Faculty member
Prof. Karsten Mueller
Research Interests
My research is aimed at investigating changes of human brain function and brain connectivity using functional MRI (fMRI). In particular, I am interested in longitudinal effects of treatment onto brain function and connectivity in neurodegenerative disease.
Available PhD projects
In a collaboration with the Charles University of Prague and the Clinic of Cognitive Neurology of the University Hospital Leipzig, we currently investigate the effect of levodopa administration with Parkinson's disease patients using resting-state fMRI comparing connectivity measures in the on and the off state of medication. We hope to further enlighten the underlying mechanisms of levodopa treatment and brain connectivity.
Cross-sectional brain slices showing a reduced brain connectivity (eigenvector centrality) in a group of 32 Parkinson's disease patients with levodopa medication (color-coded in orange/yellow, T>2.45). Using eigenvector centrality, major hubs can be detected within a functional network. A reduced eigenvector centrality in the striatum is due to a reduced functional connectivity between striatum and many other brain regions.