Two new data sets were collected with EEG recordings from healthy participants performing simple decision-making tasks. The first data set was used to obtain a proof-of-principle for the novel modelling approach that combines mathematical models of behaviour with computational models of EEG activity. This revealed that both bottom-up and top-down information flow between cortical regions influences the rate at which evidence is accumulated during the decision process. Results of this study are currently being finalized and prepared for submission to a scientific journal.
The second data set was obtained to further apply the novel modelling approach to other aspects of decision-making, in particular the effect of urgency by imposing a strict deadline on the decision time. This revealed a more rapid build-up of the centroparietal EEG-ERP component when participants were required to respond before an imposed deadline compared to when they could decide freely. The application of the modelling approach to this data is currently still ongoing and expected to be finalized and prepared for submission to a scientific journal within the next year.
A biologically-detailed computational model of cortico-basal ganglia networks was implemented in a commonly used open-source software program. Using this model, we demonstrated that the effect of dopaminergic medication on abnormal neural oscillations in Parkinson’s disease can be explained by wide-spread alterations in coupling strength between regions of the network. This study was published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Using simultaneous recordings from deep brain stimulation electrodes and MEG, we demonstrated that separate functional networks between the cortex and subthalamic nucleus project to different parts of the subthalamic nucleus but with large spatial overlap. This suggests that it might be very difficult to entirely avoid neurocognitive side effects during deep brain stimulation treatment of Parkinson’s disease. This study is currently under review for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
We wrote a comprehensive review on the anatomy and functional organization of the subthalamic nucleus, the primary target for implantation of deep brain stimulation electrodes for treatment of Parkinson’s disease. This knowledge is important for unravelling the role of the subthalamic nucleus in controlling limbic, cognitive, and motor functions, and for understanding whether these functions can be seen as clearly independent of one another. The review was published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Throughout the timeline of the Fellowship, project plans and results have been communicated to other researchers at international conferences (Cosyne 2019, HBM 2019), institutional seminars (Amsterdam, Moscow), and lab meetings (Amsterdam, London, Shanghai). In addition, two book chapters were written for a lay audience on the principles behind EEG and neural oscillations in motor control and decision-making.
