Restore
June 2, 2016

 

As a clinician-scientist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pablo Celnik's most pressing question is, “How can you enhance motor function in patients with and without neurological damage?” 

Inside the Johns Hopkins Human Brain Physiology and Stimulation Laboratory, Celnik uses noninvasive brain stimulation, motion analysis and other behavioral techniques to understand the mechanisms behind motor learning and motor recovery following a brain lesion. 

Most recently, Celnik gathered several colleagues investigating cerebellar noninvasive brain stimulation to summarize how cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) can become a viable intervention for patients with neurological conditions. They found evidence suggesting that ctDCS could influence motor, cognitive and emotional behavior. If so, the intervention could provide an option for cerebellar ataxias, which currently lacks effective alternative treatments. 

“This work is bringing us closer to new treatments that could promote recovery of motor function following an injury,” says Celnik.