Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation (CNBS)
Optimizing and applying noninvasive brain stimulation to health care and research

Faculty

Alex Rotenberg, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal Investigator

I was born in Chernovtsy, Ukraine. I received my undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University , and graduate degree from State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center . I completed internship and residency in Pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, before coming to Boston for residency in Child Neurology, and fellowship in Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology at Children’s Hospital. I joined the Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in 2005, toward the end of my clinical training. My clinical appointment is at Children's Hospital, as attending physician in the Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology. My academic appointment is as Instructor in Neurology, Harvard Medical School .

Research Interests / Research Focus

Our laboratory work is focused largely on the development of novel therapies for intractable epilepsy using animal seizure models. We are evaluating the capacity of a few forms of noninvasive brain stimulation to stop or prevent seizures. Among these are transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and intermittent photic stimulation (IPS). In parallel, we are developing a clinical program for treatment of intractable seizures with noninvasive brain stimulation.

Relevant Publications

Ongoing Support

NIH NINDS K08 (PI: Rotenberg; Mentor : Jensen)

Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE) (PI: Rotenberg)

Child Neurology Foundation, Children’s Hospital (PI: Rotenberg)

CIMIT (PI: Fregni)

Relevant Publications

Ives, J.R., Rotenberg, A., Poma, R., Thut, G., Pascuale-Leone, A. (2006). Recording the EEG During Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in Animals and humans. Journal of Encephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology. 117, 1870-1875

Bae, E.H., Schrader, L.M., Machii, K., Alonso-Alonso, M., Riviello, J.J., Pascual-Leone, A., Rotenberg, A. (2007). Safety and tolerability of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with epilepsy: a review of literature. Epilepsy and Behavior (in press)

Rotenberg, A., Hoang K., Pascual-Leone, A., Riviello, J.J, Jensen, F.E., (2006). Low Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) Reduces Seizure Frequency in the Rat Pentylentetrazole (PTZ) Absence Epilepsy Model. Am. Epilepsy Soc. Abstr. 4.084

Poma, R., Ives, J., Rotenberg, A., Pascual-Leone, A. (2006) Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in 3 Epileptic Dogs: Techniques of Stimulation and Results. Am. Epilepsy Soc. Abstr. 4.136

Rotenberg, A., Harrington, M., Birnbaum, D., Glass, I., Jensen F.E., Riviello, J.J., Pascual-Leone, A. (2007). Low Risk of Heating or Displacement of Titanium Skull Plates by Low Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS). Am. Acad. Neurol. Abstr P02.123

Rotenberg, A., Depositario-Cabacar, D., Harini C., Pascual-Leone, A., Takeoka, M. (2007). Anti-Seizure Effect of Daily 1 Hz Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in a Case of Pediatric Rasmussen s Encephalitis. Am. Acad. Neurol. Abstr P04.004

Link to NIH Formatted CV

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