Neuromodulation: Simulating and stimulating movement

Dr. Verbaarschot is one of several UT Southwestern faculty members focused on neuromodulation therapies. Her work integrates cognitive neuroscience, artificial intelligence (AI), and biotechnology to study the mechanisms of touch and movement. In a clinical trial, she will work with neurosurgery colleagues to employ small brain implants to record and stimulate brain signals. By studying and manipulating intracortical brain stimulation, Dr. Verbaarschot’s research could one day lead to the restoration of sensation and mobility to people living with paralysis.

Nader Pouratian, M.D., Ph.D., Chair and Professor of Neurological Surgery at UTSW, is also one of the leading minds exploring neuromodulation. He is currently co-leading a multidisciplinary team that was awarded a multimillion-dollar grant to develop therapies for diseases that affect the cerebellum, such as ataxia and movement disorders. The first phase of the research will use advanced brain-mapping techniques to define the best targets for brain stimulation for cerebellar disease, he said.

Along with Dr. Pouratian, Bhavya Shah, M.D., Associate Professor of Radiology and Neurosurgery, is pushing the boundaries of treatment for neurological and psychiatric diseases with a technique called high-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU. This image-guided therapy uses powerful ultrasound beams to pinpoint and ablate areas in the brain that are related to tremors and related movement disorders.