Research

Our unit aims to investigate the neural bases of behaviour in the realms of memory and cognition, sleep and emotion. While the focus is set on clinical conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Schizophrenia, the members of our staff have backgrounds in a variety of disciplines, including psychology, neurology, psychiatry, psychotherapy, pharmacology and neuroimaging. A multi-disciplinary approach is employed to understand the consequences of neuropsychiatric diseases on behaviour and other aspects of life. The mission is to promote understanding and to develop more effective neuropsychological diagnostic and neurobehavioral treatment methods.

Neuropsychological monitoring during awake Craniotomy

Since a maximal resection of malignant brain tumors has proven to be a favourable prognostic factor for survival the aim is to preserve the patient’s cognitive and neurological functions. In our work group (Prof.Dr. Luigi Mariani, PD Dr. Dominik Cordier, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Basel, Prof.Dr. Pasquale Calabrese, Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurology unit, Univ. Basel) we perform neuropsychological monitoring of patients undergoing awake craniotomy during the different stages (i.e. pre-, intra- and post-operatively, as well as long-term follow-up). In an interdisciplinary team, headed by a neurosurgeon, neuropsychological testing, as well as intra-operative mapping and monitoring of various cognitive, behavioral and neurological functions is performed. By using this approach, we aim to achieve the most favourable outcome for those patients whose tumours are located within or adjacent to functionally relevant brain regions. Moreover, by analyzing the different clinical, paraclinical and psychosocial data we also aim to identify pertinent outcome determinants.

Our research is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Society (SMSG) as well as by unrestricted research grants of the pharmaceutical industry.