Projects
White matter matters: The role of structural brain connections in the response to transcranial magnetic stimulation Ghent University
Even though repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a promising non-invasive treatment option for a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders, overall, the response rates are rather modest. It is hypothesized that the inter-individual variability in clinical responses could be related to the use of too general stimulation protocols applicable to broad patient populations. Optimal stimulation protocols might be ...
Towards precision health by enabling multimodal monitoring in real-life settings using uncertainty based, hierarchical, and time-dynamic models Ghent University
Mental health is a complex process, consisting of a causal relationship between (1) context, e.g, external circumstances and personality traits, which determines the mental health, and (2) symptoms, i.e., behavioral, psychosocial, and physiological responses, by which mental health is observed. SOTA mental health research is focused on finding relationships between affective states and physiological responses. However, transitioning this ...
Local field potential recordings in deep brain stimulation patients KU Leuven
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an invasive neuromodulation method in which stimulating electrodes are chronically implanted in the brain to deliver a continuous train of electrical pulses. DBS is now routinely used to treat a range of neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor and is beginning to be used to treat some psychiatric disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder and major depression. DBS is ...
Translational study of prostaglandin E2-induced indoleamine 2,3- dioxygenase in vitiligo: from bench to bedside Ghent University
Vitiligo is an acquired autoimmune skin disorder which leads to cutaneous depigmentations. Vitiligo
patients carry a huge burden caused by this disease. The rate of depressive symptoms is highly
increased in vitiligo patients. Vitiligo is a unique model to study in vivo immunological events which
are also of importance for other autoimmune diseases and important medical disorders such as
organ ...
Learning and memory in psychopathology KU Leuven
Learning and memory play a central role in various forms of psychopathology. People with depressive complaints are characterized by overgeneral autobiographical memories, flashbacks are a core feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), avoidance learning is an important factor in the genesis and maintenance of clinical anxiety, and deficits in working memory and other executive functions are central in ADHD, to give but a few examples. ...
Mitochondrial imaging in live neurons from Parkinson’s disease patients. KU Leuven
Parkinson’s disease is the most prevalent neurodegenerative movement disorder. These patients suffer from characteristic motor problems, but can also develop a variety of non-motor problems such as constipation, psychosis, depression and dementia, all of which severely undermine quality of life. A typical characteristic of Parkinson’s disease is the loss of a specific population of nerve cells that produce dopamine in a brain region called ...