
Neuromodulation research group
Research group
We develop and study neuromodulation as means to map brain functions and treat the brain non-invasively.
Group description

Neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation, where a coil is used to target quickly changing magnetic field onto the cortex of the brain to induce electric field, which in turn activates the neurons of the cortex. Consequenly, muscle contraction may follow the stimulation. Activation of the cortical neurons can be modelled and studied. When mapping the cortical representation of a muscle, electric field modeling can be utilized to quantify the representation size and location.
Our research focuses on the neuromodulation, functional imaging, theoretical assessment and biomechanical measurement of the neuromuscular function connecting the human brains to motion. Our main focus is in the quantitative analysis motor function, and motor cortical control of muscle action. In addition, we have a general focus on methodological development of the navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation methodology, technology and response analysis tools to improve the accuracy and applicability of mapping the motor function as well as increasing the efficiency of neuromodulation treatments with navigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).
The key methods we apply and develop are navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation, electromyography, electroencephalography (TMS-EEG), modeling of neural function, motion analysis, radiological imaging and biomechanical tests and modeling. We actively collaborate with other national and international research groups. Our research group includes members who are specialists in medicine, physics and biomedical engineering. Neuromodulation research group also operates as a member of the ”Musculoskeletal diseases” research community.
We are funded by:
- Academy of Finland
- Finnish Cancer Society
- Doctoral programme in Science, Technology and Computing (SCITECO)
- State research funding
- Orion Research Foundation
- Other private foundations
Keywords
Group members - UEF
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Petro Julkunen Professor , Faculty of Science and Forestry, Department of Applied Physics
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Laura Säisänen Senior Researcher , Faculty of Science and Forestry, Department of Applied Physics
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Virpi Laukkanen
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Shohreh Kariminezhad Grant-funded Researcher , Faculty of Science and Forestry, Department of Applied Physics
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Thi Anh Dao Nguyen Visiting Researcher , Faculty of Science and Forestry, Department of Applied Physics
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Michal Demjan Researcher
Leader(s)
Senior Researchers
Post-doctoral Researchers
Doctoral Researchers
Other group members
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Jusa Reijonen / Post-Doctoral researcher and Specializing medical physicist jusa.reijonen@kuh.fi
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Meri Julkunen / Study nurse meri.julkunen@kuh.fi
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Minna Pitkänen / Post-Doctoral researcher
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Nils Danner / Senior researcher, Neurosurgeon
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Jani Sirkka / PhD student
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Mervi Könönen / Docent
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Jari Karhu / Docent
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Jelena Hypponen / MD, PhD, Academy Fellow
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Olli Löfberg / MD, PhD, Post-doctoral researcher
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Anna-Leena Voutilainen / Study Nurse anna-leena.voutilainen@kuh.fi
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Joel Naukkarinen / PhD Student
Collaboration with UEF research groups
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Biophysics of Bone and Cartilage (BBC)
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Pain Neuromodulation Group Chronic pain is common and confers a substantia...
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Biosignal Analysis and Medical Imaging research group (BSAMIG) HUMEA Laboratory, ECG signal analysis, EMG sign...
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Clinical Epilepsy Research Research Group is led by Professor Reetta Kälvi...
Cooperation partners
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Manufacturer of neuromodulation systems
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Medical technology company and manufacturer of TMS-EEG systems
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Laboratory of Clinical Neurophysiology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
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Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo
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Department of Neurosurgery at the Technische Universität München, Germany
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UT Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Dallas, USA
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University of Eastern Finland / Epilepsy Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
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University of Eastern Finland / Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
Publications
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Atlas-informed computational processing pipeline for individual targeting of brain areas for therapeutic navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation Reijonen, Jusa; Könönen, Mervi; Tuunanen, Pasi; Määttä, Sara; Julkunen, Petro. 2021. Atlas-informed computational processing pipeline for individual targeting of brain areas for therapeutic navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation Clinical neurophysiology 132 7: 1612-1621. 2021
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Fast acquisition of resting motor threshold with a stimulus-response curve - Possibility or hazard for transcranial magnetic stimulation applications? Kallioniemi, Elisa; Awiszus, Friedemann; Pitkänen, Minna; Julkunen, Petro. 2021. Fast acquisition of resting motor threshold with a stimulus-response curve - Possibility or hazard for transcranial magnetic stimulation applications? Clinical neurophysiology practice 2022; 7: 7-15. 2021
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Mapping of Motor Function with Neuronavigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Review on Clinical Application in Brain Tumors and Methods for Ensuring Feasible Accuracy Sollmann, Nico; Krieg, Sandro M; Säisänen, Laura; Julkunen, Petro. 2021. Mapping of Motor Function with Neuronavigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Review on Clinical Application in Brain Tumors and Methods for Ensuring Feasible Accuracy Brain sciences 11 7: 897. 2021
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Brain Response Induced with Paired Associative Stimulation Is Related to Repetition Suppression of Motor Evoked Potential Kariminezhad, Shohreh; Karhu, Jari; Säisänen, Laura; Reijonen, Jusa; Könönen, Mervi; Julkunen, Petro. 2020. Brain Response Induced with Paired Associative Stimulation Is Related to Repetition Suppression of Motor Evoked Potential Brain sciences 10 10: 674. 2020
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Corticospinal Excitability in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study Sirkka, J; Säisänen, L; Julkunen, P; Könönen, M; Kallioniemi, E; Leinonen, V; Danner, N. 2020. Corticospinal Excitability in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study Fluids and barriers of the cns 17 1: 6. 2020
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Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation planning using a structural effectiveness index Järnefelt Gustaf, Julkunen Petro. 2020. Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation planning using a structural effectiveness index. 2020
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Paired-pulse navigated TMS is more effective than single-pulse navigated TMS for mapping upper extremity muscles in brain tumor patients Sollmann, Nico; Zhang, Haosu; Kelm, Anna; Schröder, Axel; Meyer, Bernhard; Pitkänen, Minna; Julkunen, Petro; Krieg, Sandro M. 2020. Paired-pulse navigated TMS is more effective than single-pulse navigated TMS for mapping upper extremity muscles in brain tumor patients Clinical neurophysiology 131 12: 2887-2898. 2020
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Primary hand motor representation areas in healthy children, preadolescents, adolescents, and adults Säisänen, Laura; Könönen, Mervi; Niskanen, Eini; Lakka, Timo; Lintu, Niina; Vanninen, Ritva; Julkunen, Petro; Määttä, Sara. 2020. Primary hand motor representation areas in healthy children, preadolescents, adolescents, and adults Neuroimage 2021; 228: 117702. 2020
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Spatial extent of cortical motor hotspot in navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation Reijonen, Jusa; Pitkänen, Minna; Kallioniemi, Elisa; Mohammadi, Ali; Ilmoniemi, Risto J; Julkunen, Petro. 2020. Spatial extent of cortical motor hotspot in navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation Journal of neuroscience methods 346: 108893. 2020
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Cortical Inhibition of Face and Jaw Muscle Activity and Discomfort Induced by Repetitive and Paired-Pulse TMS During an Overt Object Naming Task Weiss Lucas, C; Kallioniemi, E; Neuschmelting, V; Nettekoven, C; Pieczewski, J; Jonas, K; Goldbrunner, R; Karhu, J; Grefkes, C; Julkunen, P. 2019. Cortical Inhibition of Face and Jaw Muscle Activity and Discomfort Induced by Repetitive and Paired-Pulse TMS During an Overt Object Naming Task Brain topography 32 3: 418-434. 2019