Neurophysiology and Clinical Neuroimaging (NCN) Research Group
Research
Research in my laboratory uses a multimodal approach to explore neuronal network activity in health and disease. Specifically, we employ a range of techniques from human neuroimaging, such as magnetoencephalography (MEG), to animal electrophysiology to understand the role of neuronal network phenomena such as oscillations in cognitive and behavioural processes. This integrated approach is used alongside electrical stimulation (TMS/direct) and pharmacological manipulation, to probe the mechanisms of spontaneous and functional oscillations in healthy and disease states. The current focus of my laboratory is the role of sensorimotor cortex oscillations, with a particular interest in ‘pathological oscillations’ in disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke and pain.
The work in my laboratory has a translational focus, which uses reciprocal communication between human and animal studies, to progress our understanding of the comparable nature of network phenomena by using the most appropriate tool to answer each specific question. The collaborative environment of the Aston Brain Centre (ABC) and funding from the Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing (ARCHA) supports this programme of work. In addition, projects and equipment within my laboratory are supported by funding from the RCUK, BBSRC, Parkinson’s UK and The Royal Society.
Selected Publications
Papers
Mcallister, CJ., Ronnqvist. KC., Woodhall, GL., Stanford. IM., Furlong, PL. & Hall, SD. (2013). Oscillatory Beta Activity Mediates Neuroplastic Effects of Motor Cortex Stimulation in Humans. Journal of Neuroscience (in press)
Ronnqvist KC., McAllister CJ., Woodhall GL., Stanford., & Hall SD. (2013). A multimodal perspective on the composition of cortical oscillations. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (in press).
Yamawaki, N., Magill, PJ., Woodhall, GL., Hall, SD., & Stanford, IM. (2012). Frequency selectivity and dopamine dependence of plasticity at cortico-subthalamic synapses. Neuroscience. 17; 203:1-11.
Pirttimaki, T., Hall, SD. & Parri, HR. (2011) Sustained neuronal activity generated by glial plasticity. Journal of Neuroscience. 31(21):7637-47
Hall, SD., Stanford, IM., Yamawaki, N, McAllister, CJ., Rönnqvist, KC., Woodhall, GL. & Furlong, PL. (2011) The role of GABAergic modulation in motor function related neuronal network activity. NeuroImage. 56(3):1506-10.
Worthen, SF., Furlong, PL., Hall, SD., Aziz,Q and Hobson, AR. (2011) Primary and secondary somatosensory cortex responses to anticipation and pain: a magnetoencephalography study. European Journal of Neuroscience. 33(5):946-59.
Hall, SD., Yamawaki, N., Fisher, A.E., Clauss, R.P., Woodhall, G.L., & Stanford, I.M. (2010) Desynchronisation of pathological low-frequency brain activity by the hypnotic drug zolpidem. Clinical Neurophysiology. 121(4):549-55.
Hall, SD., Barnes, G.R., Furlong, P.L., Seri, S. and Hillebrand, A. (2010) Pharmaco-MEG: a novel method for determining the spatiotemporal changes in oscillatory activity during drug uptake; application to the GABAergic modulator diazepam. Human Brain Mapping. 31(4):581-94.
Yamawaki, N., Hall, SD., Stanford, IM & Woodhall, GL. (2008). Pharmacologically induced and stimulus evoked rhythmic neuronal oscillatory activity in the primary motor cortex (M1) in vitro. Neuroscience. 151(2): 386-95
Hall, SD., Holliday, IE., Hillebrand, A., Singh, KD., Furlong, PL., Hadjipapas, A. & Barnes, GR. (2005). The Missing Link: analogous human and primate cortical gamma oscillations. Neuroimage, 26(1):13-17.
Brookes, M., Gibson, A., Hall, SD,. Furlong, PL., Barnes, GR., Hillebrand, A., Francis, S. & Morris, P. (2005). GLM-beamformer method demonstrates stationary field, alpha ERD and gamma ERS co-localisation with fMRI BOLD response in visual cortex. NeuroImage, 26(1):302-8.
Hall, SD., Holliday, IE., Barnes, GR., Singh, KD., Furlong, PL. & Hillebrand, A. (2005). Distinct contrast response functions in striate and extra-striate regions of visual cortex. Clinical Neurophysiology, 116, 1716-1722.
Hall, SD., Barnes, GR., Hillebrand, A., Furlong, PL., Singh, KD. & Holliday, IE. (2004). Spatio-temporal imaging of cortical oscillatory desynchronisation in migraine visual aura: an MEG case study. Headache, 44, 204-208.
Brookes, M., Gibson, A., Hall, SD,. Furlong, PL., Barnes, GR., Hillebrand, A., Francis, S., & Morris, P. (2004). A general linear model for MEG beamformer imaging. Neuroimage, 23(3):936-46.
Book Chapters
Hall, SD & Adjamian P (2006). The chemistry of cognition. In: Methods in Mind, Senior C, Russel T and Gazzaniga MS (Eds.). Publ. MIT Press, Cambridge, USA.
Funding
2011. Parkinson’s UK. Project Grant – Zolpidem-sensitive beta-frequency neocortical neuronal network oscillations in Parkinson's: Diagnostic, biomarker and treatment. £177,578 (Stanford IM, Woodhall GL, Hall SD).
2009. BBSRC. Project Grant – Investigating the electrophysiological and pharmacological basis of neuronal network function in sensorimotor cortex. £322,601 (Hall SD).
2008. The Royal Society. Equipment Grant – Investigation into the underlying mechanisms of pharmacologically induced cortical oscillations measured in magnetoencephalography (MEG) using in vitro electrophysiology. £15,000. (Hall SD).
2007: Regen Therapeutics Ltd. Pilot project funding – Investigation into the therapeutic mechanisms of the sedative hypnotic zolpidem in the treatment of brain injury patients. £18,000. (Hall SD, Woodhall GL, Stanford IM)
2007. The Dr Hadwen Trust. Phd Studentship – Investigating the neurophysiological basis of pain using Magnetoencephalography (MEG). £25,000. (Furlong PL, Barnes GR, Hillebrand A, Hall SD).
Research Group
PhD Students
2007 - 2010. Holly Rossiter. Dr Hadwen Trust. PhD (Co-supervision with Prof Furlong)
2009 - 2013. Kim Ronnqvist. ARCHA. PhD
2011 - 2014. Jennifer Garaghty. ARCHA PhD (Co-supervision with Drs Holland, Rochelle and Prof Furlong)
Postdocs
2009 - 2013. Craig McAllister. BBSRC Postdoc.
2011 - 2014. Emma Prokic. Parkinson’s UK Postdoc (Collaborative project with Drs Woodhall and Stanford)
Main University navigation links
