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Investigation of Structural and Functional Changes after Spinal Cord Injury using MRI
The Neuroimaging Group, led by Prof. Patrick Freund, at Balgrist University Hospital is looking for a motivated and skilled master student who wants to perform her/his research project/internship/master’s thesis in the field of clinical neuroscience and neuroimaging of spinal cord injury (SCI).
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating and life-changing event, leading not only to immediate sensory, motor, and autonomic dysfunction below the level of injury, but also to detrimental social and financial consequences resulting in a reduced quality of life. Following SCI, ascending and descending connections between the brain, spinal cord, and periphery are disrupted leading to a disturbance of sensory and motor information transmission as well as a degeneration of affected neurons and tracts.
In the context of a study aiming at identifying changes in functional and structural connections between different brain and spinal cord regions after injury, we will be conducting neuroimaging and electrophysiological experiments in healthy control participants and SCI patients. After SCI and the resulting disruption of spinal-supraspinal connections specific impairments can be observed in daily-life activities or experimental tasks, depending on the injured tracts and neurological deficits.
To quantify changes in activity of functional interactions between specific central nervous system (CNS) regions during experimental tasks/stimuli, we are going to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a motor task performance and/or sensory stimulation. In order to get information about behavioural correlates outside the scanner, healthy control participants and SCI patients will undergo electrophysiological (i.e. transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)) and clinical (i.e. assessment of motor and sensory functions) assessments.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating and life-changing event, leading not only to immediate sensory, motor, and autonomic dysfunction below the level of injury, but also to detrimental social and financial consequences resulting in a reduced quality of life. Following SCI, ascending and descending connections between the brain, spinal cord, and periphery are disrupted leading to a disturbance of sensory and motor information transmission as well as a degeneration of affected neurons and tracts.
In the context of a study aiming at identifying changes in functional and structural connections between different brain and spinal cord regions after injury, we will be conducting neuroimaging and electrophysiological experiments in healthy control participants and SCI patients. After SCI and the resulting disruption of spinal-supraspinal connections specific impairments can be observed in daily-life activities or experimental tasks, depending on the injured tracts and neurological deficits. To quantify changes in activity of functional interactions between specific central nervous system (CNS) regions during experimental tasks/stimuli, we are going to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a motor task performance and/or sensory stimulation. In order to get information about behavioural correlates outside the scanner, healthy control participants and SCI patients will undergo electrophysiological (i.e. transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)) and clinical (i.e. assessment of motor and sensory functions) assessments.
We aim to improve our understanding of injury-induced changes in sensorimotor integration as well as structural and functional coupling of neuronal networks in the brain and spinal cord during motor tasks and sensory stimulation.
The goal of the student will be to help organize and conduct the experiments as well as collecting and analysing the data. The student will be in charge of recruiting and testing healthy control participants and SCI patients. She/he will organize the assessments, assist in the electrophysiological and clinical testing as well as during fMRI scans. The student will analyse behavioural and neuroimaging data with the goal to identify possible relationships and impairments in structural and functional coupling due to the injury.
The candidate who aims to join this project should consider a minimum duration of 6 months (either as a part-time internship or a full-time thesis project). The project will start in February and the exact date can be discussed.
Tasks:
• Recruiting healthy control participants and SCI patients
• Organizing the assessment/testing schedules
• Developing and conducting the behavioural testing
• Assisting during fMRI scans
• Collecting and analysing data
We aim to improve our understanding of injury-induced changes in sensorimotor integration as well as structural and functional coupling of neuronal networks in the brain and spinal cord during motor tasks and sensory stimulation. The goal of the student will be to help organize and conduct the experiments as well as collecting and analysing the data. The student will be in charge of recruiting and testing healthy control participants and SCI patients. She/he will organize the assessments, assist in the electrophysiological and clinical testing as well as during fMRI scans. The student will analyse behavioural and neuroimaging data with the goal to identify possible relationships and impairments in structural and functional coupling due to the injury.
The candidate who aims to join this project should consider a minimum duration of 6 months (either as a part-time internship or a full-time thesis project). The project will start in February and the exact date can be discussed.
Tasks: • Recruiting healthy control participants and SCI patients • Organizing the assessment/testing schedules • Developing and conducting the behavioural testing • Assisting during fMRI scans • Collecting and analysing data
Person specification:
Requirements:
• Student in Biology, Health Sciences and Technology, Psychology, Biomedical Imaging, Neuroscience, Human Movement Sciences, or related fields of study
• Interested in clinical neuroscience, motivated to work with SCI patients
• German speaker, fluent in English speaking and writing
• Obliging and friendly
• Multitasking during patient assessments (small talk but still able to stick to tight schedule)
• Self-organised and independent
• Disciplined, dedicated, and reliable
Better to have:
• Experience in patient communication
• Experience in processing data
• Experience with Matlab or other programming languages
• Good knowledge of statistics and experience with statistical programs
Contact Details:
Please submit a short motivation letter, a CV, and record of your studies to:
MSc Dario Pfyffer
dario.pfyffer@balgrist.ch
Person specification: Requirements: • Student in Biology, Health Sciences and Technology, Psychology, Biomedical Imaging, Neuroscience, Human Movement Sciences, or related fields of study • Interested in clinical neuroscience, motivated to work with SCI patients • German speaker, fluent in English speaking and writing • Obliging and friendly • Multitasking during patient assessments (small talk but still able to stick to tight schedule) • Self-organised and independent • Disciplined, dedicated, and reliable
Better to have: • Experience in patient communication • Experience in processing data • Experience with Matlab or other programming languages • Good knowledge of statistics and experience with statistical programs
Contact Details: Please submit a short motivation letter, a CV, and record of your studies to: MSc Dario Pfyffer dario.pfyffer@balgrist.ch