CENSE (Center for Experimental Neuroscience)

CENSE (Center for Experimental Neuroscience)

  • Department of Neurosurgery and the Danish Neuroscience Center, Aarhus University Hospital      

Center for Experimental Neurosciense (CENSE) at the Department of Neurosurgery and the Danish Neuroscience Center focuses on large animal research, specifically on the Göttingen minipig, for developing models of neurologic and psychiatric diseases. The brain of the minipig has a large degree of homology to the human brain and is sufficiently large for the use of human sized implant materials, neuromodulation devices, new medicine and stem cells for preclinical testing. CENSE has developed new anatomical atlases and MRI-guided stereotaxic equipment for placement of electrodes and neuromodulatory devices in the central nervous system, including the spinal cord. This includes the neurosurgical techniques as well as high TESLA MRI, PET and CT to test in vivo function. The group has also developed histopathology techniques for brain extraction and exact sectioning of brain sections in relation to scanning modalities and stereology purposes. Our procedures are performed according to GLP standards and conform to Aarhus University’s Animal Welfare Policy.   

Research focus

  • Translational neuroscience
  • Animal models of neurologic and psychiatric diseases
  • Neurosurgery
  • Neuromodulation
  • Pain research
  • Spinal cord lesion
  • Neuroanatomy  & neurobiology

  

Techniques

  • Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
  • Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)
  • Stereotaxic neurosurgery and neuronavigation
  • Multicoil repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation  (rTMS)
  • Neurostereology and neurohistology
  • Anaesthesia and surgical procedures in large animal models
  • Behavioural analysis in large animal models
Photo: Dariusz Orlowski

Contact

PI/Centre leader/head of centre/main contact person:

Research coordinator:

Anne Sofie Møller Andersen

Project Manager, Research Coordinator