OxCIN Global Scholars + WIP

Role of the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit in parkinsonian tremor modulation.

Presented by Ivonne Elizabeth Cruz Varela

Parkinsonian tremor is one of the most common motor manifestations of Parkinson’s disease (PD), but its characteristics vary among patients. Recent studies suggest that the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuit plays a key role in modulating tremor, which may explain the differences seen in tremor phenotypes. In this talk, we will review the methods used to study the CTC circuit through diffusion MRI, highlight the challenges of managing movement in PD patients and studying the brain by hemispheres, and present preliminary results on structural differences between tremor phenotypes.

Antidepressant mechanisms of sleep treatment: A randomised controlled trial examining the impact of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia on brain function.

Presented by Islay Campbell

Abstract: There is a relationship between sleep abnormalities and psychiatric disorders and it has been proposed that functional neural networks underpin this association. Depression and insomnia often co-occur and there is evidence that treating insomnia with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an indirect way of reducing depression symptoms. However, the mechanism changes underlying the improvement in depression symptoms when treating insomnia with CBT-I is not well understood. The present study aims to investigate the extent to which CBT-I modifies functional neural networks, to better understand the mechanistic changes that underly sleep restoration and reduction in depressive symptoms following CBT-I.