Pathophysiology and Neuromodulation
of Thalamocortical Systems

Didier Pinault, PhD, HDR, A/Prof
INSERM, université de Strasbourg, faculté de médecine
Strasbourg, France
pinault@unistra.fr
United Kingdom


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Our research falls into the interface of molecular biology and clinical research. Models are used to understand pathophysiological mechanisms of CNS illnesses and to develop neurophysiological therapeutic concepts. Corticothalamic and thalamocortical systems are the neuronal substrates that are essential to consciousness and cognition. They operate according to a oscillatory mode during thought and action. We develop and refine neurosurgical and electrophysiological multiple-scale approaches to explore and modulate their spatiotemporal dynamics and neurophysiological properties during neural interactions, oscillations and synchronizations. Understanding function/dysfunction of complex neural systems with modern cell-to-network approaches of the mind-brain problem will improve our quality of life.
DP, January 14, 2012
Actors :
  • Brendan E Adams, UdS-Neurex Postdoc Researcher, 2010-2011
  • Paul Anderson, PhD student, Universities of Melbourne and of Strasbourg, 2010-2013
  • Anne-Sophie Bouillot, Licence Pro, Univ J Fourier,
    Grenoble, 2010-2011
  • Joseph Chaumont, M2, Univ of Strasbourg, 2009
  • Julien Gaudias, M2, Univ of Strasbourg, 2008
  • Sofya Kulikova, trinational JMN, Univ of Strasbourg, 2009-2010
  • Terence J O’Brien, Prof Neurology, Univ of Melbourne,
    Sabbatical, 2006-2007
  • Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar, trinational JMN, Univ of
    Strasbourg, 2009-2010
  • Didier Pinault, PhD, HDR, Inserm CR1 (A/Prof)
  • Andrea Slezia, Eur Marie-Curie Res Training Program, 2004-2005
  • Elena Tolmacheva, Inserm Postdoc Researcher, 2008
  • Thomas Zheng, Eiffel PhD student, Universities of Melbourne and of Strasbourg, 2007-2010
Models :
Recent references :

Jones NC, Martin S, Megatia I, Hakami T, Salzberg MR, Pinault D, Morris MJ, O'Brien TJ, van den Buuse M (2010) A genetic epilepsy rat model displays endophenotypes of psychosis. Neurobiology of Disease 39: 116–125.

Hakami T, Jones NC, Tolmacheva EA, Gaudias J, Chaumont J, Salzberg M, O’Brien TJ, Pinault D (2009) NMDA receptor hypofunction leads to generalized and persistent aberrant gamma oscillations independent of hyperlocomotion and the state of consciousness. PLoS ONE 4(8): e6755. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006755

Pinault D (2008) N-Methyl d-Aspartate receptor antagonists ketamine and MK-801 induce wake-related aberrant gamma oscillations in the rat neocortex. Biological Psychiatry 63: 730-735.

Pinault D, O'brien TJ (2007) Cellular and network mechanisms of genetically-determined absence seizures. Thalamus and Related Systems 3 (3), Sept 2005: 181-203.

Bartho P, Slezia A, Varga V, Bokor H, Pinault D, Buzsaki G, Acsady L (2007) Cortical control of zona incerta.
J Neurosci 27:1670-1681.

Kuisle M, Wanaverbecq N, Brewster AL, Frere SG, Pinault D, Baram TZ, Luthi A (2006) Functional stabilization of weakened thalamic pacemaker channel regulation in rat absence epilepsy. J Physiol 575:83-100.

Pinault D, Slezia A, Acsady L (2006) Corticothalamic 5-9 Hz oscillations are more pro-epileptogenic than sleep spindles in rats. J Physiol 574:209-227.

Pinault D (2005) A new stabilizing craniotomy-duratomy technique for single-cell anatomo-electrophysiological exploration of living intact brain networks. J Neurosci Methods 141:231-242.

Pinault D (2004) The thalamic reticular nucleus: structure, function and concept. Brain Res Rev 46:1-31.