Characterizing the variability in the output of the human motor cortex: A collaboration of Indo-Finnish expertise in brain research
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) enables one to activate localized spots of the human cortex, which leads to nerve signal propagation within the brain and its periphery. The project Characterizing the Variability in the Output of the Human Motor Cortex will measure TMS-elicited responses in muscles and EEG signals from the brain, to obtain valuable scientific and diagnostic information. By repeated stimulation, this methodology can change the brain for therapeutic purposes.
The project continues the long-standing common interests of the participating institutes in studying the human brain, its responsivity, and developing TMS–EEG paradigms for the therapy of brain disorders. The project is being developed by Professor Risto Ilmoniemi, Head of the Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering at Aalto University, Hanna Renvall, Assistant Professor at Aalto University and Head of the BioMag Laboratory at Helsinki University Hospital, and Dr. Nivethida Thirugnanasambandam, Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.
The collaboration will link the research team's advanced technology and experience with TMS–EEG with the large clinical cohort studies in India. The research team will start by investigating the reasons for the great variability of the motor cortex response to TMS and will further arrange systematic training and learning events for researchers and students. The expected outcome of this collaboration will improve therapeutic planning strategies, diagnostics, and the automation of the mapping of the human cortex and its connectivity.
Characterizing the Variability in the Output of the Human Motor Cortex is seed-funded as part of the India Pilot initiative from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. Aalto is coordinating the India Pilot Network FICORE (Finnish Indian Consortia for Research and Education) which involves 38 higher education institutions from Finland and India.