PhD defence Till Steinbach

Keywords: Tactile sense, Brain plasticity, Somatosensory cortex, Stroke rehabilitation

"Making tactile sense: Mapping the path from research toward clinical use"

Our sense of touch is essential for interacting with the world, and it relies on detailed maps of the body in the brain’s primary somatosensory cortex. These maps are not fixed: they can change with experience, injury, and recovery. This thesis explores how functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be used to map finger representations in the human brain in a way that is practical, reliable, and relevant for clinical use.

Across a series of studies, the work shows that short, time-efficient fMRI protocols can reliably identify where individual fingers are represented in the brain, even under conditions similar to those found in hospitals. The approach proved robust across different MRI scanners and sensitive enough to detect subtle changes in brain organization, such as those caused by short-term immobilization of the hand. Initial applications in stroke patients highlight both the potential and the challenges of using this method in rehabilitation. Together, these findings support fMRI-based somatosensory mapping as a promising tool for understanding brain plasticity and supporting personalized rehabilitation strategies.       

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