Motor Control Labratory
Overview
With funding from The Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation,
the Center has established the NYU Motor Control Laboratory, that
utilizes advanced neurophysiological tools such as the digitized motor
control tablet, Trans-Cranial Magnetic Stimulator (TMS), and High
density EEG (Hd-EEG) to better understand the motor physiology of
Parkinson and other movement disorders such as dystonia.
In the
last decade we have learned that there are changes in the complex
wiring of the brain that organize and correctly execute simple and
complex movements. These changes may be responsible for symptoms that
do respond to dopaminergic treatment, such as freezing of gait,
imbalance, and diminished ability to learn new motor tasks, or are
caused by treatment, such as dyskinesias. Abnormal wiring of the motor
brain circuits may also explain other movement disorders, such as
dystonia, chorea, and tremor.
The laboratory works closely with the functional neuroimaging center at
NYU to understand the complex functional and anatomical correlates in
the brain. TMS is also a tool to study “brain plasticity,” or how the
brain can modify itself when learning new tools, and will be used to
assess the therapeutic and restorative effect of exercise and music in
patients with PD and other movement disorders.
Current Studies
rTMS in Advanced Parkinson’s Disease Study
- Dyskinesias, freezing of gait and motor fluctuations are troublesome complication of advanced Parkinson’s disease.
- Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a technique to gently stimulate the brain, which has been shown to positively affect the levels of dopamine in the brain and facilitate neuroplastic changes important for learning motor skills.
- rTMS may therefore have a beneficial impact on the side-effects related to chronic L-dopa therapy as well as on the outcome of physical therapy interventions geared at reinstating function in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
- At NYU Parkinson center we are now investigating whether rTMS, applied to different cortical areas, is effective in improving the motor complications in advanced Parkinson’s patients and how long the effect lasts.
- With our study we also intend to test the effects of rTMS on cognitive and executive functioning in Parkison’s patients with advanced disease.
