Andrea Antal

Professor of Neurology

• 1990 - Diploma in Biology, Attila József University of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary

• 1993 - University Doctor, Attila József University of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary

• 1998 - Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University, Szeged, Hungary

• 2005 - Habilitation (PD  Privatdozentin in Cognitive Neurology, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany

• since 2/2001 - Group leader, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology; Göttingen, Germany

Major Research Interests:

Andrea Antal

Neuroplasticity became one central topic of neuroscience research in the last decades. Dynamic modifications of neuronal networks are an important substrate for learning and memory formation. Pathological neuroplasticity might be one foundation of numerous central nervous system diseases. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was developed by our group as a non-invasive tool to induce neuroplasticity in the human cerebral cortex. Neuroplastic excitability enhancements or reductions are accomplished which outlast the stimulation duration relevantly.

The primary aim of our recent work is to develop and establish new non-invasive brain stimulation methods to induce physiological changes in the central nervous system in order to investigate cognition and complex information processing. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and random noise stimulation (tRNS) are new external stimulation techniques influencing cortical excitability and activity. tACS and tRNS permit, due to the oscillating stimulation, external interference with the cortical oscillations. They can particularly modulate the temporary connections of cortical areas during a given task. Neuronal oscillations in the brain are associated with the processing of sensory information, learning, cognition, arousal, attention and also pathological conditions (e.g. Parkinson's tremor, epilepsy). Therefore, the external modulation of cortical oscillations could be an important component of induced cerebral plasticity. In terms of effectiveness tRNS seems to have at least the same therapeutic potential for the treatment of diseases such as depression and chronic pain as rTMS and tDCS.

The secondary aim of our studies is the modulation of pain perception by tDCS and theta-burst stimulation (TBS) in healthy subjects, in patients with chronic pain and migraine. Many neurological diseases are characterized by pain as a key symptom. Systematic studies to investigate the mechanisms of pain are of outmost importance, since they may subsequently result in improved treatment strategies. tDCS as a tool aims to induce prolonged neuronal excitability and activity alterations in the human brain via alterations of the neuronal membrane potential. Accordingly, tDCS in the human is a promising tool in the treatment of diseases that are accompanied by changes of cortical excitability.

Address:
Dept. of Clinical Neurophysiology
Georg-August-
Universität Göttingen
Robert-Koch-Str. 40
37075 Göttingen
Germany

phone:+49-551-39 8461
fax:+49-551-39 8126
e-mail:

Further Information:
Workgroup

Selected Recent Publications:

Antal A, Terney D, Kühnl S, Paulus W. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the motor cortex ameliorates chronic pain and reduces short intracortical inhibition. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2009, in press.

Chaieb L, Kovacs G, Cziraki C, Greenlee M, Paulus W, Antal A.. Short-duration transcranial random noise stimulation induces blood oxygenation level dependent response attenuation in the human motor cortex. Experimental Brain Research, 2009, 198:439-44

Terney D, Chaieb L, Moliadze V, Antal A, Paulus W. Increasing human brain excitability by transcranial high frequency random noise stimulation. Journal of Neuroscience, 2008; 28:14147-55

Kanai R, Chaieb L, Antal A, Walsch V, Paulus W. Frequency dependent electrical stimulation of visual cortex. Current Biology, 2008; 18:1839-43

Antal A, Lang, N, Boros K, Nitsche M, Siebner HR, Paulus W. Hoemostatic metaplasticity of the motor cortex is altered during headache–free intervals in migraine with aura. Cerebral Cortex, 2008; 18:2701-5

Terney D, Bergmann I, Poreisz C, Chaieb L, Boros K, Nitsche MA, Paulus W, Antal A. Pergolide increases the efficacy of cathodal direct current stimulation to reduce the amplitude of laser-evoked potentials in humans. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2008; 36:79-91

Antal A, Brepohl N, Poreisz C, Boros K, Csifcsak G, Paulus W. Transcranial direct current stimulation over somatosensory cortex decreases experimentally induced acute pain perception. Journal of Clinical Pain, 2008; 24:56-63