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Welcome to my home page. I am a neurologist working as Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Neurology and Neurosurgery Dept. of the Montreal Neurological Institute. I studied medicine (1984-1990) at the University of Bologna, in Italy (
www.unibo.it) . I carried out my neurology training (1990-1994) at the Neurological Institute of the University of Bologna (www.neuro.unibo.it). I carried out clinical neurophysiology research at the Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago (1994)( www.lumc.edu) and at the University of Toronto (1995-1996)( www.utoronto.ca/neurosci/Profiles/Ashby-rev.htm). Afterwards, at the University of Bologna, I completed a Ph.D. in clinical neurophysiology (1996-1999).
Most of my experience is based on clinical neurophysiology. In the past years I have been working with different techniques like EEG-EMG recordings, sensory and motor evoked potentials. In particular, I have been using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to study the motor system and the excitability of motor cortex. Using this technique I have been involved in some studies to test the excitability of motor system in normal subjects and in pathological conditions such us Parkinson`s disease, dystonia and myoclonus. This has allowed me to focus my attention on the neural mechanisms of motor control.
Recently, I am using TMS during positron emission tomography (PET) to map regional cerebral blood flow changes induced by TMS throughout the brain and specifically in motor and premotor areas. I am also involved in studies with EEG recordings to study TMS induced changes over motor areas.
Projects
Publications
A.P. Strafella, T. Paus. Modulation of cortical excitability during action observation: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study. Neuroreport 2000; 11 (10): in print.
A. P. Strafella, F. Valzania, S.A. Nassetti , A. Tropeani, A. Bisulli, M. Santangelo, C.A. Tassinari. Effects of chronic levodopa and pergolide treatment on cortical excitability in patients with Parkinson`s disease: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study. Clinical Neurophysiology 2000; in print.
F. Valzania, A.P. Strafella, A. Tropeani, G. Rubboli, S. A. Nassetti, C.A. Tassinari. Facilitation of rhythmic events in progressive myoclonus epilepsy: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study. Clin. Neurophysiology 1999; 110 (1): 152-157.
P Ashby, A Strafella, J Dostrovsky, A Lozano, A Lang. Immediate motor effects of stimulation through electrodes implanted in the human globus pallidus. Stereotactic Functional Neurosurgery 1998; 70: 1-18.
A. Strafella, P Ashby, A Lang. Reflex myoclonus in cortico-basal ganglionic degeneration. Movement Disorders 1997; 12: 360-369.
A Strafella, P Ashby, M Munz, J Dostrovsky, A Lozano, A Lang. Inhibition of voluntary activity by thalamic stimulation in humans: relevance for the control of tremor. Movement Disorders 1997; 12(5): 727-737.
A Strafella, P Ashby, A Lozano, A Lang. Pallidotomy increases cortical inhibition in Parkinson’s disease. Canadian J. Neurological Science 1997; 24: 133-136.
F Valzania, A Strafella, R Quatrale, M Santangelo, A Tropeani, D Lucchi, CA Tassinari, D De Grandis. Motor evoked responses to paired cortical magnetic stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease. EEG Clin Neurophysiology 1997; 105: 37-43.
Brigell M, Strafella A, Parmeggiani L, De Marco PJ, Celesia GG. The effects of luminance and chromatic background flicker on the human visual evoked potential. Visual Neuroscience 1996; 13: 265-275.
F Valzania, R Quatrale, A Strafella, R Bombardi, M Santangelo, CA Tassinari, D De Grandis. Pattern of motor evoked response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. EEG Clin. Neurophysiology 1994. 93: 312-317.
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Antonio P. STRAFELLA <antonio@bic.mni.mcgill.ca>
created: 7 Apr 2000
last modified: 12 Apr 2000