Erica Varoli

Erica Varoli

CURRICULUM

Nata a Busto Arsizio (VA) l’11 dicembre 1989, ho conseguito la Laurea Magistrale in “Psicologia Clinica, dello Sviluppo e Neuropsicologia” nel 2015 presso l’Università degli Studi Milano-Bicocca (110/110 con Lode). Dal 2015 svolgo attività di ricerca presso l’Università degli Studi Milano-Bicocca, nell’ambito delle neuroscienze cognitive, indagando i correlati neurali di funzioni cognitive superiori mediate l’uso di tecniche di stimolazione cerebrale non invasiva (Stimolazione magnetica transcranica – TMS, e stimolazione transcranica a corrente diretta – tDCS). Mi occupo inoltre di Neuroeconomia, indagando i marker neurofisiologici di comportamenti economici. Dal 2016 frequento il dottorato in Neuroscienze presso l’Università degli Studi Milano-Bicocca studiando principalmente l’eccitabilità, la connettività e la plasticità cerebrale in soggetti sani tramite l’uso della tecnica integrata di Stimolazione Magnetica Transcranica ed Elettroencefalografia (TMS-EEG).

PROGETTO DI RICERCA

Tracking the effect of cathodal direct current stimulation on cortical excitability and connectivity by means of TMS-EEG

  • Curriculum: Neuroscienze cliniche
  • Tutor: Leonor J. Romero Lauro

Despite transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is increasingly used in experimental and clinical settings, its precise mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. At a neuronal level, tDCS modulates the cortical excitability by shifting the resting membrane potential in a polarity-dependent way: anodal stimulation increases the spontaneous firing rate in the stimulated region, while cathodal decreases it. However, it seems that the neurophysiological underpinnings of anodal and cathodal tDCS differ, as well as their effect on behaviour. In a previous study it has been investigated the tDCS anodal’s role in the cortical excitability, by a combination of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Electroencephalography (EEG). The main advantage in using the TMS-EEG technique is to provide real-time and direct information on cortical reactivity. Results of a previous study, indeed, showed a diffuse rise of cortical excitability in a bilateral fronto-parietal networks. The present project aims at exploring the effects of cathodal stimulation to better understand if there are cathodal tDCS effects and whether they are opposite to the anodal ones at rest, also in different areas from the motor cortex. On the other hand, it is also possible to understand why, during a task, the cathodal stimulation seems to be less effective.

PUBBLICAZIONI E PARTECIPAZIONI A CONGRESSI RECENTI

Pubblicazioni

Congressi

Presentazioni orali

  • Varoli E, Romero Lauro L.J, Pisoni A, Mattavelli G, Rosanova M, Bolognini N, Vallar G. (2017). “Tracking the effect of cathodal direct current stimulation on cortical excitability and connectivity by means of TMS-EEG”, talk in International Symposium on Neurobiology, NeuroMi 2017, University of Milano-Bicocca, 13th-15th September, 2017.
  • Varoli E, Vergallito A, Lo Gerfo E, Anzani S, Brambilla M, Sacchi S, Romero Lauro L.J. (2016). “The height of power: how grandeur experience affects the perception of peri & extrapersonal space”, talk in Cognitive Science Arena (CSA), Brixen/Bressanone 19th-20th February 2016.

Poster 

  • Varoli E, Pisoni A, Mattavelli G, Vergallito A, Rosanova M, Vallar G, Romero Lauro L J (2018). “Using TMS-EEG to better understand the effects of cathodal direct current stimulation on cortical excitability and connectivity”, Poster Session in Fourth NeuroMi International Meeting. Brain Stimulation and Brain Plasticity: from Basic Research to Clinical Practice. University of Milano-Bicocca, 21th-23th November, 2018.
  • Varoli E, Pisoni A, Mattavelli G, Vergallito A, Rosanova M, Vallar G, Romero Lauro L J (2018). “Using TMS-EEG to better understand the effects of cathodal direct current stimulation on cortical excitability and connectivity”, Poster Session in XXVI Congresso della Società Italiana di Psicofisiologia e Neuroscienze Cognitive (SIPF), Aula Magna della Cavallerizza Reale, Torino, 15th-17th November, 2018.
  • Varoli E, Pisoni A, Mattavelli G, Rosanova M, Bolognini N, Vallar G, Romero Lauro L.J. (2017). “Tracking the effect of cathodal direct current stimulation on cortical excitability and connectivity by means of TMS-EEG”, Poster Session in European Workshop on Cognitive Neuropsychology 2018, Brixen/Bressanone, 21th-26th January, 2018.
  • Varoli E, Pisoni A, Mattavelli G, Rosanova M, Bolognini N, Vallar G, Romero Lauro L.J. (2017). “Tracking the effect of cathodal direct current stimulation on cortical excitability and connectivity by means of TMS-EEG”, Poster Session in VI Congresso della Società Italiana di Neuropsicologia (SINP), Palermo, 24th-25th November, 2017.
  • Varoli E, Pisoni A, Mattavelli G, Rosanova M, Bolognini N, Vallar G, Romero Lauro L.J. (2017). “Tracking the effect of cathodal direct current stimulation on cortical excitability and connectivity by means of TMS-EEG”, Poster Session in XXV Congresso della Società Italiana di Psicofisiologia e Neuroscienze Cognitive (SIPF), Ospediale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Roma, 15th-18th November, 2017.
  • Vergallito A, Lo Gerfo E, Varoli E, Brambilla M, Sacchi S, Romero Lauro L.J. (2017). ”Power in The Brain: Recalling Powerful Behaviour Expands Body Schema Boundaries”, Poster Session in Ten year of Mind/Brain Scienses at the University of Trento. How the past can determine our future, CiMeC, Rovereto, October 19th – 21th,
  • Varoli E, Romero Lauro L.J, Pisoni A, Mattavelli G, Rosanova M, Bolognini N, Vallar G. (2017). “Tracking the effect of cathodal direct current stimulation on cortical excitability and connectivity by means of TMS-EEG”, Poster Session in Cutting EEG Symposium, Institute of Neuroscience & Psychology, University of Glasgow, 19th-22th June, 2017.
  • Vergallito A, Lo Gerfo E, Varoli E, Anzani S, Brambilla M, Sacchi S, Romero Lauro L.J. (2015).”L’altezza del potere: uno studio TMS” (“The high of power: a TMS study”), Poster Session in XXI Congresso Nazionale della Sezione di Psicologia sperimentale (AIP), Rovereto, September 10th – 12th 2015.
Elisabetta Donzelli
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