PHYSICS AND NEUROBIOLOGY OF BRAIN STIMULATION
Relevant for Research Area
PIs
Prof. Dr. Ilka Diester (Contact PI)
Causal interference with the brain is one of the currently leading themes in basic and clinical neuroscience. For this, brain stimulation paradigms have been proven to be extremely valuable tools. They can be divided into invasive and non-invasive techniques. Less invasive techniques have advantages especially when it comes to brain stimulations in humans. Unfortunately, the less invasive a stimulation technique, the less its functional impact on neural networks is understood. But even for the more invasive options, e.g. optogenetic manipulations, it is largely unknown how they affect neural networks on a functional level and in the long term. In this project we aimed to understand the working principles, the biophysical and network properties, the behavioral impact and long-term effects of some of the most widely used stimulation tools. We will focused on two main stimulation types: (1) transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in humans and (2) optogenetic manipulations in rats.
We combined experiments in healthy human subjects with computational modelling to investigate the effects of open-loop tACS on resting state alpha rhythm. We found that the ability of tACS to modulate alpha power is frequency and montage specific. Additionally, the power increase correlated with stimulation intensity and could not be explained by unwanted peripheral stimulation. In an additional separate study, we designed an experimental setup and carried out first pilot experiments to study the effects of closed-loop tACS on the cortico- muscular coherence (CMC) in the beta-range during precision hand movements.
In rats we developed a two behavioral paradigms allowing the investigation of controlled fore limb movements. We further validated the existence of beta oscillations in the rat motor
Peer reviewed publications
Hardung S, Epple R, Jackel Z, Eriksson D, Uran C, Senn V, Gibor L, Yizhar O, Diester I A Functional Gradient in the Rodent Prefrontal Cortex Supports Behavioral Inhibition. 2017 Curr Biol, volume: 27, issue: 4, page(s): 549 – 555.
Hardung S, Alyahyay M, Eriksson D, Diester I A Toolbox for Optophysiological Experiments in Freely Moving Rats. 2017 Front Syst Neurosci, volume: 11, page(s).
Falk T, Mai D, Bensch R, Cicek Ö, Abdulkadir A, Marrakchi Y, Böhm A, Deubner J, Jäckel Z, Seiwald K, Dovzhenko A, Tietz O, Dal Bosco C, Walsh S, Saltukoglu D, Tay T, Prinz M, Palme K, Simons M, Diester I, Brox T, Ronneberger O Deep Learning for Cell Counting, Detection, and Morphometry. 2018 Nature Methods, accepted.
Other publications
Karvat G, Diester I (2019) Real-time neurofeedback in freely behaving rats: traiing a netwok to study a network. NWG conference, Goettingen.
Fara S, Rübener S, Mehring C. 2018. Investigating the mechanisms of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) by neural network modelling and tACS-EEG experiments in humans. Bernstein Conference 2018
Fara S, Rübener S, Mehring C. 2018. Investigating the mechanisms of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) by neural network modelling and tACS-EEG experiments in humans. BrainDisC PhD Conference Conference 2018
Diester I (2017) Functional heterogeneity in the rat prefrontal cortex supports correctly timed responses. SfN Meeting, Washington, USA.
Diester I (2017) Mapping the functional heterogeneity of the rat prefrontal cortex with neurophysiological and optogenetic tools. NeuralNet Neurex (NCube), Strassbourg, France.
Coulon P, Diester I (2017) FKNE Winter Symposium, Vienna, Austria.
Diester I (2018) Mapping the functional heterogeneity of the rat prefrontal and motor cortex with neurophysiological and optogenetic tools. FENS Kavli Network of Excellence Meeting, Chicheley hall, UK.
Diester I (2018) Red-light-regulated actuators for spatiotemporal control of opsin expression within the prefrontal circuit during impulse control, SPP meeting Bonn, Germany.
Diester I (2018) A functional gradient in the rodent prefrontal cortex supports behavioral inhibition. FENS Meeting Berlin, Germany.
Alyahyay M, Coulon P, Diester I (2018) NeuroStim: Dissecting Neural Circuits with Optogenetic Techniques. Talk at BrainLinks-BrainTools workshop, Freiburg.
Karvat G, Tangermann M, Diester I (2018) NeuroStim: Real-time neurofeedback in freely behaving rats: training a network to study a network. Poster at BrainLinks-BrainTools workshop, Freiburg.
Fara S, Rübener S, Mehring C. 2018. Investigating the mechanisms of tACS by tACS- EEG experiments in humans and neural network modelling. Poster at BrainLinks- BrainTools workshop, Freiburg.
Stieglitz, T (2018) Flexible multielectrode arrays as implantable interfaces to the central and peripheral nervous system. Cell-NERF Symposium on Neurotechnologies. Sept 30- Oct 2, 2018, Leuven, Belgium. Invited oral presentation