We use translational high and ultra-high field MR neuroimaging to understand how cortical microstructure links to human brain function and behavior in health and disease.
We study healthy younger adults, older adults, people with neurodegenerative and neurological diseases, and people with mental disorders to understand the neuronal mechanisms that underlie healthy and pathological cortex architecture and its modification. We focus on the architecture of the sensorimotor system and associated networks, affected for example in ALS, during aging, in MS, in PD, during somatic pain, and in associated conditions.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Esther Kühn
Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH)
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
My group uses and develops novel MR imaging methods to precisely describe functional and structural circuits in the living human brain. We combine 3T, 7T and 9.4T MRI with novel methods of computational modeling to understand and investigate neuronal mechanisms that underlie human brain pathology and human brain plasticity. We use these methods in our basic science projects but also in clinical projects on aging, neurodegeneration and mental health (see below).
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We use a combination of 3T, 7T and 9.4T MRI, behavioral assessments, neurophysiological measurements and automatic tools to better understand human brain aging in health and disease. Our focus is to investigate degenerating sensory and motor brain circuits that play a major role for everyday wellbeing, and are impaired in various neurodegenerative disorders such as motor neuron disease or Parkinson Disease. New and more sensitive imaging and analyses methods aid early diagnosis and help to better understand the underlying neuronal mechanisms, such as neuroinflammation, substance accumulation, or disease spread. This forms the basis for an individualized neuromedicine, where therapeutic interventions are tailored to the individual patient.
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A major challenge for modern neuroscience research is to understand the neuronal mechanisms that underlie mental health. Understanding these mechanisms may allow us to maintain mental health in vulnerable populations, and to stabilize it in situations of disbalance. Body memories have a major influence on our daily behavior and play a particularly important role for processing traumatic experiences. We investigate human body memory in a multimodal approach by using 3T, 7T and 9.4T MRI and also integrate novel tools of virtual reality (VR) to experimentally induce and investigate the complex processes that give rise to human body memories. These insights provide evidence-based information that can be used to inform and develop novel psychosomatic and therapeutic interventions.
More information on associated projects and publications:
