30th International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology (ICCN) of the IFCN
Berlin, Germany – May 19 to 23, 2014 Dr. Bikson will present the working draft of a consensus paper by leader in animal researched on tDCS mechanisms.
Dr. Bikson will also address the Gottingen neuromodulation course on May 18, 2014.
Special lecture on “Enhancing Brain Function with tDCS” featuring two prominent researchers in the field: Andy McKinley, Ph.D. of the Air Force Research Laboratory & Michael Weisend from Wright State Research Institute.
Dr. McKinley’s work was recently featured in the Boston Globe: Pentagon considers using electricity to stimulate troops’ brains and Dr. Weisand recently presented at TEDx: Rewiring your brain
The lecture will be in Steinman Hall room 560 tomorrow, Tuesday March 4 at 2:30 PM.
12:00 pm Brownbag, Sub 1, room 3B: “Basic principles and practices of tDCS”
Clin Neurophysiol. 2013 Oct 28. pii: S1388-2457(13)01106-1. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2013.10.003.
Polarizing cerebellar neurons with transcranial Direct Current Stimulation.
Rahman A, Toshev PK, Bikson M.
Full PDF: ClinicalNeurophys2014_CerebellartDCS
Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Colloquium
February 28, 2014
Gyorgy Buzsaki
New York University
“Oscillations organize cell assemblies”
A.L. Manuel, A.W. David, M. Bikson, A. Schnider.
Neuroscience 265 (2014) 21-27
Abstract: Orbitofrontal reality filtering denotes a memory control mechanism necessary to keep thought and behavior in phase with reality. Its failure induces reality confusion as evident in confabulation and disorientation. In the present study, we explored the influence of orbitofrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on reality filtering. Twenty healthy human subjects made a reality filtering task, while receiving cathodal, anodal, or sham stimulation over the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in three sessions separated by at least 1 week. Computational models predicted that this montage can produce polarity-specific current flow across the posterior medial OFC. In agreement with our hypothesis, we found that cathodal tDCS over the frontal pole specifically impaired reality filtering in comparison to anodal and sham stimulation. This study shows that reality filtering, an orbitofrontal function, can be modulated with tDCS.
Journal Link Full PDF: tDCS_Manuel_Bikson_2004_frontalrealityfiltering PubMed Link
Effective Jan 1, 2014, Dr. Marom Bikson will serve as Deputy Editor for Technology and Modeling for Brain Stimulation Journal.
Brain Stimulation aims to be the premier journal for publication of original research in the field of neuromodulation. The new position for Technology and Modeling will focus on highlighting innovations in brain stimulation technology, clinical trial design, regulations and standards, and translational modeling.
Thanks for your interest in participating in a paid study!
Please email neuro@ccny.cuny.edu with your name and age and we will get back to you about current opportunities!
Position NE7.1: A full-time post-doctoral position in brain slice neurophysiology is available in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The City College of New York of The City University of New York. The position involves studies focused on the cellular mechanisms of non-invasive neuromodulation, such as transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). Despite being the fastest growing and most promising new therapy for neuropsychiatric disorders, rehabilitation, and neuro-enhancement (healthy individuals), fundamental questions remain about the mechanisms of tDCS. The applicant will have the opportunity to work with leaders in characterizing the cellular effects of stimulation using brain slice studies and modeling, and moreover to interact with a broad range of engineers and clinicians with the goals of translating insights to new technologies and applications. Further information on the Neural Engineering Group at CCNY can be found here http://neuralengr.org.
We are seeking candidates that are highly creative, motivated, and independent with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, or a related field. Candidates must have a strong research background in brain slice electrophysiology, with a record of relevant publications. Experience with patch-clamp and/or calcium imaging in brain slice is required.
Candidates will be encouraged and expected to participate in independent laboratory research, and will be expected to write scholarly manuscripts. Candidates must be able to lead and work well in a team. Candidates must have excellent spoken and written English skills. Opportunities for career development (e.g. grant writing, mentoring, teaching) are strongly supported.
Applicants should submit a brief statement of research activities and interests (one paragraph), a current CV, and names and contact information of references. With a two-year contract, salary will be commensurate with experience and accomplishments as part of an overall research effort supported by the DoD, NIH, and NSF. To arrange a meeting with the PI and to send materials required for consideration for this appointment please contact Dr. Marom Bikson at: bikson@ccny.cuny.edu
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Position NE7.2: A full time Biomedical Electronics Design Engineer at the staff engineer or post-doctoral level
Job Description: Excellent opportunity in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The City College of New York for an Electronics Design Engineer experienced in digital and analog circuits. The Electronics Design Engineer will primarily design new medical instrumentation focused on non-invasive optical sensing. This opportunity will allow you to contribute in all aspects of medical device design and development aimed at developing new therapies including new medical devices used in cancer treatment surgery. The selected candidate will have the opportunity to interact with world-class physicians and surgeons and benefit from direct mentorship by clinicians. This is an opportunity where you will need to apply your engineering skills in a dynamic and challenging environment with the goal of improving cancer treatment with next generation medical technologies.
