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Neuroscience
Clinical Research
ongoing
On-site
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Dr. med J.K Behnke, J. Kaplan, Prof. Dr. med. A. A. Kühn
Summary
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project:
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, in which the degeneration of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra leads to with symptoms, particularly involving the motor symptoms system (i.e., slowness of movements, rigidity, and rest tremor) thought to arise due to a degeneration of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra. Medical treatment aims at restoring the concentration of dopamine in the central nervous system and usually provides excellent symptomatic relief. However, five to ten years after initiating treatment, problems often arise, causingin advanced stages of the disease, strong and bothersome fluctuations of symptoms often occur and . At this point, more invasive treatment optionss like Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) are can be considered. Here, eElectrodes, are surgically inserted into deep brain structures (in PD, the subthalamic nucleus), allowing for stimulatingon of neural tissue with electrical current. Later, these electrodes are connected to an implantable pulse generator. In between the electrode implantation of electrodes and the second surgery to connecting the pulse generator, an exciting window of opportunity opens for research. We can record activity from the depth of the brain and administer stimulation. Our lab is interested in linking brain activity to symptom severity. For example, neural activity in the beta frequency range is known to correlate with the severity of slowness and rigidity. Ultimately, our goal is to develop an intelligent adaptive form of stimulation that adjusts itself in real-time according to the patient’s symptoms. With new DBS systems, it is now feasible to record activity from deep brain structures in the chronically implanted state. We can connect to the DBS system and initiate streaming of local field potentials, making possible the characterisation of neural biomarkers over extensive periods of time. In summary, we offer the opportunity to assist in (1) externalised recordings (in between surgeries) and (2) chronic recordings after implantation of the pulse generator. Students will get in contact with patients with movement disorders and learn how to acquire neural data in form of local field potentials. Apart from Parkinson’s disease, we also investigate patients suffering from dystonia and essential tremor, albeit patients with PD are the predominant group in our clinic. Please feel free to reach out, we look forward to introducing you to the exciting field of neuromodulation research!