Movement disorders, neurostimulation and neuroimaging

In addition to our clinical work, scientific research plays an important role in the Section for Movement Disorders and Neurostimulation of the University Medical Center Mainz. In our projects, we investigate how different regions of the brain interact with one another, both in healthy people and those suffering from neurological diseases, particularly focusing on connectivity and reorganization. We employ imaging, non-invasive stimulatory and electrophysiological methodologies to explore the physiology and pathophysiology of the human motoric system.

Currently we are working on several studies of patients with movement disorders (incl. Parkinson's), as well as being involved in projects concerning the optimization of the efficacy of deep brain stimulation.

The Section for Movement Disorders and Neurostimulation collaborates with several other research groups at the University Medical Center Mainz: Department of Neurology (Neuroimmunology, Birklein), with the Neuroimaging Center Mainz (NIC), German Resilience Center (DRZ), the Emotion regulation und Impulse Control group (ERIC) of the Psychiatric Clinic (PD Dr. med. Tüscher) and the Molecular Imaging and Optogenetics group (Institute for microscopic Anatomy und Neurobiology, Prof A. Stroh).

Members

Post-docs

•  Dr. med. Julia Kroth
•  Dr. med. Caspar Seitz

PhD Kandidaten

• Tamara Bonertz
•  Kim Diederichsen
•  Diana Goldschmied
•  Philipp Gründer
• Julian Jäckle
•  Nabin Koirala 
•  Chaitanya Chirumamilla Venkata 
• Sarah von Grotthuss

MTA

•  Bettina Kirr

 

National and international collaboration with the following institutes and groups:

-    Asst. Prof. M. Muthuraman, University Medicine Mainz, Biomedical Statistics and Multimodal Signal Processing 
-    Prof. G: Deuschl, Neurological Clinic, Kiel
-    Prof. J. Volkmann, http://www.neurologie.ukw.de/Neurological Clinic, Würzburg
-    Prof. H. Siebner, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance

Methods

1. Non-invasive neurostimulation. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) represents a methodology in which nerve and muscle cells can be contactlessly and painlessly stimulated via the induction principle. The methodology is employed to analyze and modulate cortical excitability, and using multifocal TMS, connectivity studies can be conducted.
2. Deep brain stimulation: Studies of the systemic mechanisms of deep brain stimulation treatment in patients with movement disorders (incl. Parkinson's and essential tremor) are being carried out. The goal is to improve the clinical effect and reduce the possible side effects after an optimized implantation of the stimulation electrodes on the basis of the connectivity determined using magnetic resonance imaging.
3. Structural magnetic resonance tomography data are evaluated  using diffusion-weighted imaging techniques, probabilistic tractography (FSL, SPM, VBM) as well as T1 images (Freesurfer, SPM) to perform network characterizations (BCT, NBS) and connectivity analyses.
4. Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) is used to modulate the cerebral excitability as part of studies to trigger plasticity changes.
5. EEG analyses (event-related potential, slow brain potential, as well as lateralization, time and frequency spectral analyses, including EEG-EEG and EEG-EMG coherence and power measurements) are employed for the imaging of cortical correlates. Simulataneous TMS-EEG techniques are applied to monitor changes in oscillatory activity.
6. Neuropsychological investigative strategies (selection and reaction-time tasks, continuous and intermittent acoustic or visual stimulation) are being developed to modulate and measure sensorimotoric, eye-hand and cognitive processes.
7. Kinematic measurements are applied for gathering data on bodily movements.

Selected Publications

Muthuraman M*, Bange M*, Koirala N, Ciolac D, Pintea B, Glaser M, Tinkhauser G, Brown P, Deuschl G, Groppa S (2020) Cross-frequency coupling between gamma oscillations and deep brain stimulation frequency in cortico-subcortical networks in Parkinson’s disease patients. Brain in press (*equally contributing)

 

Gonzalez-Escamilla G, Muthuraman M, Reich MM, Koirala N, Riedel C, Glaser M, ..., Groppa S (2019) Cortical Network Fingerprints Predict Deep Brain Stimulation Outcome in Dystonia. Movement Disorders

 

Krämer J, Cerina M, Zipp F, Brück W, Groppa S, Meuth S (2019) Imaging in mice and men: pathophysiological insights into multiple sclerosis from conventional and advanced MRI techniques. Progress in Neurobiology

 

Muthuraman M, Raethjen J, Koirala N, Anwar AR, Mideksa KG, Elble R, Groppa S*, Deuschl G* (2018) Cerebello-cortical network fingerprints differ between essential, Parkinson's and mimicked tremors. Brain (*equally contributing)

 

Fleischer V, Radetz A, Ciolac D, Muthuraman M, Gonzalez-Escamilla G, Zipp F, Groppa (2017) Graph theoretical framework of brain networks in multiple sclerosis: A review of concepts. Neuroscience

 

Groppa S, Herzog J, Falk D, Riedel C, Deuschl G, Volkmann J (2014) Physiological and anatomical decomposition of subthalamic neurostimulation effects in essential tremor. Brain

 

Complete publication list available here