Projects

Investigating the neuroanatomic organization of skilled action function in brain tumor patients before and after neurosurgery

Functional MRI and neuropsychological testing is administered before and after tumor resection in persons who are receiving clinical care in the Department of Neurosurgery. The scientific goal of this program is to test hypotheses of the functional connectivity among brain regions mediating tool manipulation knowledge. We are interested in understanding if the degree to which functional connectivity is bilaterally represented is predictive of post-operative tool use function. This research is supported by the Program for Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Connectome-based lesion-symptom mapping of tool use deficits in stroke survivors

Acquired brain lesions due to ischemic stroke can disrupt structural connectivity non-local to the site of injury. The goal of this research project is to use multivariate lesion-symptom mapping techniques to investigate the relation between connectome-wide structural disconnectivity and impairment in tool-directed action. Longitudinal testing within the acute and chronic phases of stroke recovery permits hypothesis testing to determine the structural disconnectivity associated with recovery of motor function and tool use ability in stroke survivors.

Integrating functional MRI with electrocorticography in persons undergoing long-term epilepsy monitoring

We measure intracranial recordings from persons with epilepsy undergoing invasive brain monitoring as part of their clinical care to test the directionality of functional connectivity among brain regions supporting tool use. Current research tests models of top-down and bottom-up feedback mechanisms to determine whether inputs from temporal or frontal lobe structures supports the retrieval of manipulation knowledge within the left parietal lobe.