Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Motor Control
Newcastle is a centre of excellence for research in neurology with expertise in the genetic basis of inherited disorders, particularly those arising from mitochondrial dysfunction, with Newcastle being a national referral centre for rare mitochondrial disorders. Neurological cases are studied both to understand the disorder and to shed light on the organisation of sensory and motor systems. Studies of the motor system in both normal and clinical populations are conducted alongside animal recordings that enable understanding of motor integration and the origin of tremor. In vitro models of epilepsy as well as human brain recordings from tissue derived from patients undergoing therapeutic neurosurgery are leading to a new understanding of this debilitating disorder. While longitudinal studies of children with cerebral palsy demonstrate cortical plasticity which may be harnessed for therapeutic benefit. Finally, major trials of acute neurosurgical interventions and long term rehabilitation programmes are helping in developing effective treatments for stroke.
The following pages provide more information on these topics:
- Neurology
- Motor Control
- Epilepsy
- Mitochondrial Disease
- Mitochondrial Genetics and Gene Expression
- Stroke and Cerebral Palsy
- Neurosurgery
