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Michael Fox

@foxmdphd.bsky.social

2.1K followers 90 following 30 posts

Raymond D. Adams Endowed Chair and Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School / Mass General Brigham; Director of the Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics @braincircuits.bsky.social

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Michael Fox @foxmdphd.bsky.social · Nov 16

Excited to join Bluesky!
I’m an engineer, neurologist, and neuroscientist interested in causal mapping of neurological and psychiatric symptoms to human brain circuits to identify therapeutic targets for neuromodulation. #DBS, #TMS

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Andreas Horn @andreashorn.org · 9d

Fantastic talk by Joe Taylor on the „philosophers scan“ and how imaging can help neuromodulation at the Brainclinics TMS Masterclass in Nijmegen!

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Michael Okun @michaelokun.bsky.social · 11d

Could the Parkinson’s drug levodopa prime the brain to respond better to intensive rehabilitation following a stroke or injury? Enter the idea: Let’s give dopamine pills after a stroke? Spoiler alert: This new large, randomized trial published in JAMA revealed no added benefit in recovery.

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Michael Fox @foxmdphd.bsky.social · 15d

Honored to moderate a panel on noninvasive mapping of human brain circuits at MGB Neuroscience Day.
Great insights from @anastasiayendiki.bsky.social
@mghmartinos.bsky.social, @fredschaper.bsky.social
@braincircuits.bsky.social, Alex Golby and Pravan Nanda @mgbneurosurgres.bsky.social.

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Michael Okun @michaelokun.bsky.social · 17d

Boom: The results of the ADAPT-PD personalized brain stimulation trial showed promise for treating Parkinson’s. First longer-term results for adaptive DBS in PD. Adaptive stimulation automatically adjusts in real time to a person’s brain signals. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Michael Okun @michaelokun.bsky.social · 19d

What is the update for skin biopsies to differentiate Parkinson's vs. MSA? Spoiler alert: under confocal microscope, skin biopsies look different in PD vs MSA. Donadio and colleagues describe in a new paper in Brain the uses of intraneural phosphorylated α-synuclein. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social

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Michael Fox @foxmdphd.bsky.social · Sep 5

Can connectomic DBS go beyond where to stimulate to inform who and when? Great discussion @dbsthinktank.bsky.social with @rolstonjohn.bsky.social @julianneumann.bsky.social suggest yes! @braincircuits.bsky.social

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Andreas Horn @andreashorn.org · Sep 3

In #DeepBrainStimulation

the two major developments across the last decade have been

1. Adaptive DBS and
2. Connectomic DBS

In a @natrevneurol.nature.com article with @julianneumann.bsky.social, we ask:

Could the two be united into a common framework?

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A 🧵

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Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis, Michael H. Fox, Ruairidh Milne

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · Sep 2

A nasal spray reduced the risk of Covid infections in a double blind, placebo controlled randomized trial
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

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Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Lisa W. Fazio, Michael Barnett , and 7 more Kim L. Scheppele, Lisa W. Fazio, Michael Barnett, Daniel Kim, Jesse H. Kroll, John R. Hutchinson, Michael H. Fox, Dawn J. Wright, Robert C. Richards, Timothy D. McBride

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Sep 1

🧪 And House appropriators say: no cuts to NIH budget!

House subcommittee version just came out (link below). Holds NIH flat at $48 billion.

To be clear: this is far from over. But a good sign that science still matters across both sides of aisle.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS!!

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Nicole Rust @nicolecrust.bsky.social · Aug 29

Remarkable. Uncontrollable laughing or crying can happen *without* emotion ("pseudobulbar affect"). Here's a video of one individual whose crying is triggered by real or imagined rubbing of his finger & thumb. Intense response but not sadness. /1

static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10...

Crying spells triggered by thumb-index rubbing after thalamic stroke: a case report

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Andreas Horn @andreashorn.org · Aug 22

🚨 New preprint out! 🚨
“Translating the Transcriptome: A Connectomics Approach for Gene-Network Mapping and Clinical Application”
🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025...

