Christian Leukel

Dr. Christian Leukel

University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

19Years (2008-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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4 April 2012 in European Journal of Neuroscience
Verified
Journal Article
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Christian LeukelChristian Leukel
Christian Leukel
WTWolfgang Taube
Wolfgang Taube
SBSandra Beck
Sandra Beck
MSMartin Schubert
Martin Schubert
The aim of the present study was to artificially induce plasticity in the human spinal cord and evaluate whether this plasticity is pathway specific. For this purpose, a technique called paired associative stimulation (PAS) was applied. Volleys evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation over the primary motor cortex and peripheral nerve stimulation of the nervus tibialis in the popliteal fossa were timed to coincide at the spinal level. The transmission of different corticospinal projections was assessed before and after PAS using conditioned H‐reflexes. Different groups of healthy volunteers (28 ± 5 years) were tested; intervention groups 1 (n = 9) and 2 (n = 8) received spinal PAS (360 paired stimuli) and the induced effects were evaluated using cortical (group 1) or cervicomedullary (group 2) conditioning of musculus soleus H‐reflexes. After spinal PAS, the conditioned H‐reflexes were significantly facilitated when tested with cortical and cervicomedullary stimulation. The effect of the latter technique is independent of changes in the excitability of cortical neurons. Therefore, the finding that conditioned H‐reflexes were increased after spinal PAS when tested with both cortical and cervicomedullary stimulation suggests that neural plasticity was induced within the spinal cord. The facilitation could only be observed for specific inter‐stimulus intervals between volleys induced by peripheral nerve stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation. As the specific inter‐stimulus intervals were assumed to relate to transmission within specific motor pathways, it is argued that changes in the corticospinal transmission were pathway‐specific. These findings may be helpful in inducing and assessing neural plasticity in pathological conditions like spinal cord injuries.

14 June 2008 in Experimental Brain Research
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Journal Article
Closed access
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Christian LeukelChristian Leukel
Christian Leukel
AGAlbert Gollhofer
Albert Gollhofer
MKMartin Keller
Martin Keller
WTWolfgang Taube
Wolfgang Taube

9 August 2016 in Journal of Behavioral Medicine
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Journal Article
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HMHendrik Mothes
Hendrik Mothes
Christian LeukelChristian Leukel
Christian Leukel
HJHan-Gue Jo
Han-Gue Jo
HSHarald Seelig
Harald Seelig
SSStefan Schmidt
Stefan Schmidt
RFReinhard Fuchs
Reinhard Fuchs

1 February 2012 in Human Movement Science
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Journal Article
Closed access
Christian LeukelChristian Leukel
Christian Leukel
WTWolfgang Taube
Wolfgang Taube
MLMichael Lorch
Michael Lorch
AGAlbert Gollhofer
Albert Gollhofer

8 May 2018 in European Journal of Neuroscience
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
PWPatrick Wiegel
Patrick Wiegel
NNNiclas Niemann
Niclas Niemann
JRJohn C. Rothwell
John C. Rothwell
Christian LeukelChristian Leukel
Christian Leukel

1 January 2015 in Clinical Neurophysiology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Christian LeukelChristian Leukel
Christian Leukel
WTWolfgang Taube
Wolfgang Taube
Dr. Jörn RittwegerDr. Jörn Rittweger
Dr. Jörn Rittweger
AGAlbert Gollhofer
Albert Gollhofer
MDMichel Ducos
Michel Ducos
JLJesper Lundbye-Jensen
Jesper Lundbye-Jensen