Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2009

Mentor: Timea Hodics, M.D.
Department: Neurology
Room number: CS5.418
Mail Code: 8897
Phone number: 214 648-4826
E-mail: Timea.Hodics@UTSouthwestern.edu
Project title:

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 082008-053

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Project Type patient-based research

Brief Description of Project: TDCS Enhanced Stroke Recovery and Cortical Reorganization
Purpose:

Primary: To test the hypothesis that transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applied in combination with standard rehabilitative training (RT), will enhance motor recovery in stroke patients relative to placebo and RT

Secondary: To evaluate if functional recovery is associated with changes in cortical excitability in the ipsilesional primary motor cortex (M1) and dorsal pre-motor cortex.

We will apply functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) techniques to determine the extent of changes in neural responses and functional shift in cortical representations/reorganization as a result of the proposed intervention strategies.

The student will participate in all aspects of the research, including patient evaluations functional MRI and TMS testing with supervision and instruction. He will collect and analyze the clinical and imaging data, will participate in publication.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

Shivanshu Madan, NIH Summer Research Program 2008
Publication:
Localization of the Dorsal Lateral Premotor Cortex Via Nexstim and Transcranial
Magnetic Stimulation (poster at the NIH Summer research program Poster day, 2008)

Karim Jabbar UTSW student volunteer 2009-2010
Publication:
Anodal dorsal premotor cortex (PMD) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may alter motor function in chronic subcortical stroke patients- Preliminary results (poster accepted for Society for Neurosciences 2010)