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Neuroimaging study to examine brain plasticity following spinal cord injury
We are conducting a neuroimaging experiment aimed at identifying how the brain changes following a tetraplegic spinal cord injury. We are looking for a student to join the project for at least 6 months as a thesis project (or a combined internship and thesis).
Keywords: brain, plasticity, patient, spinal cord injury, somatosensory, tactile, neuroimaging, fmri, mri, behaviour, thesis, internship, data processing, data analysis, body representation
Following spinal cord injury, the brain is deprived of a major source of sensory input. This is thought to lead to extensive reorganisation in brain areas containing detailed map-like body representations (e.g. the primary somatosensory cortex), such that neighbouring body-part representations ‘invade’ the area deprived of input and/or output. This assumption of drastic reorganisation has been highly influential both in the neuroscientific literature and the clinic. However, using a novel experimental approach in arm amputees, it was recently demonstrated that the functional representation of the missing hand is preserved even decades after amputation. In the current project, we aim to understand these seemingly contradictory processes in further detail. We will combine functional MRI with behavioural and clinical testing to understand which determinants allow sensory representations in S1 to be maintained and which determinants drive reorganisation following sensory input loss.
Tasks Create a testing schedule Administer clinical and behavioural tests Provide assistance with MRI testing Data organisation and analysis
Your Profile Requirements Student in Health Sciences and Technology, Psychology, Biomedical Imaging, Neuroscience, Human Movement Sciences, Biology, Computer Science, or related fields of study (Swiss-)German speaker, fluent in English speaking and writing self-organised and independent Critical thinker and investigative disciplined reliable friendly and warm personality (able to make chit-chat, while sticking to a tight testing schedule)
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 SPSS or RStat already living in Zurich
Following spinal cord injury, the brain is deprived of a major source of sensory input. This is thought to lead to extensive reorganisation in brain areas containing detailed map-like body representations (e.g. the primary somatosensory cortex), such that neighbouring body-part representations ‘invade’ the area deprived of input and/or output. This assumption of drastic reorganisation has been highly influential both in the neuroscientific literature and the clinic. However, using a novel experimental approach in arm amputees, it was recently demonstrated that the functional representation of the missing hand is preserved even decades after amputation. In the current project, we aim to understand these seemingly contradictory processes in further detail. We will combine functional MRI with behavioural and clinical testing to understand which determinants allow sensory representations in S1 to be maintained and which determinants drive reorganisation following sensory input loss.
Tasks Create a testing schedule Administer clinical and behavioural tests Provide assistance with MRI testing Data organisation and analysis
Your Profile Requirements Student in Health Sciences and Technology, Psychology, Biomedical Imaging, Neuroscience, Human Movement Sciences, Biology, Computer Science, or related fields of study (Swiss-)German speaker, fluent in English speaking and writing self-organised and independent Critical thinker and investigative disciplined reliable friendly and warm personality (able to make chit-chat, while sticking to a tight testing schedule)
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 SPSS or RStat already living in Zurich
The student will be in charge of testing patients and healthy control participants. The student will make the testing schedule and organise further aspects associated with the testing. The student will further assist with the fMRI assessments. The student will analyse behavioural and clinical tests with the ultimate goal to relate this to brain measurements. Since this project requires extensive training, we are only able to consider students who aim to join this project for a minimum duration of 6 months as a thesis project (or a combined internship+thesis). Priority will be given to students who can join the project for longer periods of time. This position will start in December/January, the exact date can be discussed.
The student will be in charge of testing patients and healthy control participants. The student will make the testing schedule and organise further aspects associated with the testing. The student will further assist with the fMRI assessments. The student will analyse behavioural and clinical tests with the ultimate goal to relate this to brain measurements. Since this project requires extensive training, we are only able to consider students who aim to join this project for a minimum duration of 6 months as a thesis project (or a combined internship+thesis). Priority will be given to students who can join the project for longer periods of time. This position will start in December/January, the exact date can be discussed.
Please submit a short motivation letter, a CV and record of your studies to: Dr. Sanne Kikkert Neural Control of Movement Lab, NCM Lab ETH Zürich Sanne.kikkert@hest.ethz.ch
Please submit a short motivation letter, a CV and record of your studies to: Dr. Sanne Kikkert Neural Control of Movement Lab, NCM Lab ETH Zürich Sanne.kikkert@hest.ethz.ch