Parkinson’s Disease & Neuromodulation
An independent primer on Parkinson’s disease, quantitative movement analysis, subthalamic neural signals, beta oscillations, deep brain stimulation, adaptive DBS, gait decoding, and personalized neuromodulation, designed around research themes relevant to the Bronte-Stewart Lab.
3 modules · 5 lessons · 1h · mastery threshold 80
Watch videos free — no sign-inBackground for Research in the Bronte-Stewart Lab This independent educational primer introduces scientific concepts relevant to research themes in the Helen Bronte-Stewart Human Motor Control and Neuromodulation Laboratory at Stanford University. It is not an official Stanford University or Bronte-Stewart Lab course and does not imply endorsement or affiliation. For ambitious high-school students and early undergraduates. High-school biology is enough; no neuroscience background is required. Approved video runtime: 26 minutes 25 seconds. About 35–40 minutes of video and companion content, plus concept checks and a 10-question final. No capstone or Research Defense is required; certificate eligibility is mastery-only at 80%. Measure the person → measure the brain → find the signal → build the algorithm → adapt the therapy → test it in real life.
Module 1
Motor signs, quantitative kinematics and synchronized STN recordings.
Module 2
Distinct beta measurements, circuit modulation and feedback control.
Module 3
Gait decoding, wearables, per-person models and evidence outside the laboratory.
Beta desynchronization, coherence, and motor impairment
Compare pre-movement beta desynchronization with interhemispheric coherence without inferring causation.
Beta oscillations and beta bursts
Distinguish beta power from threshold-defined burst duration.
Bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, gait impairment, and freezing
Distinguish bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor and involuntary freezing of gait.
Deep brain stimulation and circuit modulation
Describe DBS as circuit modulation for selected patients, rather than a cure.
Local field potentials and synchronized brain–behavior recording
Distinguish a local population LFP from single-neuron spikes and explain synchronized brain–behavior recording.
Machine-learning decoding and personalized neuromodulation
Explain per-person N2GNet prediction, independent testing and the limits of personalized neuromodulation evidence.
Neural and kinematic biomarkers for gait
Interpret neural and wearable gait biomarkers within their measurement limits.
Open-loop versus adaptive closed-loop DBS
Compare open-loop and adaptive feedback while interpreting the seven-person gait study conservatively.
Parkinson’s disease and basal-ganglia motor dysfunction
Explain how dopamine loss disrupts distributed motor circuits without reducing Parkinson’s to dopamine alone.
Quantitative kinematics and movement measurement
Explain what continuous kinematic measurements add to observation.