Below you can find our current projects:
(click for more details)
(Maud Beeckmans/
Joana Frieske)
(Shanti Van Malderen)
(Sara Magalhães Ferreira)
(Kia Puustinen)
(Robin Heemels/
Jitske Vandersmissen/
Melina Hehl)
(Svitlana Blashchuk)
(Katrien Noelmans)
Local and global network interactions in the aging brain and their effect on motor performance.
Dra. Maud Beeckmans, Dra. Joana Frieske
PI Team: Prof. Dr. Koen Cuypers, Prof. Dr. Raf Meesen, Prof. Dr. Stephan Swinnen, Prof. Dr. Stefan Sunaert
Normal aging is associated with a decline in motor functions, impacting quality of life and the ability to live independently. These functional changes are partly caused by age-related changes in the brain. However, it remains unclear how age-related changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity affect motor performance. Here, we study how age-related alterations in structural and functional brain interactions may account for deficits in motor behavior. On the one hand, we focus on the interaction between dedicated brain areas constituting the motor network involved in movement control. These interactions will be investigated within as well as across both hemispheres of the brain. On the other hand, we adopt a more global perspective by looking into age-related changes in the interactions among the different resting-state networks to arrive at a measure of neural dedifferentiation. Finally, we embark on training-induced neuroplasticity in the aging brain and study (a) which structural and functional brain measures predict future learning and (b) how both behavioral and brain measures are altered as a result of learning. This research project requires deployment of a combination of noninvasive brain stimulation and multimodal imaging techniques. We aim at contributing to the fundamental motor neuroscience of aging and to a body of knowledge that may inspire future training programs that alleviate or counteract functional decline with advancing age.
Age-related changes in cerebellar inhibition and its consequences for motor control.
Dra. Shanti Van Malderen
PI Team: Prof. Dr. Koen Cuypers, Prof. Dr. Stephan Swinnen
Aging is characterized by structural, functional and biochemical alterations of the brain, often accompanied by substantial impairments in motor function and learning. Cerebellar (CB) integrity is a substantial predictor of motor function in older adults. To date, the cerebellum received only limited attention. Therefore, this project aims to identify (1) the relation between CB neurometabolite (GABA & GSH) levels and age-related decline in bimanual motor coordination, (2) whether age-related deterioration in bimanual coordination is associated with impairments in CB-cortical connectivity and, (3) the association between age-related declines in motor skill learning ability and GABA modulation. Healthy right-handed young (n=30, 20-40 years) and older (n=30, 60-80 years) adults will be recruited, of which all of the participants of both groups will undergo an MRI scan (±105 min) during which they will perform a complex bimanual coordination task (BTT). Neurobiological aspects related to motor performance and learning will be investigated using multimodal imaging techniques. We aim to contribute to the fundamental knowledge regarding the neurophysiology of the aging brain and to a body of knowledge that may inspire future training programs that can alleviate or counteract the functional decline with advancing age.
Functional and structural connectivity alterations in Mild Cognitive Impairment, and their effect on motor performance.
Dra. Sara Magalhães Ferreira
PI Team: Prof. Dr. Koen Cuypers, Prof. Dr. Joke Spildooren
Mild Cognitive Impairment is the preclinical transitional state between normal cognitive impairment and dementia. This condition affects both cognitive and motor functions, impacting the individuals’ health and quality of life, as well as their capability of living independently. Despite accumulating evidence about functional and structural connectivity alterations in MCI and their impact on cognitive functions, there is still little understanding of their association with motor function. Therefore, I will study how alterations in structural and functional brain interactions may account for deficits in motor behavior, in individuals with MCI. On one hand, I will focus on the interaction between dedicated brain areas constituting the motor network involved in movement control. These interactions will be investigated within as well as across both hemispheres of the brain. On the other hand, I will adopt a more global perspective by looking into age-related changes in the interactions among the different resting-state networks to arrive at a measure of neural dedifferentiation. Finally, I will embark on training-induced neuroplasticity in the aging brain and study (a) which structural and functional brain measures predict future learning and (b) how both behavioral and brain measures are altered as a result of learning. This research project requires the deployment of a combination of multimodal imaging techniques. I aim at contributing to the fundamental motor neuroscience of aging and neurodegenerative diseases and to a body of knowledge that may inspire future training programs that alleviate or counteract the functional decline experienced by older adults with MCI.
Unravelling the association between insulin sensitivity and brain metabolites in prediabetic individuals, and exploring the therapeutic impact of exercise as an early intervention.