🧵 A short thread:

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Michael Fox @foxmdphd.bsky.social · Aug 19

Sending off 2 of our best research assistants ‬to graduate programs that are lucky to have them. Congrats Grace and Jessy and we look forward to your ongoing success! @braincircuits.bsky.social

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Boris Bernhardt @borismontreal.bsky.social · Aug 18

News from ENIGMA-Epilepsy! 🧠

Our latest study links polygenic risk for TLE-HS to cortical thinning in kids—mirroring patterns in adult patients.

Early imaging-genetics insights could reveal interplay of epilepsy risk and phenotypes before symptoms emerge.

Read more 👉 doi.org/10.1093/brai...

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox, Alessandro Gozzi

Rodrigo Braga @rodbraga.bsky.social · Aug 5

🚨 New Preprint 🚨

Targeting intracranial electrical stimulation (ES) to network regions defined within individuals causes network-level effects

By Cyr et al.

***
Q: Can we use individualized network maps from precision fMRI to modulate a targeted network via intracranial ES?

A: Yes!

🧵:

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Michael Okun @michaelokun.bsky.social · Jul 24

Can specialized physical therapy help you to live longer with Parkinson’s? What if physical therapy did more than improve balance and reduce falls? Specialized physical therapy, like that provided through the PDNet model linked to a modest but real reduction in mortality for people w/ Parkinson’s.

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Michael Fox @foxmdphd.bsky.social · Jul 21

Is there a brain circuit target for restoring consciousness after brain injury? New work by @rolstonjohn.bsky.social @braincircuits.bsky.social says yes!

John Rolston @rolstonjohn.bsky.social · Jul 21

Just dropped in @natcomms.nature.com: we show that re-engaging a thalamic–ventral tegmental circuit with deep brain stimulation can reignite consciousness in patients with severe brain injury. Work led by Aaron Warren, with @andreashorn.org @foxmdphd.bsky.social @ others! tinyurl.com/4kz8j89b

A human brain network linked to restoration of consciousness after deep brain stimulation - Nature Communications

In people with severe brain injuries, stimulation restored consciousness by engaging a deep brain circuit for wakefulness—revealing a target that may also guide treatment in stroke and epilepsy.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox, Alessandro Gozzi

John Rolston @rolstonjohn.bsky.social · Jul 21

A human brain network linked to restoration of consciousness after deep brain stimulation - Nature Communications

In people with severe brain injuries, stimulation restored consciousness by engaging a deep brain circuit for wakefulness—revealing a target that may also guide treatment in stroke and epilepsy.

www.nature.com

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Michael Fox @foxmdphd.bsky.social · Jul 21

Honored to highlight our work @braincircuits.bsky.social @massgenbrigham.bsky.social Neuro Research Day. Thank you @shansiddiqi.bsky.social @fredschaper.bsky.social Sheena Baratano and Sam Snider for sharing your experience.

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Michael Okun @michaelokun.bsky.social · Jul 16

Can dogs really smell Parkinson’s? Spoiler alert: Yes. A new study by Rooney and colleagues in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease confirms what many people have long suspected. Dogs can be trained to detect Parkinson’s just by sniffing oily skin swabs. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social #parkinson

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Michael Okun @michaelokun.bsky.social · Jul 11

Can we rewire and recover from an eating disorder? We must understand the actual underlying brain circuits. A terrific review in Nature Reviews Neuroscience urges us all to rethink eating disorders, not just as psychological struggles, but rather as disorders of brain circuitry. #bingeeating

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Michael Okun @michaelokun.bsky.social · Jun 27

Say cheese to detect Parkinson’s? Can AI see what doctors and healthcare providers miss? What if a simple smile could screen for Parkinson’s disease? A new study just published in NEJM AI shows that AI can potentially spot Parkinson’s simply by analyzing facial expressions. #parkinson

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox, Alessandro Gozzi

Damien Fair @drdamienfair.bsky.social · Jun 26

Alert!!!!

