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Minipigs can help us learn about treating Parkinson’s disease

Associate Professor Anne Landau from Aarhus University is investigating why deep brain stimulation is an effective treatment of Parkinson's disease. The Independent Research Fund Denmark has given a grant of over DKK 2,8 million to the project, which involves minipigs, a new radioactive imaging ligand and advanced scanning techniques.

2020.08.20 | Lise Wendel Eriksen

Associate professor Anne Landau, Department of Clinical Medicine, receives DKK 2,8 million from The Independent Research Fund Denmark for a study on Parkinson's disease and deep brain stimulation. Photo: Michael Winterdahl

 

Why deep brain stimulation has a positive effect on Parkinson’s patients remains a mystery. Evidence suggests that the beneficial effects may be related to formation of new brain connections.

Brain researcher Anne Landau works with a new radioactive imaging ligand which lights up brain synapses in the living brain. It is these synapses that allow brain cells to form connections. Through PET imaging minipigs with Parkinson's disease before and after treatment with deep brain stimulation, she is able to examine the development of new neural networks.

The new method provides insight into which areas of the brain are activated during deep brain stimulation, and has the potential to predict the effect of new treatments for a number of different brain disorders that impact on the number of connections between nerve cells in the brain.

Contact

Associate Professor Anne Landau
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine – Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET and Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit
Mobile: (+45) 5020 9259
Email: alandau@clin.au.dk

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