Leonardo Cohen, MD
Entry Id: TP-45

Also see http://intra.ninds.nih.gov and http://intra.ninds.nih.gov/Lab.asp?Org_ID=71

The goal of our activity is to understand the mechanisms underlying plastic changes in the human central nervous system and develop novel therapeutic approaches for recovery of function based on these advances. Most of our work has focused in plasticity of the human motor system. More recently, we became interested in the study of plastic changes across sensory modalities (blindness). We have studied plastic changes in patients with lesions in the central nervous system like hemispherectomy, stroke, and spinal cord injury and in the peripheral nervous system like amputations. In healthy volunteers, we studied plastic changes associated with transient deafferentation.

The main technique employed is transcranial magnetic stimulation. In this respect we are interested in the development of this technique as a tool to help us to understand mechanisms of human plasticity and to modulate plastic changes in humans. A multimodality approach is applied to the understanding of mechanisms of plasticity including PET scanning, fMRI, MEG and EEG when appropriate. Our research protocols are focused in the evaluation of patients with stroke, amputations, and blindness and to the study of plasticity in healthy volunteers (see NIH Clinical Center home page).

Our work in the last few years has focused on the assessment of plastic changes in human motor function after a variety of interventions and injuries. We have advanced in the understanding of the mechanisms, time-profile and site where plasticity takes place after a variety of disorders. Our future goals are to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying plasticity of function in humans and its functional relevance. On the basis of these mechanisms, we are starting to design and test interventions to improve motor disability after human diseases, for example stroke.

Structure of the Clinical Training Program
This is a two-year fellowship designed for someone planning a career in academic neurology with a focus on the clinical neurophysiology and neuroimaging of recovery of function after stroke and other cortical injuries. Additional features of this program include the development of Clinical expertise in diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders. Trainees will develop expertise in at least one branch of clinical neurophysiology (for example transcranial magnetic stimulation) or neuroimaging (functional MRI or PET). Research will focus on the physiology and pathophysiology of recovery of function after injury including mastering the technique of transcranial magnetic stimulation, EEG analysis or functional neuroimaging. By the end of the first year, an original research protocol should be written that would be executed in the second year. Fellows are expected to attend the weekly journal club and the weekly section meeting where they are exposed to the different protocols and techniques utilized in the section. They are also expected to attend the meetings of the NIH integrative neuroscience interest group. Written evaluation of performance will be at 6 month intervals. Fellows should take the Clinical Center Course in Clinical Research in their first year. At least one additional course should be taken in biostatistics. Fellows attend the Branch's outpatient clinic each Monday afternoon which focuses on movement disorders and also the Stroke Neurorehabilitation Clinic.

• Perez M, Tanaka S, Wise S, Sadato N, Tanabe HC, Willingham DT and LG Cohen. (InPress) Neural substrates underlying intermanual transfer of a newly acquired motor skill, Current Biology.
• Duque J, Mazzocchio R, Stefan K, Hummel F, Olivier F and LG Cohen. (InPress) Memory formation in the motor cortex ipsilateral to a training hand, Cerebral Cortex. Full Text/Abstract
• Perez M, Wise SP, Willingham DT and LG Cohen (2007) Neurophyisological mechanisms involved in transfer of procedural knowledge, Journal of Neuroscience 27, 1045-53. Full Text/Abstract
• Stefan K, Cohen LG, Duque J, Mazzocchio R, Celnik P, Sawaki P, Ungerleider L and J Classen (2005) Formation of a motor memory by action observation, Journal of Neuroscience 25, 9339-9346. Full Text/Abstract
• Hummel F, Celnik P, Giraux P, Floel A, Wu W-H, Gerloff C and LG Cohen (2005) Effects of noninvasive cortical stimulation on skilled motor function in chronic stroke, Brain 128, 490-499. Full Text/Abstract
• Amedi A, Floel A, Knetch S, Zohary E and LG Cohen (2004) Transcranial magnetic stimulation of the occipital pole interferes with verbal processing in blind subjects, Nature Neuroscience 7, 1266-1270. Full Text/Abstract
• Werhahn KJ, Mortensen J, VanBoven RW, Zeuner KE and LG Cohen. (2002) Enhanced tactile spatial perception and cortical processing during acute hand deafferentation , Nature Neuroscience 5, 936-8. Full Text/Abstract
• Sadato, N., Campbell, G., Ibañez, V., Deiber, M.-P., and Hallett, M.: Complexity affects regional cerebral blood flow change during sequential finger movements

Completed program 1998:

Babak Boroojerdi, M.D.	Department of Neurology, University of Aachen, Germany
George Wittenberg, M.D.	Department of Neurology, Bowman Gray Medical School
Fortunatto Battaglia, M.D.	Department of Neurology, University of Sardinia, Italy
Ulf Ziemann, M.D., Ph.D.	Department of Neurology ,University of Frankfurt, Germany
Cathrin Buetefisch, M.D.	Department of Neurology, University of Cologne, Germany
Robert Chen, M.D.	Department of Neurology, University of Toronto, Canada
Joseph Classen, M.D.	Department of Neurology, University of Rostock, Germany
Christian Gerloff, M.D.	Department of Neurology, University of Tuebingen, Germany
Pablo Celnik, M.D.	Department of Rehab, FLENI, Univ of Bs As, Argentina
Joaquim Liepert, M.D.	Department of Neurology, University of Jena, Germany
Joaquim Brasil-Neto, M.D.	Department of Neurology, University of Brasilia, Brazil
Angel Cammarotta, M.D.	Department of Neurology, FLENI, Univ of Bs As, Argentina
Reginald Cole, M.D.	Neurologist in private practice, Howard University, Washington,DC
Peter Fuhr, M.D.	Department of Neurology, University of Bern, Switzerland
Helge Topka, M.D.	Department of Neurology, University of Tuebingen, Germany
Stephania Bandinelli, M.D.	Department of Geriatrics, University of Florence, Italy

Qualified candidates should have finished neurology residency training. Additional training in clinical neurophysiology or neuroimaging would be valuable. Appointment can be in the Civil Service or the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service. Initial appointment is for two years.

Past predoctoral trainees: 
                                               
Jennifer Mortensen, Medical Student - 2000-2001                              
University of Iowa sponsored stipend                   
Present position: Medical School, University of Iowa                             
                                               
Heidi Schambra, Medical Student under CRTP program - 2001-2002
BS, 1997, Brown University, Providence, RI
MD, 2003, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA                   
Neurology Residency, Harvard University - Partners, Boston, MA                      
Present position: NINDS Intramural NRSA in Dr Cohen's lab                   
 
Gianpiero Liuzzi - 2002
B.S., 2002, University of Witten/Herdecke
Special Volunteer
 
Wolf Ivens - 2002
B.S., 2002, University of Witten/Herdecke
Special Volunteer
 
Tomoko Kitago - 2002-2003
B.S., 1998, Princeton University
Special Volunteer
 
Christian Gingert - 2003
B.S., 2002, University of Witten
Special Volunteer
 
Ulrike Nagorsen - 2003
M.S., 2002, Technical University of Berlin
Guest Researcher
                                               
Andrew Dorsch, Medical student under Howard Hughes program - 2003-2004
MD. Emory University, Atlanta, GA                        
Present position: Neurology Resident, UCLA, CA   
 
Markus Bahnemann - 2004
Diploma, 1999, German-American John F. Kennedy School
Special Volunteer
               
Thomas Reinhold - 2005
B.S., 2000, University Friedrich Schiller
Guest Researcher
               
Prateek Gandiga, Medical Student under CRTP program - 2004-2005              
Present position: Internal Medicine resident, Wash U, St Louis              
 
Aaron Baughman - 2005
B.S., 2002, Georgia Institute of Technology
Special Volunteer
                                               
Cornelia Weber, PhD student funded by DFG, Germany - 2005-2006                              
Present position: PhD program, Univ of Tuebingen, Germany                                
                                               
Tyler Ard, Predoctoral student - 2007                       
Present position: IRTA NIMH/NINDS MEG lab                           
                                                
                                               
Present predoctoral trainees:
                                               
Ethan Buch - 2005-present                         
NIH-Oxford University PhD program (GPP)                            
Co-Supervisors: Leonardo G. Cohen and Matthew Rushworth                            
                                               
Valeria Petkova - 2008-present                         
NIH-Karolinska PhD program (GPP)                                        
Co-supervisors: Leonardo G. Cohen and Henrik Ehrsson     
 
Leonor Romero - 2007-Present
M.S., 2004, University of Milan
 
Leslie Shupenko - 2007-present
M.S., University of California
                                
                                                               
Past postdoctoral trainees:              
                                                               
Christian Gerloff, M.D. - 1995-1997
MD, University of Tuebingen, Germany                                 
Chairman, Department of Neurology, University of Hamburg, Germany 
 
Joaquim Liepert, M.D. - 1997                                       
MD, University of Essen, Germany                                        
Present position:                                    
Consultant Neurologist, Chief, Department of Neurorehabilitation, University of Allensbach, Germany
 
Robert Chen, M.D. - 1996-1998              
MD, University of Toronto, Canada                        
Present position: Associate Professor of Neurology and Catherine Manson Chair. University of Toronto, Canada
                                                                                                    
Ulf Ziemann, M.D. - 1997-1999              
MD, University of Gottingen, Germany                   
Present position:Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Frankfurt, Germany                    
                                               
Cathrin Buetefisch, M.D. - 1997-1999              
MD, University of Köln, Germany                           
Present position: Associate Professor of Neurology, University of West Virginia, USA     
R01 funded (PI)                     
 
Fortunatto Battaglia, M.D. - 1998- 1999             
MD, University of Messina, Italy                             
Present position: Assistant Professor of Physiology, Columbia University, NY                    
 
George Wittenberg, M.D. - 1998-2000              
MD, Harvard Medical Shool                    
Present position: Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Maryland, USA             
NIH funded (PI)
 
Babak Boroojerdi, M.D. - 1998-2000              
MD, University of Essen, Germany                        
Present position: Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Aachen, Germany                       
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