“An Action Networks Model for Pain”

We propose a new model for chronic pain — and highlight two functionally connected cortical networks that could revolutionize how we treat it.

👉 thread below 🧵

osf.io/preprints/ps...

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Lauren Hart @laurenahart.bsky.social · Jun 24

🧠 ⚡️ Preprint alert ⚡️ 🧠

I️n the most comprehensive review of DBS in epilepsy, with 124 studies, 1,210 patients, and 20 anatomical targets we map where stimulation works best and why.

Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy: Optimal Targeting and Clinical Outcomes
www.researchgate.net/publication/...

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox, Alessandro Gozzi

Bratislav Misic @misicbata.bsky.social · Jun 20

Benchmarking methods for mapping functional connectivity in the brain | doi.org/10.1038/s415...

What is the best measure of functional connectivity (FC)?

led by @zhenqi.bsky.social in @natmethods.nature.com ⤵️

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Alexander Li Cohen @drdrxanderli.bsky.social · Jun 17

Thrilled our ADHD network mapping work is now out in Annals of the Child Neurology Society, and honored to be featured on the cover!
🔗 Full article: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

@childneurosoc.bsky.social @bostonchildrens.bsky.social @simonwarfield.bsky.social @braincircuits.bsky.social

Coordinate Network Mapping of Focal Brain Volume Differences in ADHD Reveals Common Patterns That Lack Specificity: A Systematic Review

Objective Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with decreased regional brain volume, yet no consistent localization has emerged across studies. This discrepancy has be...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Isaiah Kletenik @isaiahneuro.bsky.social · Jun 11

Can a brain injury lead someone to commit a crime?

Brain imaging is increasingly introduced as evidence in criminal trials but it remains unclear which structural injuries play a causal role in criminal behavior. @braincircuits.bsky.social @foxmdphd.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

White matter disconnection in acquired criminality - Molecular Psychiatry

Molecular Psychiatry - White matter disconnection in acquired criminality

www.nature.com

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Michael Fox @foxmdphd.bsky.social · Jun 4

Thank you @andreashorn.org @braincircuits.bsky.social for the wonderful celebration. Thank you to everyone who cited this paper.

Andreas Horn @andreashorn.org · Jun 2

@foxmdphd.bsky.social's legendary anticorrelation paper has now been cited over 10.000 times and this was reason for a dedicated PNAS cake. Congratulations again, Mike, for this unbelievable pioneering effort that opened up the then novel field of resting-state fMRI!

@braincircuits.bsky.social

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Reposted by Michael H. Fox

Andreas Horn @andreashorn.org · Jun 2

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Reposted by David M. Amodio, Michael Anderson, Michael H. Fox , and 1 more David M. Amodio, Michael Anderson, Michael H. Fox, Alessandro Gozzi

Lucina Uddin @lucinauddin.bsky.social · May 28

When I first started working with resting state fMRI as a postdoc, there was a lot of skepticism about what we could learn from it. 20 years later, it's hard to imagine where the field of neuroscience would be without it. Here's a summary 🧠 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The history and future of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging - Nature

This Review provides an overview of the history of resting-state functional MRI research, which has helped to reveal the spatiotemporal organization of the brain, and discusses how it can contribute f...

www.nature.com

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Michael Fox @foxmdphd.bsky.social · May 24

Is there a shared brain circuit target for tremor that transcends diagnosis and DBS site? New work by @lukasgoede.bsky.social @andreashorn.org @braincircuits.bsky.social says YES

Lukas Goede @lukasgoede.bsky.social · May 22

Tremor is a common symptom across many neurological disorders.

But is there a shared tremor circuit across disorders - one that could guide treatment, regardless of diagnosis?

We think: yes.

Our study is out now in @natcomms.nature.com:

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

🧵 A thread.

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