Diagnosis and imaging of essential and other tremors

Researcher: Madelein van der Stouwe, MD, PhD Thesis defense: 2015 Second promotor: Prof. Marina de Koning-Tijssen, MD, PhD Collaborator: Prof. Nico Leenders, MD, PhD Funding: UMCG Everyone suffers from trembling hands from time to time. For instance, when you are nervous, such as during a speech, or after a few of cups of coffee. Some […]

Functional connectivity of the primary somatosensory cortex and its role during action observation

Researcher: Nikola Valchev, PhD Thesis defense: 2014 During the observation of actions performed by other people, our brain activates a broad network of cortical areas. It is commonly believed that information is first processed by the visual system and then the “action observation” network calculates a mental simulation of the observed motor act. Ultimately this […]

Images of healthy aging : functional brain networks and selective attention

Researcher: Linda Geerligs, MSc (PhD student) Thesis defense: 2014 First promotor: Monicque Lorist, PhD Funding: GMW-RuG We all grow older, yet a lot is unknown about the causes behind age-related changes in cognitive functioning. In this thesis, we have investigated how communication between brain areas changes with age and how this affects cognitive functioning. Brain […]

A non-unitary view of aging: Behavioral and neural variability during working memory performance in younger and older adults

Researcher: Emi Saliasi, PhD Thesis defense: 2014 Second promotor: Monicque M. Lorist, PhD (Exp. Psychology, RuG) Funding: BCN-BRAIN Aging is not a unitary process; rather the trajectory and degree of age-related changes vary not only considerably across older individuals but also across cognitive domains. In this thesis, we have showed that some older adults are […]

Organization of initiation and inhibition of movement in Parkinson’s disease

Researcher: Carolien Toxopeus, MSc (MD-PhD student) Other supervisors: Nico Leenders, MD, PhD, Bauke de Jong, MD, PhD Thesis defense: 2012 The main aim of this thesis was to investigate the organization of basic components of movement constituted by initiation, inhibition and gradual modulation of movement, focused on the role of the basal ganglia (BG) and interconnected […]

The spread of muscle fiber conduction velocity: increasing scope and usability

Researcher: Fiete Lange, MD, PhD Other supervisor: Han van der Hoeven, MD, PhD Thesis defense: 2009 The determination of muscle fiber conduction velocity (MFCV) is used in the evaluation of neuromuscular disorders. When MFCV is determined invasively (using direct fiber stimulation) the conduction velocity of muscle fibers can be measured while controlling the firing rate […]

Cervical dystonia: Abnormal cerebral activation patterns related to preparation and execution of hand movement

Researcher: Paulien de Vries, MD, PhD Other supervisors: Nico Leenders, MD, PhD, Bauke de Jong, MD, PhD Thesis defense: 2008 Cervical dystonia (CD) is a movement disorder characterized by sustained involuntary muscular contractions which cause repetitive twisting movements and abnormal postures of the head. CD is primarily a brain disorder. Several studies show that CD […]

Multichannel EEG: towards applications in clinical neurology

Researcher: Wilma van de Wassenberg, PhD Other supervisors: Nico Leenders, MD, PhD, Han van der Hoeven, MD, PhD Thesis defense: 2008 (winner BCN Thesis award) Electroencephalogram (EEG) measures the electric activity produced by the brain with electrodes placed on the scalp. It is used for monitoring or as diagnostic tool for neurological disorders. In practice […]

Multichannel EEG visualization

Researcher: Michael ten Caat, PhD Other supervisor: Jos Roerdink, PhD Thesis defense: 2008 Electroencephalography (EEG) measures electrical brain activity by electrodes attached to the scalp. Multichannel EEG refers to a measurement with a large number of electrodes. EEG has clinical as well as scientific applications, including neurology, psychology, pharmacy, linguistics, and biology. In particular for […]

Biochemical and neurophysiological parameters of acute brain injury

Researcher: Jan Willem Elting, MD, PhD Other supervisors: Jacques de Keyser, MD, PhD, Han van der Hoeven, MD, PhD, Joukje van der Naalt, MD, PhD Thesis defense: 2008 Acute hersenschade wordt meestal veroorzaakt door een beroerte (CVA) of door een ongeluk. Jan Willem Elting bespreekt in zijn proefschrift twee technieken die zijn gericht op het […]