Projects
Parkinson's disease: the mitochondrial connection. KU Leuven
The role of deubiquitinases in Parkin-mediated mitophagy and Parkinson's disease. KU Leuven
Neuroplasticity in Parkinson's Disease: consolidation of motor learning and its related brain activity changes. KU Leuven
Motor learning in Parkinsons disease: A randomized comparison of dual and single task gait practice. KU Leuven
Compensatory mechanisms for motor control deficits in Parkinson's disease: understanding the relationship between cueing, cognition and underlying brain activity. KU Leuven
Synaptic autophagy: a common culprit in Parkinson's disease KU Leuven
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is without a cure and in its earliest phases, it is characterized by synaptic dysfunction and protein aggregation. However, the underlying mechanisms are elusive. Based on pathogenic mutations causative to familial PD, we have uncovered a process critical for synaptic protein turnover: “synaptic autophagy”. While synaptic autophagy uses some of the core components of classical autophagy, it is fundamentally different, ...
Behavioral and neural markers of developing freezing of gait: An important milestone in the evolution of Parkinson’s disease KU Leuven
Freezing of Gait (FOG) is a debilitating phenomenon, common in advanced Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Developing FOG is a major risk for falls and is associated with higher anxiety and depression and reduced quality of life. The pathophysiology of FOG is poorly understood and prospective studies designed to explore the mechanisms of FOG development are scarce. Furthermore, given the partial response to medication, the role of preventative or ...
The effect of synaptic activity on alpha-synuclein pathogenesis in a model for Parkinson's Disease KU Leuven
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most frequent neurodegenerative movement disorder, affecting about 1% of the population over 60. The increase in life expectancy is estimated to double the prevalence of PD in 20 years, expanding the personal, medical and economic burden. Alpha-synuclein (a-SYN) aggregates are found in the brain of PD patients, but this important hallmark is also present in other neurodegenerative disorders, like multiple ...
Postural instability in people with Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait: behavioral and neural correlates KU Leuven
Postural instability is a key feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD) frequently leading to falls inevitably with devastating consequences. Despite its importance, the neural aspects contributing to this deficit are largely unknown in PD. Therefore, in the current project, we will investigate behavioral as well as neural aspects of postural control in PD. As freezing of gait, defined as an involuntary interruption of walking, is known to be one ...