Job Duties:
Develop technical design inputs in concert with clinical users and development team
Lead all research and development efforts in electronic improvements and next generation devices
Guide and oversee mechanical design efforts of all projects
Develop engineering test protocols for device verification
Maintain excellent documentation of all progress on projects and test reports
Lead engineering development team to meet timelines and ensure quality deliverables
Skills/Qualifications:
BS or equivalent in Electrical Engineering or Biomedical Engineering (with electrical engineering specialization).
PhD with emphasis on instrumentation and/or 4 year work experience in electronics design is required.
Experience with biomedical device design and optics/medical optics, are ideal but not required.
Extensive experience with MCU programming, electric circuit design, and electronics a must. Applicants must be highly motivated, self starters with excellent written and oral communication skills. Applicants should exhibit high level leadership qualities and have the capacity to lead multi-disciplinary teams. Experience with grant writing is a plus.
This is a unique opportunity to work with a highly translational project where your engineering skills will have an immediate impact. This position is through an academic institution but entrepreneurship opportunities are available for capable and motivated candidates. Opportunities for publication and academic career development are also available for interested candidates. Send resumes to Marom Bikson bikson@ccny.cuny.edu
(Left to right): Marom Bikson, Ole Seibt, Dennis Truong, Belen Lafon, Robin Azzam, Peter Toshev
Fall 2013 Seminar Series Department of Biomedical Engineering
Wednesday, December 18 @ 3 PM in Steinman Hall ST-402
Human Thalamocortical Dynamics: From Mechanisms to Meaning Via Computational Neural Modeling
Stephanie R. Jones, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor Department of Neuroscience Brown University
Low frequency neocortical rhythms are among the most prominent activity measured in human brain imaging signals such as electro- and magneto- encephalography (EEG/MEG). Elucidating the role that these dynamics play in perception, cognition and action is a key challenge of modern neuroscience. We have recently combined human brain imaging and computational neural modeling to explore the functional relevance and mechanistic underpinnings of rhythms in primary somatosensory cortex, containing Alpha (7-14Hz) and Beta (15-29Hz) components. In this talk, I will review our findings showing this rhythm impacts tactile detection, changes with healthy aging and practice, and is modulated with attention. Constrained by the human imaging data, our biophysically principled computational modeling work has led to a novel prediction on the origin of this rhythm predicting that it emerges from the combination of two stochastic ~10 Hz thalamic drives to the granular/infragranular and supragranular cortical layers. Relative Alpha/Beta expression depends on the strength and delay between the thalamic drives. This model is able to accurately reproduce numerous key features of the human rhythm and proposes a specific mechanistic link between the Beta component of the rhythm and sensory perception. Further, initial electrophysiological recordings in rodents support out hypotheses and suggest a role for pallidal thalamus in coordinating Beta rhythmicity, with relevance to understanding disrupted Beta in Parkinson’s Disease.
Wednesday, December 18 @ 3 PM in Steinman ST-402
Title: Empowering Implantable Devices
Prof. N. Sertac Artan, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Date: Monday, December 16 Location: T-623, Conference Room (Electrical Engineering), Steinman Hall – Time: 1:00 PM
From pacemakers to responsive neurostimulators, implantable devices offer vital treatment options. As new therapies are developed, the need for more capable implantable devices, running sophisticated algorithms in real-time, and generating large amounts of data traffic, grows. The severe power and space constraints impose significant challenges to the development of such devices, which should avoid tissue heating, frequent surgery for battery replacement, or high bandwidth requirements. These constraints lead to trade-offs in monitoring and treatment options. As complex engineering systems, the medical implants often require the interaction between various subsystems. An algorithm for extracting necessary information dictates the minimum requirements for the sensors and signal processing path to ensure the quality and integrity of the acquired physiological signals, as well as the bandwidth requirements of an optional telemetry subsystem. In return, the capabilities of the sensors and the signal processing path along with the tight power and space requirements dictate the features and limit the accuracy of these algorithms. Independent optimization of these subsystems neglecting their intricate interactions usually prevents these systems to fulfill their full potential. My research goal is to design next generation safe and highly-capable implantable devices focusing on cross subsystem optimization spanning from circuits and algorithms to networking based on characteristics of the specific target application. Currently, I am working on developing implantable devices for epilepsy in particular and for neurological diseases in general. In this talk, I will give some examples of our recent work on low-power VLSI circuits and epileptic seizure monitoring algorithms for embedded systems targeting implantable applications.
We are honored to be on the cover of the very special issue of Neuroimage focused on “Neuro-enhancement.”
The introduction by editors Vince Clark and Raja Parasuraman is here
Our paper in this issue on fMRI imaging of tDCS effects post-mortem is here: Antal_Bikson_2013
“Too good to be true? tDCS applications in cognitive performance, neurology, and psychiatry.”
