Exploring Psychiatric Effects of DBS for Parkinson’s Disease

What was the biomedical issue you addressed in your research, and what did your studies find?

For patients who have Parkinson's disease, deep brain stimulation (also known as DBS) is a well-established approach to treat motor symptoms like tremor. The treatment requires the implantation of an electrode in a specific region of the brain and the administration of electrical stimulation to change function in associated neural circuitry. Occasional side effects can arise because of DBS, including some psychiatric changes. My research explored psychiatric side effects of DBS, specifically how stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus, a common DBS target for Parkinson's disease, leads to changes in anxiety.

My research used several methods to study changes in anxiety. I used computational modeling to create digital representations of the neural pathways in the brain and explore how different stimulation parameters may activate those pathways. This approach enabled me to identify specific brain regions that may be responsible for transient anxiety following stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus.

I also recorded electrical brain signals in a preclinical model of Parkinson's disease, determining how activity in brain regions associated with anxiety changes after stimulation. In addition, my studies investigated the effect of stimulation on anxiety-like behaviors in a similar preclinical model of Parkinson's disease. Collectively, my findings provide important information to help refine future approaches in studying the psychiatric effects of DBS.

What opportunities at Mayo did you take advantage of to further your leadership skills and your career path?

Two leadership roles were particularly meaningful to me. Serving as a graduate school track representative and as co-president of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) helped refine my future career trajectory. As track representative, I worked alongside faculty, contributing to the recruitment and admission of students and participating in course development. As co-president of the GSA, I served as a liaison between the students in all programs and the graduate school administration, articulating the concerns and suggestions of students to support the Ph.D. experience.

What's next?

Teaching is my passion. My goal for my future is to become a professor at an undergraduate university, sharing my love of biology and neuroscience.