Dra. Kia Puustinen
PI Team: Prof. Dr. Koen Cuypers, Prof. Dr. Kenneth Verboven
Insulin resistance (IR) has been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and recently Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is strikingly prevalent, even among young and lean individuals who are typically not considered at risk, making it a serious public health issue. Since the related pathologies are all linked to altered neurometabolism, early warning signs could already be observable in the prediabetic state. Because research on IR and brain metabolites is currently scarce and methodologically heterogeneous, the aim of the proposed project is to explore this relationship between the peripheral and central metabolic profiles. An age- and gender-stratified lifespan sample (N=64) will undergo blood sampling to measure their IR, as well as magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure the full spectra of neurometabolites at a 3T magnetic field. Potential moderators of the relationship will be inserted into the multivariate regression analysis, to approximate how much variance can be explained by factors like body composition and physical fitness. Moreover, once the phenotype of IR associated with an unfavourable brain metabolic profile has been identified, these criteria will be used to recruit another sample (N=25) that will undergo a 12-week high-intensity interval training intervention, to test whether the peripheral and central metabolic profiles can be improved. Taken together, this would generate vital data and tools for the early detection and treatment of IR.
Effect of exerciSe intervention on brAIN function, pathological processes and structure in type 2 diabeTes (SAINT project).
Dra. Robin Heemels, Dra. Jitske Vandersmissen
Dr. Melina Hehl
PI Team: Prof. Dr. Koen Cuypers, Prof. Dr. Dominique Hansen, Prof. Dr. Stefan Sunaert, Prof. Dr. Ilse Dewachter
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is still strongly on the rise, with an estimated current worldwide prevalence of around 12%. Next to the well-known cardiovascular complications, T2DM also affects brain function, structure and metabolism. For example, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is prevalent in around 45% of all T2DM patients, and T2DM is causally related to the development of unspecified or vascular dementia. Recent studies reported significant unfavorable changes in the brain of T2DM patients, such as a decreased regional gray matter volume, and altered intrinsic activity mainly in the default mode network. Additionally, there is evidence that the brain’s neurometabolites and blood-brain barrier permeability change dramatically during the development of T2DM, suggesting disturbances in metabolism, neurotransmission and lipid membrane metabolism. Hence, T2DM patients are at high risk for significant brain complications. Studies have shown that greater physical activity (PA) levels relate to better cognitive function in T2DM and that exercise intervention could positively affect the brain and cognitive function in T2DM. It is also known that PA is associated with larger brain volumes (less brain atrophy) specifically in brain regions vulnerable to dementia (hippocampus, temporal, and frontal regions), and functional MRI shows greater task-relevant activity in brain areas recruited in executive function and memory tasks. What remains to be established is which type of exercise would offer the greatest protection against the worsening in brain structure, integrity, and neurometabolites even in healthy people, let alone in T2DM.
Testing the compensation versus dedifferentiation theories of cognitive aging by modulating excitability
in the motor cortex using motor learning
and non-invasive brain stimulation (tDCS).
Dra. Svitlana Blashchuk
PI: Prof. Dr. Koen Cuypers
Neural hyperactivation is a well-documented phenomenon in aging, characterized by recruitment of additional brain regions during motor tasks. However, the functional implications of this hyperactivation remain unclear, with competing compensation and dedifferentiation theories offering conflicting interpretations. This study aims to elucidate the role of motor cortical hyperactivation in aging by employing a novel multimodal approach combining high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging (MRSI). The research will investigate how modulating cortical excitability in hyperactive brain regions affects motor performance, brain activation patterns, and neurotransmitter levels in older adults.
The HuNT project: A Human Neuroimaging study investigating somatic Tinnitus mechanisms.
Dra. Katrien Noelmans
PI Team: Prof. Dr. Sarah Michiels, Prof. Dr. Annick Gilles,
Prof. Dr. Koen Cuypers, Prof. Dr. Ben Jeurissen
Tinnitus is a highly prevalent disorder affecting 10 to 15% of adults. It has a high socioeconomic burden, because it affects patients’ quality of life, is associated with depression, reduced productivity at work and sleeping difficulties. Many different risk factors for the development of tinnitus have been described, such as hearing loss. In about 25% of patients, tinnitus is influenced by neck or jaw related muscle tension or limitations in joint movement, then called somatic tinnitus (ST). Animal research has proposed that ST originates from brainstem connections between the areas that collect information from the neck and jaw and hearing related areas. One brain imaging study has shown that these connections also exist in humans. This, however, does not explain why some patients with tinnitus experience changes in their tinnitus when they are having neck pain while others don’t. This is why we aim to use a unique multimodal medical imaging approach with the ultimate goal to identify how function, structure and neurochemistry of key nodes (somatosensory and auditory) in the brain are related to ST. By comparing the results of a group of patients with ST to patients with other types of tinnitus and patients with neck pain without tinnitus, we aim to better identify the mechanisms of ST. This will give us the tools to improve future assessment and treatment strategies for patients with tinnitus.
BRAINS-lab 