Name of Institution:
Department of Neurosurgery, University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles, California
Project Title:
Cortical-subcortical motor network hypersynchrony in Parkinson’s disease
Investigators:
Mahsa Malekmohammadi, PhD
Dr. Malekmohammadi received her BS in Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology (Iran) and her MS and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Malekmohammadi is focused on conducting invasive neurophysiology research during deep brain stimulation surgery, using advanced signal analysis techniques to understand the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease.
Nader Pouratian, MD, PhD (Post-Doctoral Supervisor)
Research Objectives and Relevance to Diagnosis/Treatment of PD:
The goal of this study is to develop a more comprehensive understanding of motor network dysfunction by recording signals from multiple areas of brains in Parkinson’s Disease patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) implantation surgery.
This study is innovative for the recording method and aiming to understand motor network connectivity more comprehensively, providing an enhanced functional network model that could be used to monitor PD. The knowledge gained will provide a critical framework for the development of novel therapies, contribute to improvements in surgical targeting and techniques, and potentially be used for the design of closed-loop DBS systems, all of which can lead to improving the quality of life of Parkinson’s Disease patients, improving the efficacy of therapies, and reducing health care expenditures.