Research

Research at the Department of Neurosurgery focuses on the major neurosurgical diseases, on patient treatment, and developments in patient care and logistics.

The department houses the Center for Experimental Neuroscience which focuses on development of large animal models for neurological, neurosurgical, and psychiatric disorders. The animal models serve as a test platform for new treatments and technical developments within the neurological and neurosurgical specialities.

The Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE) is part of the Danish Neuroscience Center (DNC) at Aarhus University Hospital that excels in translational research from molecule to man.

The Department of Neurosurgery has established an interdisciplinary research team to strengthen the neurosurgical area of specialisation through interdisciplinary research and development. Work is carried out to ensure and further develop the active research environment in collaboration with Danish Neuroscience Center. 

The interdisciplinary research team works to make the neurosurgical research visible through publication in scientific journals and through presentation in printed and electronic media. We work to strengthen the collaboration between the university-based research units and other relevant research units, both nationally and internationally.

Current studies: 

• Large animal models of neurological, neurosurgical and psychiatric diseases are the focus of Center for Experimental Neuroscience. 
  
  
• Research in neuromodulation treatments for Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and dystonia has been a focus of the department for nearly two decades. New developments in electrode techniques and biocompatibility have been undertaken. Lately examination of the effect of spinalcord stimulation for parkinsons disease have been undertaken.
  
  
• Interdisciplinary research is carried out to describe patients, relatives and health professionals experience of, and reasoning about, patient involvement during hospitalisation. The results will be used to develop and test an intervention for actively involving patients in their surgical care during hospitalisation.
  
  
• Research in neuromodulation for pain and headache is carried out in collaboration with the Danish Pain Research Center and the Center for Experimental Neuroscience as well as Danish Headache Center. Deep brain stimulation for intractable chronic neuropathic pain has been one of the new development areas.
  Dataanalysis of the clinical treatments is supported by the Aarhus University Hospital Neuromodulation Database.
  
  
• Research in spinal cord injury and congenital spinal cord disorders such as spinal dysraphism is another focus area of the department. 
  
  
• eField treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (TTF) and diffusion tensor imaging for mapping of brain pathways in relation to tumour surgery in the brain.