{"id":2847,"date":"2024-09-04T13:38:17","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T13:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=2847"},"modified":"2024-09-04T13:38:17","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T13:38:17","slug":"brain-on-the-move-studying-the-brain-in-motion-offers-new-insights-into-parkinsons-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2847\/brain-on-the-move-studying-the-brain-in-motion-offers-new-insights-into-parkinsons-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Brain on the move \u2013 studying the brain in motion offers new insights into Parkinson\u2019s disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

A breakthrough in medical imaging is making it possible for EU-funded researchers to observe brain activity during movement and pick up the early signs of disorders that affect brain-to-body coordination, such as Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

By<\/em> Andrew Dunne<\/p>\n

EU-funded researchers are advancing new technology that allows them to monitor brain activity as the patient moves. Their work should pave the way for early detection of Parkinson\u2019s disease and other neurological disorders affecting millions worldwide.<\/p>\n

Until recently, it was impossible to observe what is happening in the brain during movement. Standard brain scans require patients to lie down and be stationary, which limits scientists\u2019 ability to understand how the brain processes and reacts to everyday situations.<\/p>\n

But thanks to the collaborative work of researchers in\u00a0TwinBrain<\/a>, a 3-year EU-funded research initiative coordinated by Slovenian scientists, the technology that makes this possible has been extended to cover new regions of the brain and new functionalities.<\/p>\n

We multitask constantly, almost without thinking. Just imagine going to the supermarket. You navigate the aisles in search of the items on your shopping list, while keeping an eye out for the latest bargains and trying not to run into fellow shoppers.<\/p>\n

EU researchers are now studying such everyday activities in the hope of finding vital clues for detecting and treating serious neurological diseases.<\/p>\n

\u2018This situation might seem like a very simple one for young and healthy people, but it\u2019s one that also requires powerful multitasking from the brain,\u2019 said Dr Uro\u0161 Maru\u0161i\u010d, senior research associate at the Science and Research Centre in Koper, Slovenia, and head of the newly inaugurated Slovenian Mobile Brain\/Body Imaging Lab \u2013 SloMoBIL.<\/p>\n

Understanding muscle \u2013 brain crosstalk<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maru\u0161i\u010d led the TwinBrain research which\u00a0has been\u00a0investigating brain and movement dynamics in a way never studied before.<\/p>\n

The initiative, which concluded in January this year, brought together researchers from the Technical University of Berlin in Germany, the University of Trieste in Italy and the University of Geneva in Switzerland in a collaborative effort that broke new ground in the diagnosis and treatment of complex neurological conditions that affect movement.<\/p>\n

This includes Parkinson\u2019s disease, the progressive neurological condition that affects more than 8 million people around the world.<\/p>\n

As we age, our neural resources are depleted, increasing so-called cognitive motor interference, meaning we can no longer multitask in the same way.\u00a0This interferes with what Maru\u0161i\u010d calls \u2018muscle-brain crosstalk\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018In early-stage Parkinson\u2019s, behind the scenes, the brain is compensating for balance and movement deficiencies,\u2019 said Maru\u0161i\u010d, who is also an associate professor of kinesiology at the Alma Mater Europaea University in Maribor, Slovenia. \u2018This can lead to a person tripping or falling.\u2019<\/p>\n

The researchers have advanced a technology called mobile brain\/body imaging (MoBI) that allows them to monitor brain and body movement simultaneously. Their work will make it possible to spot tell-tale signs of neurological issues and start treatments earlier.<\/p>\n

MoBI is being studied in detail at the Berlin Brain\/Body Imaging Lab (BEMoBIL) at the Technical University of Berlin. Thanks to TwinBrain, this technology was transferred from Germany to Slovenia and further upgraded with input from neurologists and researchers from Italy and Switzerland.<\/p>\n

\u2018We see that once you challenge participants with an additional cognitive task \u2013 for example, a question while they are balancing \u2013 they try to activate additional neural resources, but they can\u2019t always process everything,\u2019 said Maru\u0161i\u010d.<\/p>\n

Mind in motion<\/strong><\/p>\n

The MoBI technology combines\u00a0electroencephalogram (EEG) technology, a test that measures electrical activity in the brain, with electromyography (EMG) which measures muscle response or electrical activity in response to a nerve\u2019s stimulation of the muscle. It also uses motion capture technology.<\/p>\n

\u2018We can now measure what is going on in the brain while you are walking, running, or doing other types of physical or mental activity,\u2019 said Maru\u0161i\u010d.<\/p>\n

Maru\u0161i\u010d describes this as one of the biggest achievements of the research so far, but it has also created an enormous big data challenge. Fifty-seven participants have taken part in testing since MoBI was rolled out in Slovenia in 2021.<\/p>\n

For each second of activity, hundreds of readings were taken, resulting in millions of data points. These are now being synchronised and analysed using AI and a supercomputer, a process that is already yielding exciting results.<\/p>\n

Paolo Manganotti, a professor of neurology\u00a0at the University of Trieste, was involved in the recruitment and testing of volunteers for the TwinBrain study.\u00a0He found that participants were very willing to take part to help improve outcomes not only for themselves, but also for future patients.<\/p>\n

\u2018TwinBrain offers groundbreaking insights for clinical practice. By integrating the latest technology, we can revolutionise the diagnosis and monitoring of Parkinson\u2019s disease within a few years, increasing patient satisfaction and their quality of life,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Personalised healthcare\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The next step for Maru\u0161i\u010d is to simplify and optimise the technology through follow-on research in the\u00a0TBrainBoost<\/a> project, also funded by the EU and based at\u00a0SloMoBIL, in Slovenia. This time with new research partners from\u00a0Belgium, Germany, Malta and Slovenia.<\/p>\n

This will allow for the development of new MoBI technology-based products for wider clinical use benefitting patients with neurological disorders. It also consolidates SloMoBIL\u2019s role as a regional centre of excellence for research in this field.<\/p>\n

Longer term, Maru\u0161i\u010d hopes this will lead to better and earlier treatment for Parkinson\u2019s and other neurological disorders and more personalised healthcare.<\/p>\n

\u2018I want patients to be able to come to one place to address all issues at the same time. Personalised centres offering diagnostics and treatments tailored to your needs \u2013 one place that does it all,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Research in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. <\/em><\/p>\n

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