Retuning dynamic motor network disorders using neuromodulation

Standard of care

Developing innovative neuromodulation therapies

Many neurological diseases are associated with movement disorders. Neuromodulation, a method that applies therapeutic electric currents or magnetic fields to the brain, has demonstrably helped restore motor deficits in movement-impaired patients. While deep brain stimulation (DBS) is considered the gold standard for treating Parkinson´s disease (PD) and various forms of tremor or dystonia, these therapies are not yet available for many other brain diseases.

Brain network dynamics and function

In the brain, approximately 86 billion nerve cells interact spatially and temporally to create a highly complex dynamic network whose exact functioning remains one of the great mysteries of brain research. One research focus of the TRR 295 ReTune is to understand the mechanisms and function of dynamic neuronal networks in health and disease in order to retune altered networks by invasive or non-invasive brain stimulation. The aim is to develop innovative neuromodulation systems that respond to specific demands, precisely target individual symptom cycles, and are activated only when disease symptoms occur.