Specialization

Neurology

Focus of research

The Department of Neurology performs clinical and translational research within three research themes: infection & inflammation, cerebrovascular disorders, and movement disorders. .The themes are imbedded in the nine translational research programs of Amsterdam Neuroscience, the research institute of neuroscience investigators in the Amsterdam area. All staff members of the Department of Neurology are involved in research and collaborate within Neuroscience Amsterdam, with other academic and non-academic hospitals, and with international research groups.

The research of the movement disorders group focuses on improving treatment, diagnosis, and insight in pathophysiology of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, tremor, myoclonus, and dystonia. The group has a strong clinical research infrastructure to conduct large cohort studies and randomized controlled trials on interventions ranging from medication to botulinum toxin injections and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), aimed at solving burning clinical questions. Advanced neurophysiological measures and analysis techniques, intraoperative microrecording from nuclei situated deeply in the brain, and (functional) MRI are available to answer important diagnostic and pathophysiological research questions. The group is embedded in the neurodegeneration program of Amsterdam Neuroscience.

The research I work on, focuses on clinical neurophysiological aspects of movement disorders and on treatment with botulinum toxin, especially in patients with dystonia and functional movement disorders.  In addition I am involved in research projects on clinical neurophysiological aspects of schizophrenia and on prognostification of outcome after cardiac arrest.