About
Greetings!
My name is Holly Zheng and I'm currently in twelfth grade at BASIS Tucson North. The timeline for senior year at BASIS veers away from the traditional track. During the third trimester of the school year, members of the graduating class are granted the freedom to pursue research projects in various topics.
I decided to fulfill a recent interest of mine and study the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine. My interest in this field stems from a public lecture series (The Evolving Brain) I attended two years ago at the University of Arizona. Apart from spending Tuesday nights crammed in a muggy Centennial Hall full of eager medical students, I was given a rather in depth introduction to neurology and neurosurgery. More specifically, the lectures focused on the technologies and instruments that were being developed for the neurology field, the MRI being a major player.
This project aims to draw a comparison between Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery to treat Parkinson's Disease performed in an operating room versus performed in a MRI scanner. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting the central nervous system (CNS). It’s pathogenesis stems from dying dopamine-producing cells in the substantia nigra (mid brain). There is no known cure for Parkinson’s, nor is there a known cause as to why certain neurons die. There is some evidence that Parkinson’s disease is genetic and exposure to pesticides can increase the likelihood of an individual being affected.
DBS is used to treat the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including tremors, stiffness, slow movement, and walking problems. An electrode is surgically implanted into the brain and targets a specific brain structure to be stimulated. The placement of the electrode has been previously done in the OR. Now, both the placement of the electrode will be done in the MRI where the surgeon can see real time images of where the electrode is in the brain. I was unable to fit the entire title of my project in the header of this blog, but here is the official label (aptly named):
Comparison Between Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Surgery for Parkinson’s Disease Performed in an Operating Room versus in a MRI
My onsite advisor is Dr. Willard Kasoff and he will be mentoring me throughout this twelve week project. The main research question: Is there an advantage in doing deep brain stimulation in the MRI compared to performing DBS in the operating room?
Three years of high school have finally lead to this, and I'm so excited!
I'm not sure what visual aids I will post, but there will most likely be images on this blog that will make some people squeamish. For every published post that has graphic images, I will include this header:
**********WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES****************
I understand that blood and exposed brain tissue is not everyone's cup of tea. Unfortunately, my project will involve moderate amounts of exactly that, so I apologize in advance if after reading my posts you feel the urge to furiously slam your laptop shut and run away screaming.
If you want more information about my project, you can click on the images in the slideshow. You will be redirected to some interesting articles.
Thank you for tuning in! Happy reading!
Holly
My name is Holly Zheng and I'm currently in twelfth grade at BASIS Tucson North. The timeline for senior year at BASIS veers away from the traditional track. During the third trimester of the school year, members of the graduating class are granted the freedom to pursue research projects in various topics.
I decided to fulfill a recent interest of mine and study the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine. My interest in this field stems from a public lecture series (The Evolving Brain) I attended two years ago at the University of Arizona. Apart from spending Tuesday nights crammed in a muggy Centennial Hall full of eager medical students, I was given a rather in depth introduction to neurology and neurosurgery. More specifically, the lectures focused on the technologies and instruments that were being developed for the neurology field, the MRI being a major player.
This project aims to draw a comparison between Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery to treat Parkinson's Disease performed in an operating room versus performed in a MRI scanner. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting the central nervous system (CNS). It’s pathogenesis stems from dying dopamine-producing cells in the substantia nigra (mid brain). There is no known cure for Parkinson’s, nor is there a known cause as to why certain neurons die. There is some evidence that Parkinson’s disease is genetic and exposure to pesticides can increase the likelihood of an individual being affected.
DBS is used to treat the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including tremors, stiffness, slow movement, and walking problems. An electrode is surgically implanted into the brain and targets a specific brain structure to be stimulated. The placement of the electrode has been previously done in the OR. Now, both the placement of the electrode will be done in the MRI where the surgeon can see real time images of where the electrode is in the brain. I was unable to fit the entire title of my project in the header of this blog, but here is the official label (aptly named):
Comparison Between Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Surgery for Parkinson’s Disease Performed in an Operating Room versus in a MRI
My onsite advisor is Dr. Willard Kasoff and he will be mentoring me throughout this twelve week project. The main research question: Is there an advantage in doing deep brain stimulation in the MRI compared to performing DBS in the operating room?
Three years of high school have finally lead to this, and I'm so excited!
It's truly a unique opportunity to get accustomed to a work environment (and the extreme loneliness of eating lunch by myself). I hope by the end of this project I will be able to successfully read MRI scans, further my understanding of the anatomy and function of the human brain, and gather a more comprehensive view of Parkinson's Disease and it's effects on the body and mind.
I'm not sure what visual aids I will post, but there will most likely be images on this blog that will make some people squeamish. For every published post that has graphic images, I will include this header:
**********WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES****************
I understand that blood and exposed brain tissue is not everyone's cup of tea. Unfortunately, my project will involve moderate amounts of exactly that, so I apologize in advance if after reading my posts you feel the urge to furiously slam your laptop shut and run away screaming.
If you want more information about my project, you can click on the images in the slideshow. You will be redirected to some interesting articles.
Thank you for tuning in! Happy reading!
Holly
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