SCIENTIFIC LECTURE SERIES: Prof.Andrew Sharott

Speaker: Prof. Andrew Sharott, Associate Professor, MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford

Title: Towards phase-dependent closed-loop deep brain stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease

Date: March 08th, 2018, 05:30 pm

Location: Seminarraum Neurologie Bonhoefferweg 3, Klinik für Neurologie (CCM)

ABSTRACT: Pathologically enhanced neuronal activity in the betafrequency range is a highly consistent feature of the parkinsonian brain.Here,using data fromin both patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dopamine-depleted experimental animals, I will demonstrate that specific features of synchrony between cortex and basal ganglia neurons predict when the network is pulled into pathologically sustained network oscillations. I will then show that
the amplitude of such oscillations can be modulated by betafrequency deep brain stimulation in a phase dependent manner. Finally, I will describe how we are using our understanding of these phenomena to design closed-loop deep brain stimulation that targets a specific phase of the ongoing beta oscillation. Using this method,we aimto achievemore selective and effective interventions to treat themotor symptoms of PD.