ADAPT-PD stands for ADAptive and Precise Targeting of cortex-basal ganglia circuits in Parkinson´s Disease. This project is a transnational collaboration, directed by Hartwig Siebner at the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Hvidovre. The research program spans from basic studies in experimental models to the clinical evaluation of novel treatment principles. The aim is to identify alterations in network dynamics causing motor and non-motor impairments in Parkinson´s disease (PD) and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. The gained knowledge will serve to develop precise approaches to circuit modulation. Professor Angela Cenci Nilsson will lead all preclinical investigations in rodent models.

Our final goal is to find optimal and precise targets for neuromodulation that are tailored to the needs of different patients.

“Our final goal is to find optimal and precise targets for neuromodulation that are tailored to the needs of different patients. We set the bar high in terms of anchoring potential new treatments to an understanding of what goes wrong in the brain during the evolution of PD. To reach this goal, it is essential to be able to mimic different types of symptoms in rodent models that are accessible to multiple levels of scientific investigation”, explains Angela Cenci Nilsson.

At Lund University, the Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit will conduct advanced behavioral analyses in mouse models. This will be combined with brain-wide and single cell-resolved mapping of neural activity and optogenetic circuit manipulations. The project has just started and a post-doc position is available.