Interests

Maria Concetta Pellicciari has a long-lasting experience in the application of several neurophysiological and neuromodulation techniques (i.e., transcranial magnetic stimulation-TMS combined also with electroencephalography-EEG, transcranial electrical stimulation, tES) and in their combination in integrated multimodal approaches. The main aim of her studies is to identify specific neurophysiological markers that can be used for diagnosis and prognosis of different neurological and psychiatric brain diseases. Specifically, she has implemented advanced methods of TMS-EEG co-registration and analysis for studying cortical activity and cortico-cortical connectivity, in experimental and clinical fields. In the TMS-EEG field, her main scientific objective is the identification of cortical markers (in terms of activity, connectivity and oscillations) for a greater understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying neurological and psychiatric brain diseases. She has investigated the cortical plasticity effects and behavioral outcomes induced by different non-invasive brain stimulation techniques (TMS and transcranial electrical stimulation-tES) with a specific interest for cortical excitability of different brain areas and in different aged subjects and AD patients. In the last years, she has strengthened her interest for the topic of cortical excitability and activity in clinical neurophysiology of neurological and psychiatric disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Stroke and Depression).