Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is experiencing a paradigm shift away from studying localized therapeutic effects toward the impact of DBS on distributed brain networks. By combining a connectomic DBS approach with global brain simulations, we will explore networks that – if modulated – lead to a reduction in specific symptoms and add a mechanistic dimension to the concept by modeling their network dynamics.

Visualization of Deep Brain Stimulation electrodes.

Within B01, Nanditha Rajamani is pursuing her PhD in the Horn laboratory, while Jil Meier is pursuing a postdoc in the Ritter laboratory.

Both the Ritter and Horn laboratories develop widely used open-source software applications for whole-brain dynamical brain simulation (The Virtual Brain) and DBS electrode localizations (Lead-DBS) which will be applied and further developed in the project.

Within Lead-DBS development, the Horn laboratory could establish an array of novel methods, including DBS network mapping, Subcortical Electrophysiology Mapping and probabilistic conversions of stereotactical coordinates to standard neuroimaging (“MNI”) space.

Further information about the two PIs can be found on the respective lab websites:

Ritter Lab Website Horn Lab Website

A main goal is to model how DBS retunes static and dynamic networks which are involved in specific symptoms. For the future, we envision a symptom-specific treatment strategy that may lead to personalized medicine in DBS and neuromodulation as a whole.

Further open data sharing applications developed by the Ritter lab includes participation within the EBRAINS platform. The EBRAINS research infrastructure is the entry point for researchers to discover EBRAINS services. The services are being developed and powered by the EU-funded Human Brain Project.

Finally, a specific interest of the Horn laboratory is to develop normative connectomes of the human connectome and to curate atlases of the human brain:

Browse Normative Connectomes

Browse Subcortical Atlases

Browse Whole-Brain Atlases

The Connectomic Deep Brain Stimulation Handbook edited by B01 PI Andreas Horn.

Area B

B01 | Toward virtual deep brain stimulation

Team

Prof. Petra Ritter

Dr. Andreas Horn

Dr. Jil Meier

Nanditha Rajamani

Publications

Neuroimaging-based analysis of DBS outcomes in pediatric dystonia: Insights from the GEPESTIM registry.

Insights and opportunities for deep brain stimulation as a brain circuit intervention.

Learning how network structure shapes decision-making for bio-inspired computing.

Christmas-Related Reduction in Beta Activity in Parkinson’s Disease

Lead-DBS v3.0: Mapping deep brain stimulation effects to local anatomy and global networks.

DBSegment: Fast and robust segmentation of deep brain structures considering domain generalization

Optimal deep brain stimulation sites and networks for stimulation of the fornix in Alzheimer’s disease.

Overnight unilateral withdrawal of thalamic deep brain stimulation to identify reversibility of gait disturbances.

Virtual deep brain stimulation: Multiscale co-simulation of a spiking basal ganglia model and a whole-brain mean-field model with The Virtual Brain.

Functional connectivity maps of theta/alpha and beta coherence within the subthalamic nucleus region.