Lead-DBS Hands-On Workshop in Cologne
Over two full days, running from morning to late afternoon, participants will work through the full pipeline of Lead-DBS: from raw pre- and postoperative imaging, through electrode localization and electric-field modelling, to group-level analyses that link stimulation sites, fiber tracts and brain networks to clinical outcomes. Short talks introduce the concepts behind each step, and most of the time is spent on guided hands-on sessions led by the Lead-DBS team.
Who should attendThe workshop is aimed at clinicians, researchers and students who work with deep brain stimulation data, or plan to, and want to analyse it with Lead-DBS. It suits both new users who want a structured start and experienced users who want to go deeper into group analyses and connectomic methods. Basic familiarity with neuroimaging is helpful. No programming experience is required.
Planned highlights
Day one (Thursday): Foundations, image processing and sweetspot mapping
- Opening keynote by Andreas Horn: the impact of Lead-DBS on the field and where it is heading.
- Where Lead-DBS stands today: the Lead-DBS team presents recent and ongoing developments, including multimodal imaging, the move towards Python and new ways of visualizing results.
- OSS-DBS and biophysical modelling with Konstantin Butenko: electrode localization, electric fields and the biophysical modelling behind electric-field estimates.
- Image preprocessing and quality control: how to set up a dataset, coregister and normalize images, and check each step carefully, so that problems are caught early rather than at the analysis stage.
- Electrode localization and electric-field estimation: reconstructing electrode positions and estimating the volume of tissue activated.
- Group analyses and sweetspot mapping: combining patients in Lead-Group and mapping which stimulation sites are linked to better outcomes.
Day two (Friday): Fiber filtering and network mapping
- Fiber filtering: an introductory talk, followed by hands-on sessions covering the full workflow, from setting up an analysis to reading the results and judging how robust they are.
- Network mapping with Bahne Bahners: an introduction to the concepts of network mapping, followed by a hands-on session on practical analysis workflows using normative connectomes.
- Troubleshooting and open Q&A: dedicated time for your own questions, problems you have run into in your own projects, and discussion with the Lead-DBS team.
- Feedback and closing: a joint session to wrap up and to hear what you would like to see in future workshops.
What you will take homeBy the end of the workshop, participants should be able to process a DBS dataset from start to finish, judge the quality of each processing step, and set up and interpret sweetspot, fiber filtering and network analyses. Just as importantly, you will know the people behind the toolbox and where to turn with questions later on.
Talks and speakersFurther speakers will be announced soon. Each talk is followed by time for discussion, and a detailed programme will follow.
Social evening at Haus UnkelbachOn the first evening, we will meet at Haus Unkelbach in Cologne. It is a chance to meet the developers and other participants in a relaxed setting and continue the day’s discussions.
Before the workshopInstallation guides will be shared ahead of time. Installing the required software is compulsory, and participants will be asked to confirm successful installation before their attendance is confirmed. This lets us spend the workshop on analysis rather than setup. Please bring your own laptop.
- 250 € for trainees (PhD students & postdocs)
- 450 € for PIs (junior PIs to full professors)
- 550 € for participants from industry
