Research focus:

The brain consumes 20% of the human body’s energy budget. Neuronal communication among highly connected brain regions is the main driver of the brain’s energy demands. While we know much about the macroscopic organization of the human brain in specialized regions and brain networks, the energy budget of human brain function is still unclear. Moreover, brain metabolism is heavily disturbed in several neuropsychiatric disorders but the relationship to brain network communication is also unknown. 

In my research group, we measure energy consumption of the human brain and relate these to common measures of brain organization. We simultaneously acquire energy metabolism and brain connectivity measures on an integrated PET/MR (Siemens Biograph mMR) scanner. We measure inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitter levels using 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and modulate brain function using non-invasive, stereotactic transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Methods: hybrid PET/MRI (Positron Emission Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Research projects:

- Develop analytical or graph metrical approaches to integrate brain profiles of energy metabolism and network connectivity. 

- Study the energy metabolism of brain networks during cognitive tasks.

- Link brain energetics with nutrition and body metabolism.

- Uncover deficient metabolic brain profiles in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.

website:

https://valentinriedl.de