Brain Structure and Function

While performing functional neurosurgery, we have a tremendous opportunity to also interrogate various brain networks to answer fundamental research questions about brain function. Previously I was involved in interrogating the brain stem networks controlling voasomotor response and the effect of anesthetic agents in the motor basal ganglia circuits. More recently we are investigating multisensory integration in subcortical structures using microelectrode recordings. In a separate line of investigation, we are also studying the imaging correlates of brain health performance.

Relevant references –

  1. Patel, S., Krishna, V., Nicholas, J., Welzig, C. M., & Vera, C. (2012). Preliminary observations on the vasomotor responses to electrical stimulation of the ventrolateral surface of the human medulla. J Neurosurg, 117(1), 150-155. doi:10.3171/2012.3.JNS11973
  2. Krishna, V., Elias, G., Sammartino, F., Basha, D., King, N. K., Fasano, A., . . . Hutchison, W. D. (2015). The effect of dexmedetomidine on the firing properties of STN neurons in Parkinson’s disease. E J Neuroscience, 42(4), 2070-2077. doi:10.1111/ejn.13004
  3. Venkatraghavan, L., Rakhman, E., Krishna, V., Sammartino, F., Manninen, P., & Hutchison, W. (2015). The Effect of General Anesthesia on the Microelectrode Recordings From Pallidal Neurons in Patients With Dystonia. J Neurosurg Anes. doi:10.1097/ANA.0000000000000200
  4. Krishna, V., Andrews, H., Varma, A., Mintzer, J., Kindy, M. S., & Guest, J. (2014). Spinal cord injury: how can we improve the classification and quantification of its severity and prognosis? J Neurotrauma, 31(3), 215-227. doi:10.1089/neu.2013.2982