Research Projects

Abstract This project will develop a novel infrared-based neuro-stimulation tool for specifically modulating neural circuitry. Transcranial infrared brain stimulation (TIBS) at 1064 nm will be developed as a new tool for non- invasive neuromodulation of the human brain. TIBS with low-power density (mW/cm2) and high-energy density (J/cm2) monochromatic laser is safe and can potentially modulate human brain function in a non-thermal manner.

Project Abstract Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) methods, principally transcranial direct current simulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) are neuromodulation techniques that have been the subject of great recent interest. In typical tDCS procedures a pair of large electrodes (e.g., 25cm2) is attached to the scalp and a constant current of 1-2 mA passed between them for periods of 10-30 min. In tACS, the constant current intensity is similar, but an alternating sinusoidal waveform is usually employed.

Project Summary/Abstract The effective sharing of data requires the development and broad adoption of standards for the organization of data and metadata. Within the field of neuroimaging, there is an emerging standard for data/metadata organization, the Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS), which is currently implemented for MRI and is under development for PET and MEG.

Project Summary The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative promotes the development and application of technologies to describe the temporal and spatial dynamics of cell types and neural circuits in the brain.

PROJECT SUMMARY Advancements in the field of microscopy and imaging have pushed the boundaries of what was once thought possible in many fields of research. New techniques coupled with the application of new technologies allows researchers to probe further and with greater accuracy to answer increasingly complex questions. While these new techniques allow for far greater specificity of observation and increased sensitivity in regard to both resolution and frequency, the amount of data generated is increasing to a point where conventional systems are unable to manage it.

Project Abstract Advances in imaging have had a profound effect on our ability to generate high-resolution measurements of the brain’s structure. One of the major hurdles in processing modern neuroimaging datasets designed to produce large-scale maps of the connections and the organization of the brain lies in the sheer size of these data. For instance, electron microscopic (EM) images of a cubic millimeter of cortex occupies roughly 3 PBon disk, and lower resolution emerging X-ray microtomography (XRM) data can exceed 10 TB for a single mouse brain.

Project Summary (Abstract) The goal of this application is to develop, test, and disseminate multi-context (command line, desktop, server, and web applications) software for robust and reproducible neuroscience image analysis from data across mul- tiple scales (two photon microscopy, mesoscale Ca2+ optical imaging, small animal fMRI, and human fMRI) and species (mice, rats, and humans). In particular, we will provide tools for computation and visualization of con- nectomes (connectivity matrices) for such image data sets that will include both modality specific preprocessing (e.g.

The past decade has seen major advances in the tools available to neuroscientists, making it possible to ask increasingly specific questions regarding which neurons and circuits are correlated with, necessary for, and sufficient for, specific behavioral or computational functions. Advancements in our understanding of neural computation and how it leads to complex behavior critically depend on accurate measurements of coordinated neural activities in behaving animals.

PROJECT SUMMARY In our work with patients with neurological disorders, we often encounter patients and families who are afraid. They are afraid that due to their neurodegenerative disorder or potential treatment, such as neurosurgery, they will cease to exist – they will no longer be who they “are”. Clinicians typically refer to this construct as personality or characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

PROJECT SUMMARY Adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) systems can record neural activity and adjust stimulation in real time. These systems have emerged as a promising alternative to address significant limitations in conventional open-loop DBS treatment of neuropsychiatric and movement disorders.