Department of Biomedical Engineering/Neurology
Mentor: Luke Johnson, Ph.D., Department of Neurology
Project: Investigating the effects of biomarker-based directional deep brain stimulation on the basal ganglia-thalamocortical network in parkinsonism
Devyn Bauer’s project will advance deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy for Parkinson’s disease treatment by providing a richer, network-based understanding of how DBS alters the brain’s motor network. Specifically, I aim to compare directional stimulation targeting two specific brain signals of the globus pallidus internus (GPi) and correlate their effects on the basal ganglia thalamocortical (BGTC) motor network to therapeutic outcomes. To provide foundational knowledge on how DBS affects the motor network, I will use a novel high density recording technology, Neuropixels, to record massive, simultaneously sampled neuronal populations across the entire BGTC network under different stimulation conditions. Using this approach, I will compare therapeutic outcomes and network changes to biomarker-specific GPi DBS. My research will directly inform the use of GPi biomarkers in clinical research and improved DBS treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
