Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

A clear link between the activity in nerve clusters in the brain and the amount of force generated in a physical action has been demonstrated by our researchers, opening the way for the development of better devices to assist paralysed patients.

None © Shutterstock

Coordinated patterns of electrical activity in the basal ganglia – clusters of nerve cells in the brain – were shown to predict how much force is generated in the voluntary physical actions they help control, such as making a fist or raising a leg.

Working with patients who were receiving deep brain stimulation - a surgical procedure used to treat some neurological symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as tremors or rigidity – the researchers found a link between the electrical fields generated in the nerve clusters of the basal ganglia and the gripping force the patient produced. The findings could help to explain what goes wrong in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

Read more on the University of Oxford website...

 

 

Similar stories

European Platform for Neurodegenerative Diseases launches repository of cohorts for researchers

The new Cohort Catalogue will facilitate discovery of over 60 neurodegeneration research cohorts from 17 countries across Europe

Two NDCN students join BNA Scholars Programme

The British Neuroscience Association Scholars Programme was launched in 2021 with a view to improving equality, diversity and inclusion in neuroscience.

Researchers win UK Dementia Research Institute Grand Challenge Award to identify early signs of Alzheimer's

The MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit has received funding for a multi-year research partnership designed to advance the understanding of early changes to the operations of brain circuits in Alzheimer's disease.

Ophthalmology Conference in Kyiv

On 21 February, Robert MacLaren organised a one-day ophthalmology conference in Kyiv together with Dr Andrii Ruban, President of the Ukrainian Vitreoretinal Society.

Ashmolean turns red for World Encephalitis Day

Our researchers are tackling the devastating brain condition encephalitis.

Bioelectronic implant offers an intelligent therapy to treat incontinence

The first participants in a clinical trial of a bioelectrical therapy to treat incontinence have received their 'smart' bioelectronic implants.