Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is commonly used for a range of neurological disorders, but its mechanisms of action are still unclear. This can be overcome by using diffusion tensor imaging. Anatomic connections between different parts of the brain may be analyzed. In our lab, studies are in progress to explore connectivity profiles and improve DBS efficiency.

In a recent paper published with LMU in NeuroImage, we found that stimulation of ventral and dorsal GPi, for Dystonia patients, belong to different functional and anatomic motor subsystems, which may justify the opposite motor effects.

Subtraction connectivity map of ventral and dorsal GPi electrodes. [1]

People/Institution: 

João P. Cunha (INESC TEC),  Nádia. M. da Silva (INESC TEC), Sérgio. M. Tafula (INESC TEC), Verena E. Rozanski  (LMU)

Partners:

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Funding:

INESC TEC

Main Publications:

[1] Verena E. Rozanski, Christian Vollmar, João Paulo Cunha, Sérgio Miguel Neves Tafula, Seyed-Ahmad Ahmadi, Maximilian Patzig, JanHinnerk Mehrkens, and Kai Botzel. Connectivity patterns of pallidal DBS electrodes in focal dystonia: A diffusion tensor tractography study. Neuroimage, 84(0):435 – 442, 2014. [ISI IF = 6.252]