Friday Dec 13, 2013, 1:30-2:30pm, NIL Conference Room #2311, East Building (4525 Scott Avenue)
“Presenting the second lecture in a series of three on the topic of trans-cranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), organized by Dr. Jeffrey Zacks, and funded by the McDonnell CSN. Guest Lecturer, Marom Bikson, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The City College of New York of CUNY. Prof. Bikson graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering (EE Concentration), received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, and completed his Post-Doctoral research in the Neurophysiology Unit at the University of Birmingham Medical School. Professor Bikson’s research group studies the effects of electricity on the human body and applies this knowledge toward the development of medical devices and electrical safety guidelines.”
ANCP 52nd Annual Meeting (Hollywood Florida)
Integrative Track – Panel Session 4: At the Crossroads of Physics, Physiology, and Psychiatry: Rational Design of Noninvasive Neuromodulation Therapies
12/10/2013 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM Room: Atlantic Ballroom 2
Sarah Lisanby, M.D. Duke University Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
Zafiris J. Daskalakis, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto
Marom Bikson, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, New York
Angel V. Peterchev, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University
Flavio Frohlich, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Bruce Luber, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
A rational approach to dosing is crucial to the clinical optimization of approved (TMS, dTMS) and investigational (tDCS, tACS, novel forms of ECT/MST) noninvasive neuromodulation therapies. Brain stimulation ‘dose’ is multifactorial, encompassing spatial components of the stimulus field distribution in the brain, and temporal components of the pulse waveform and train dynamics. The development of novel flexible stimulation devices has increased the complexity of optimizing dosage. This panel will show how computational modeling, physiology, and in vivo preparations can be applied to systematically study the parameter space and derive basic dose/response relationships. Results point to rational approaches for dose individualization using noninvasive biomarkers, modeling, and/or structural and functional imaging . Dr. Bikson will present methods to focus tDCS using electrode arrays (High-Definition tDCS) and by integrating tDCS with cognitive therapy. Dr. Peterchev will address how recent device and modeling developments enable optimization of the stimulus dose, and how to rationally individualize dose, using examples from modeling and preclinical studies. Dr. Frohlich will show how the integration of electrophysiological and computational approaches can address the fundamental question of how brain stimulation affects the dynamics of large-scale neuronal networks. In particular, he will show how resonance enables the targeted enhancement of cortical oscillations that mediate cognitive function. Dr. Luber will introduce the concept of covariance-modeled fMRI to individualize TMS coil placement, including a series of studies employing this personalized approach to enhance working memory. Dr. Daskalakis will discuss the relevance of these approaches to the clinical application of noninvasive neuromodulation therapies, and remaining questions to advance this burgeoning field.
Simpleware provides world-leading software solutions for the conversion of 3D images (as obtained from MRI, CT, Micro-CT for example) into high quality Finite Element, CAD and Rapid Prototyping models. The Neural Engineering Lab has pioneered the process of resolution modeling of TDCS and Simpleware features this here
The causal role of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in human episodic memory
Marco Sandrini, NINDS-NIH
Episodic memory is a neurocognitive (brain/mind) system that enables human beings to remember past experiences. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown the involvement of dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC) in this type of memory. In this talk, I will provide Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation evidence that this brain region plays a causal role in episodic memory. In a series of studies I will show findings showing the contribution of left DLPFC to encoding and of right DLPC to retrieval. Finally I will show a recent study about reconsolidation, showing that right DLPFC plays a critical role in strengthening of episodic memory. I will conclude indicating future studies in this research field and the possibility to use reconsolidation as an new opportunity to modify existing episodic memories, an issue of critical clinical impact.
Time / Location
Dec. 4, 12:15 P.M., MR/801
Peter Toshev (NYCneuromodulation director) and Marom Bikson (conference chair). Many more details coming soon at http://nycneuromodulation.com/
ElMindA & Soterix (Collaboration) one of ten international finalists!
About one third of the world’s population suffers from acute or chronic pain with the effects of pain exact a tremendous cost on health systems and impose emotional and financial burden on patients. Diagnostic and clinical management of pain still heavily rely on clinical symptoms and patient’s subjective reporting while the common treatment for pain is not based on personally customized pain relief. This project (based on a multi-national collaboration including CCNY, Soterix, Elminda, and Harvard Medical) aims to develop a closed loop pain treatment platform, with the goal of offering a focused, specific and personalized approach for the effective treatment of pain.
Marom Bikson (CCNY) and Ronen Gadot (Elminda)
This week we have two neural engineering talks at CCNY:
Elissa Aminoff, Carnegie Mellon University
Tuesday Oct 22, Talk at 1pm-2PM, NAC 6/141 “Intrinsic associative processing in scene perception”
Dennis Sparta, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Wednesday Oct 23, Talk at 3pm-4pm, Steinman 402. “Dissecting the Neural Circuits that Mediate Motivated Behavior.”