DYT1 is the most common monogenic form of dystonia, which lacks a clear pathophysiology and a causal therapy. While deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective symptomatic treatment for DYT1 dystonia, its mechanisms remain unknown.

We will focus on a systematic investigation of the involvement of specific brain regions, as identified through FDG-PET, contributing to dystonia. Ablation and chemogenetic tools will dissect circuit elements, and state-of-the-art DBS tools such as volume of tissue activated (VTA) simulation, probabilistic mapping, and circuit-inspired burst stimulation will be applied.

Molecular imaging using additional PET tracers will assess neurotransmitter changes, and a translational approach will compare rat and human dystonia movement patterns.