A5089325353- EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Traumatic Brain Injury Research
- Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurovascular Disturbances
- Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
- Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques
- Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Muscle activation and electromyography studies
- Neurological disorders and treatments
- Vestibular and auditory disorders
- Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
- Epilepsy research and treatment
- Free Will and Agency
- Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Neurological Disorders and Treatments
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Sleep and related disorders
- Neuroscience, Education and Cognitive Function
- Action Observation and Synchronization
- Deception detection and forensic psychology
Massachusetts General Hospital
2021-2025
Center for Neuro-Oncology
2021-2025
Harvard University
2021-2025
Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging
2024
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
2024
University of Milan
2014-2023
Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation
2023
Luigi Sacco Hospital
2014-2022
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Milano
2014
Mylan (Switzerland)
2013
Validating objective, brain-based indices of consciousness in behaviorally unresponsive patients represents a challenge due to the impossibility obtaining independent evidence through subjective reports. Here we address this problem by first validating promising metric consciousness-the Perturbational Complexity Index (PCI)-in benchmark population who could confirm presence or absence reports, and then applying same index with disorders (DOCs).The encompassed 150 healthy controls...
During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep (stage N3), when consciousness fades, cortico-cortical interactions are impaired while neurons still active and reactive. Why is this? We compared evoked-potentials recorded during wakefulness NREM by means of time-frequency analysis phase-locking measures in 8 epileptic patients undergoing intra-cerebral stimulations/recordings for clinical evaluation. observed that, electrical stimulation triggers a chain deterministic phase-locked activations its...
Coupling transcranial magnetic stimulation with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) allows recording the EEG response to a direct, non-invasive cortical perturbation. However, obtaining genuine TMS-evoked potential requires controlling for several confounds, among which main source is represented by auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) associated TMS discharge noise (TMS click). This contaminating factor can be in principle prevented playing masking through earphones.Here we release Adaptable...
Abstract Historically, clinical evaluation of unresponsive patients following brain injury has relied principally on serial behavioral examination to search for emerging signs consciousness and track recovery. Advances in neuroimaging electrophysiologic techniques now enable clinicians peer into residual functions even the absence overt signs. These advances have expanded clinicians’ ability sub-stratify behaviorally seemingly unaware by querying classifying covert activity made evident...
We normally assess another individual’s level of consciousness based on her or his ability to interact with the surrounding environment and communicate. Usually, if we observe purposeful behavior, appropriate responses sensory inputs, and, above all, answers questions, can be reasonably sure that person is conscious. However, know entirely within brain, even in absence any interaction external world; this happens almost every night, while dream. Yet, day, lack an objective, dependable...
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) can excite both cortico-cortical and cortico-spinal axons resulting in TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) motor-evoked (MEPs), respectively. Despite this remarkable difference with other cortical areas, influence output its amplitude on TEPs is largely unknown. Here we studied from M1 assessed whether their waveform spectral features depend MEP amplitude. To aim, performed two separate experiments. In experiment 1,...
Abstract Unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) patients may retain intact portions of the thalamocortical system that are spontaneously active and reactive to sensory stimuli but fail engage in complex causal interactions, resulting loss consciousness. Here, we show brain complexity after severe injuries is due a pathological tendency cortical circuits fall into silence (OFF-period) upon receiving an input, behavior typically observed during sleep. Spectral phase domain analysis EEG...
Abstract The functional consequences of focal brain injury are thought to be contingent on neuronal alterations extending beyond the area structural damage. This phenomenon, also known as diaschisis, has clinical and metabolic correlates but lacks a clear electrophysiological counterpart, except for long-standing evidence relative EEG slowing over injured hemisphere. Here, we aim at testing whether this is linked pathological intrusion sleep-like cortical dynamics within an awake brain. We...
Abstract Neurophysiological markers can overcome the limitations of behavioural assessments Disorders Consciousness (DoC). EEG alpha power emerged as a promising marker for DoC, although long-standing literature reported being sustained during anesthetic-induced unconsciousness, and reduced dreaming hallucinations. We hypothesized that suppression caused by severe anoxia could explain this conflict. Accordingly, we split DoC patients (n = 87) in postanoxic non-postanoxic cohorts. Alpha was...
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has significant short-term antidepressant effects on drug-resistant patients with severe major depression. Animal studies have demonstrated that electroconvulsive seizures produce potentiation-like synaptic remodeling in both sub-cortical and frontal cortical circuits. However, the electrophysiological of ECT human brain are not known. In this work, we evaluated whether induces a measurable change excitability circuits humans. Electroencephalographic (EEG)...
Abstract The analysis of spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) is a cornerstone in the assessment patients with disorders consciousness (DoC). Although preserved EEG patterns are highly suggestive even unresponsive patients, moderately or severely abnormal difficult to interpret. Indeed, growing evidence shows that can be present despite either large delta reduced alpha activity EEG. Quantifying complexity responses direct cortical perturbations (perturbational index [PCI]) may complement...
Background It is still unclear which biological changes are needed to recover from a major depressive episode. Current perspectives focus on cortical synaptic neuroplasticity. Measures of responses evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) change with sleep homeostasic pressure in humans and approximate measures strength animal models. Using repeated total deprivation as model antidepressant treatment, we aimed correlate recovery depression these excitability. Methods We recorded...
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) now promises to improve diagnostic and prognostic accuracy for patients with disorders of consciousness, accordingly has been endorsed by professional society guidelines, including those the American Academy Neurology, College Rehabilitation Medicine, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, Research, European Neurology. Despite multiple endorsements fMRI in evaluating consciousness following severe brain injury, insurers have yet...
Abstract Objective Determine whether acute behavioral, electroencephalography (EEG), and functional MRI (fMRI) biomarkers of consciousness are associated with outcome after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods Patients TBI admitted consecutively to the intensive care unit (ICU) participated in a multimodal battery assessing behavioral level (Coma Recovery Scale-Revised [CRS-R]), cognitive motor dissociation (CMD; task-based EEG fMRI), covert cortical processing (CCP; stimulus-based...
Abstract To enhance mechanistic understanding of effective connectivity in the human brain, we created a tool that links high-temporal resolution transcranial magnetic stimulation electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) with high-spatial diffusion MRI. This tool, Surface to Tractography Real-time EEG Activation Mapping 4 Dimensions (STREAM-4D), integrates electrophysiologic source estimation models from TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) structural MRI tractography. In proof-of-principle application,...
Abstract Human studies employing intracerebral and transcranial perturbations suggest that the input-output properties of cortical circuits are dramatically affected during sleep in healthy subjects as well awake patients with multifocal focal brain injury. In all these conditions, react to direct stimulation an initial activation followed by suppression activity (Off-period) disrupts build-up sustained causal interactions typically observed wakefulness. The transition this stereotypical...