Follow on Google News News By Tag Industry News News By Location Country(s) Industry News
Follow on Google News | Dystonia Medical Research Foundation & Cure Dystonia Now Announce Latest Research CollaborationCross-Disciplinary Projects Explore Dystonia Brain Networks to Improve Diagnosis & Treatment
Awardees are as follows: Using Functional Connectivity to Optimize Deep Brain Stimulation in Dystonia Andrea Kühn, MD, University Medicine Berlin Deep brain stimulation is a neurosurgical therapy that uses an implanted medical device to treat dystonia and other neurological disorders. The medical device delivers electrical stimulation to the areas of the brain responsible for dystonia symptoms. Many dystonia patients respond dramatically to deep brain stimulation therapy, but not all. Dr. Kühn and her team seek to clarify the underlying mechanisms of deep brain stimulation in order to better understand why some patients benefit from this therapy while others do not. Unraveling Hierarchical Network Loops in Isolated Dystonia Xin Jin, PhD, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies The intricate networks in the human brain responsible for controlling body movement are comprised of many millions of neurons across dozens of brain areas. Dr. Jin and his team are working to understand the network activity that underlies dystonia symptoms, and to possibly prevent symptoms from developing. This grant is focusing on blepharospasm, a focal dystonia of the eyelid and brow muscles, as a model to understand dystonia networks more broadly. Investigating Multimodal Neuroimaging for Probing Brain Networks in Cervical Dystonia Richard Reilly, PhD, Trinity College Dublin Dr. Reilly and his team are in search of biomarkers in the brain for cervical dystonia, a focal dystonia that causes involuntary head movements and neck postures. To do so, they will use multimodal analysis on a dataset from structural, resting state, and functional MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in a group of cervical dystonia patients. They will compare results against a group of patients with spasmodic dysphonia, a focal dystonia of the vocal cords muscles. The goal is to advance understanding of the structural and functional brain differences in cervical dystonia. Interregional Brain Connectivity in a Mouse Model of Cerebellar-Induced Dystonia Roy Sillitoe, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine This project uses a unique genetic mouse model of dystonia and diffusor tensor imaging, a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to define how specific brain network changes result in dystonia symptoms. This work also seeks to better understand developmental aspects of dystonia, namely why and how dystonia progresses over time. Dr. Sillitoe and team are ultimately seeking to define the functional brain network of dystonia as a way to better target therapies such as oral medications and deep brain stimulation. * * * Dystonia is a chronic, often disabling, neurological disorder marked by extreme, involuntary muscle contractions that cause abnormal body movements and postures. Common signs include abnormal movements of the head and neck, excessive blinking, a breathy or choking voice, hand cramps, or a twisted foot. Because dystonia is not better known, symptoms are often mistaken for mental illness, intoxication, or poor social skills. Dystonia impacts people of all ages and backgrounds. There is currently no cure, and though treatments exist there is no single therapy that benefits even a majority of patients. The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) is the leading dystonia patient advocacy organization. Founded in 1976, the DMRF mission is to advance research toward improved treatments and a cure, promote education and awareness, and provide support resources to affected individuals and families. The DMRF can be reached at https://www.dystonia- Cure Dystonia Now is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable foundation committed to advancing research for more and/or improved treatments, and ultimately a cure, for dystonia. Learn more about Cure Dystonia Now at http://www.curedystonianow.org. End
Account Email Address Account Phone Number Disclaimer Report Abuse
|
|