shared research projects, and stimulating cross-country collaboration. Furthermore, José and Cédrick received Franco-Brazilian chairs in 2023 and 2026, which further strengthened exchange in both sides. Over these years, our teams have produced eight international publications, two recently submitted manuscripts, thirty-seven oral presentations, nine conference posters, media appearances, and several public outreach chapters. This sustained and prolific collaboration laid the foundation for the present book. The chapters of this book form a coherent exploration of visual perception, postural control, and cognitive function across diverse populations and experimental paradigms. In chapter 1, Dr. Bonnet opens with an examination of the benefits of active balance control on attention and task performance, demonstrating how posture and movement optimize cognitive engagement. Polastri and colleagues extend this investigation by exploring cognitive–motor interactions during standing under varied visual conditions (Chapter 2), highlighting the adaptive coordination of perception, action, and cognition. In chapter 3, Dr. Rodrigues et al. introduced a novel experimental framework to study the coordination between gaze, head, and postural control in a simulated driving task. They also provided preliminary insights into perception–action coupling in dynamic environments. Chapter 4, by Mr. Cuevas et al., addresses the intersection of posture and learning, proposing experimental approaches to study how body position may influence vocabulary acquisition. Dr. de Andrade Silva (Chapter 5) delves deeper by examining pupillary responses as indices of cognitive effort, revealing an embodied interaction between posture and semantic context. Chapters 6 and 7 (Berzghal et al.; Virlet et al.) shift focus to children and adolescents with dyslexia, investigating visual perception and the effects of prismatic lenses on reading performance. in Chapter 8, Camargo and colleagues demonstrate how proprioceptive interventions enhance visual attention in dyslexic children over extended periods. Finally, Chapters 9 and 10 (Penedo et al.; Fukuchi et al.) explore visual and oculomotor contributions to postural control in Parkinson’s disease, illustrating the translational relevance of our research from basic mechanisms to clinical applications. Together, these chapters form a continuous narrative: from fundamental mechanisms of gaze and posture, through cognitive and learning processes, to applied and clinical contexts. The coherence of our work reflects the dynamic, productive, and interdisciplinary nature of our collaboration—a collaboration that has not only advanced scientific understanding but also fostered sustained connections between our research communities in Brazil and France.</jats:p>