Research

Improving Motor Function After Stroke Using Precisely Timed Brain Stimulation

Stroke is a leading cause of motor disability worldwide, but treatments capable of promoting motor recovery after stroke are lacking. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) could feasibly improve post-stroke motor function by inducing neuroplasticity within neural circuits responsible for voluntary movement, but these interventions typically do not account for variation in brain activity over time. In the lab, we deliver TMS in a way that accounts for this variation, so that TMS only occurs when the brain is particularly sensitive to neuroplasticity. In this way, we aim to improve motor function in patients suffering from stroke-related motor impairments beyond what is possible with traditional TMS interventions.

Understanding How Brain Oscillations Control Human Motor Learning

Brain activity dynamically oscillates between excitatory and inhibitory states, but how these different brain states contribute to motor learning is not known. By manipulating brain activity during these different states using TMS, we untangle the different roles of these brain states in various stages of human motor learning. An ancillary goal of this work is to develop and test new motor learning assessments for use in patients with motor deficits, so that we can understand how brain oscillatory control of motor learning is affected by brain damage.

Developing Novel Closed-loop Brain Stimulation Interventions to Enhance Human Memory

Closed-loop brain stimulation is an emerging technique in which neurostimulation is applied only pre-defined brain states known to best reflect specific cognitive functions. Our lab uses neuroimaging, TMS, and behavioral testing to discover brain states associated with various forms of human memory, with the long-term goal of developing patio-temporally targeting closed-loop brain stimulation interventions capable of up regulating memory.