Alwina Stein


Institute for Biomagnetism & Biosignalanalysis
Malmedyweg 15
48149 Münster


Phone: +49 251 83 594 05
E-mail: alwinastein@uni-muenster.de
Web: http://biomag.uni-muenster.de

Alwina Stein

PhD in 2015

Research Project

Neural plasticity is a fundamental prerequisite for the functionality of the cortical system. It enables us to receive, process and react to environmental demands. However, sometimes this mechanism also causes a maladaptive reorganization. Results can be phantom sensations like phantom limb or tinnitus.
Tinnitus, the perception of a sound without an external source, seems to be caused by reduced inhibition within the auditory cortex. The imbalance of neural excitation and inhibition - often caused by hearing loss - leads to hypersensitivity, increased synchronous firing rates and enhanced spontaneous firing. Neural reorganization in the auditory cortex in turn leads to the tinnitus perception.
In my dissertation project, I am working on the modulation of inhibition-induced plasticity in the auditory system and its application on tinnitus patients. I use magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings to measure the effects of neural plasticity in the human cortical system. The project is embedded in the general aim to gain new insight into neural plasticity, using maladaptive plasticity as an example.

Promotion Committee

Prof. Dr. Christo Pantev
Prof. Dr. Pienie Zwitserlood
Prof. Dr. Markus Lappe

Publications

Pantev C., Rudack C., Stein A., Wunderlich R., Engell A., Lau P., Wollbrink A., Shaykevich A. (2014). Study protocol: münster tinnitus randomized controlled clinical trial-2013 based on tailor-made notched music training (TMNMT), BMC neurology, 2014, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 40

Stein A., Engell A., Okamoto H., Wollbrink A., Lau P., et al. (2013). Modulatory Effects of Spectral Energy Contrasts on Lateral Inhibition in the Human Auditory Cortex: An MEG Study. PLoS ONE 8(12): e80899. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080899

Feldmann R., Bartels S., Stein A., Pfinder M. (2013). Das Fetale Alkoholsyndrom (The fetale alcohol syndrome). In: von Hagen C., Koletzko B. (Hrsg.) Alkoholmissbrauch im Kindes- und Jugendalter (Alcohol abuse in childhood and adolescents). Kohlhammer, Stuttgart: 28-65

Conference Contributions

Stein A.*, Engell A.*, Pantev C. (2014). Cortical Plasticity in Tinnitus Patients after Repetitive Exposure to Tailor-Made Notched Music. *Both authors contributed equally to this work. Poster presented and talk held at the 30th International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology (ICCN), March 2014, Berlin, Germany.

Stein A., Engell A., Okamoto H., Wollbrink A., Pantev C. (2013). Modulatory Effects of Spectral Energy Contrasts on Lateral Inhibition in the Human Auditory Cortex. Poster presented at the Conference of the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI), Valencia, Spain.

Engell A.*, Stein A.*, Pantev C. (2013). Short-Term Plasticity in Tinnitus Patients. * Both authors contributed equally to this work. Poster presented at the Conference of the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI), Valencia, Spain.

Awards

Stein A. (2014). IFCN Young Investigator Award from the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Awarded at the 30th International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology (ICCN), March 2014, Berlin, Germany.
Engell A.*, Stein A.*, Pantev C. (2013). Cortical Plasticity in Tinnitus Patients after Repetitive Exposure to Tailor-Made Notched Music. * Both authors contributed equally to this work. Award for the best poster presentation, NeuroVisionen 9, 29 November 2013, Cologne, Germany.

CV

*1986 Tschimkent, Kasachstan
2006–2012 Studies in Psychology at the University of Münster
2011-2012 Diploma thesis at the Department of Clinical Psychology at the University of Münster; Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Fred Rist and Prof. Dr. Anya Pedersen (Title: “Neural correlates of conflict monitoring during a Flanker-Go/Nogo hybrid task")
since 2012 PhD student at the Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster