Keywords
Functional Magnetic Resonance; Functional Neuroimaging; Gyrus Cinguli; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neurosciences; Nucleus Accumbens; Prefrontal Cortex; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Research group(s)
- MR Physics
Research Area: MR Physics research group is perusing basic methodological research in the area of the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and spectroscopy.
Members: - Brain Stimulation
Head: Martin Tik
Research Area: Martin Tik and his team specialize in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) combined with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore and modulate brain function. Their research discovered neural circuits involved in affective disorders, particularly depression. They utilize innovative approaches that integrate chronometric TMS with brain imaging. Collaborating with leading international institutions (Stanford, Toronto, Hongkong) they advance personalized brain stimulation therapy.
Members: - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Head: Martin Tik
Research Area: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive method that uses magnetic pulses to induce activation in targeted brain regions. TMS has a vast parameter space, and optimizing these settings is crucial for effective treatment. Dr. Tik is a global pioneer in using neuroimaging, particularly functional MRI, and interleaved TMS-fMRI to refine TMS parameters. His work advances precision medicine by tailoring brain stimulation to individual patients, ensuring the most effective outcome.
Members:
Research interests
Combining Brain Stimulation with Brain Imaging
My main research focus is online concurrent TMS/fMRI. Different state of the art setups allow me to employ a systematic multi-modal investigation on local and remote TMS evoked brain activity changes, as measured by fMRI, to evaluate efficacy of existing stimulation paradigms and allow for optimisation of stimulation and imaging parameters.
Precision medicine approach to brainstimulation
Repetitive TMS over the left DLPFC has further shown potential in the treatment of depression but many patients do not respond to current state-of-the-science applications. Based on a neuronavigated concurrent TMS/fMRI setup, we demonstrate clinical target engagement during brain stimulation. This allows to set individualized parameters (such as dose, frequency) and monitor successful stimulation.
Visit http://www.martintik.at for recent updates.
Techniques, methods & infrastructure
TMS allows for systematic modulation of the excitability of well-defined brain regions, this method is particularly suited to investigate and establish causal relationships between the modulation of neuronal activity and following changes in cerebral function and overt behavior.
Simultanous fMRI using inhouse developed hardware and imaging sequences allows to obtain fMRI data from the site of stimulation with unprecedented sensitivity.
Grants
- Zielregionen für Transkranielle Magnetstimulation (TMS) (2020)
Source of Funding: FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency), Talente
Principal Investigator - Research Innovation and Sustainable Pan-European Network in Peripartum Depression Disorder (2019)
Source of Funding: EU, COST Action 18138
Coordinator of the collaborative project - Treatment system that is easy to handle and tailored on patient’s needs (2018)
Source of Funding: life-science-success, Janssen Special Award
Principal Investigator
Selected publications
- Grosshagauer, S. et al. (2024) ‘Chronometric TMS-fMRI of personalized left dorsolateral prefrontal target reveals state-dependency of subgenual anterior cingulate cortex effects’, Molecular Psychiatry (2024). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02535-3.
- Vasileiadi, M. et al. (2023) ‘Functional connectivity explains how neuronavigated TMS of posterior temporal subregions differentially affect language processing’, Brain Stimulation, 16(4), pp. 1062–1071. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2023.06.014.
- Tik, M. et al. (2017) ‘Towards understanding rTMS mechanism of action: Stimulation of the DLPFC causes network-specific increase in functional connectivity’, NeuroImage, 162, pp. 289–296. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.09.022.
- Tik, M. et al. (2023) ‘Concurrent TMS/fMRI reveals individual DLPFC dose-response pattern’, NeuroImage, 282, p. 120394. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120394.
- Chang, K.-Y. et al. (2024) ‘Neural response during prefrontal theta burst stimulation: Interleaved TMS-fMRI of full iTBS protocols’, NeuroImage, 291, p. 120596. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120596.