VIRTUAL BRAIN NETWORK MODELING
Besides empirical data from patients and healthy participants, computer models of brain activity can be of great value for understanding the brain, for example to study causal or multiscale mechanisms.
With our in-house developed software application Brainwave we can simulate disrupted brain network dynamics in Alzheimer, relate cellular pathology to neuronal network dysfunction, and even predict how activity-targeting AD treatment might improve cognition.
With Brainwave, we have simulated AD brain network damage, examined the effect of amyloid-induced hyperexcitability on network connectivity, and are aiming to systematically optimize non-invasive brain stimulation strategies for AD.
Selected Publications
Activity Dependent Degeneration
In a network of neural mass models, coupled according to the human brain connectome, we introduced Activity Dependent Degeneration, a damage algorithm based on activity levels. It reproduces the archetypical AD changes such as oscillatory slowing, disconnection and initial hyperactivity.
Altering neuronal excitability to preserve network connectivity in a computational model of Alzheimer's disease
Besides introducing damage, you can also implement treatment in your model.
THE RELATION BETWEEN AMYLOID, HYPEREXCITABILITY AND SLOWING.
Using a computational brain network model, we link findings from different scales and models and support the hypothesis of early-stage neuronal hyperactivity underlying E/I imbalance and whole-brain network dysfunction in prodromal AD. This includes the well-established oscillatory slowing of EEG!
