Mamede de Carvalho Lab

Translational Clinical Physiology

This lab was formed by the merging of the previous Neuromuscular and Autonomic Nervous System Units, in order to establish a larger Unit interested in animal and human physiology studies. This Unit integrated some scientifically active members working in the Physiology Institute of the Faculty of Medicine-University of Lisbon. Prof Tiago Maia joined our group, adding behaviour and imaging-neurocomputational models of brain dysfunction as a new area of scientific development in our Unit.

We aim to increase our potential to investigate areas as the autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular regulation, motor neuron and peripheral nerve physiology, behavior and imaging-neurocomputational models of brain dysfunction. We plan to implement a translational, multi-methodological approach to neuromuscular and brain diseases, using animal models, clinical neurophysiology, neurocomputational models, brain imaging and neuropsychological experimentation. We target to approach both function and mechanisms of dysfunction by investigating specific disorders. In particular, we are interested in the following diseases: Tourette's syndrome and conflict adaptation; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and familial amyloid polyneuropathy; atrial fibrillation, neurogenic hypertension and neurocardiogenic syncope.

Click here to know more about HomeSenseALS project.

Research Team

Research Areas

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, neurophysiology and respiratory involvement.
• Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy and early markers of disease.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation, motor excitability and caffeine.
• Nerve Excitability.
• Atrial Fibrillation and autonomic nervous system.
• Neurogenic hypertension.
• Neurocardiogenic syncope.
• Biological signal processing.
• Diaphragm pacing.
• Integrated neuroimaging.
• Neurocomputational modelling of brain disorders.
• Tourette's syndrome.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Ongoing Research Projects

2018/2021 Avaliação detalhada de microRNA circulantes como biomarcadores de diagnóstico e prognóstico em Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica. Coordinator: Mamede de Carvalho. Funding Agency: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia.

2018/2021 Investigação Sindrome Tourette. Coordinator: Tiago Maia. Funding Agency: Ampastta.

2017/2021 Computational Psychiatry Consulting on Pediatric Mental Illnesses. Coordinator: Tiago Maia. Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Awards

2011/2012 Award of Best Communication in Lisbon Arrhythmia Meeting with the work entitled "Changes in ion channel and connexin gene expression induced by autonomic stimulation: potential interactions with atrial remodeling?"( awarded to Mário Oliveira)

2011/2012 Jorge Quininha Awards for the following publications: "Acute Vagal Modulation of Electrophysiology of the pulmonary veins and atrial vulnerability to atrial fibrillation power increase", "Effects of acute autonomic modulation on atrial conduction delay and local electrograms duration in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation" and" Defining left bundle branch block in the era of cardiac Resynchronization therapy ". (awarded to Mário Oliveira)

2011 Clinical Research Fellowship in Neuromuscular Diseases awarded by the Portuguese Society of Neurology with the work entitled "Study of Neuronal Cito skeleton of Small Fiber in Neuropathies - Three Dimensional Reconstruction of high-resolution images with the use of Quantum Dots", Pedro Pereira and Mamede de Carvalho

2008 1st Prize Corino de Andrade-Novartis da Sociedade Portuguesa de Neurologia, for the paper "Predictive Value of the Respiratory Function Tests for Detecting Hypoventilation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" (awarded Susana Pinto; Anabela Pinto; Mamede de Carvalho)

Selected Publications

Gromicho M, Figueiral M, Uysal H, Grosskreutz J, Kuzma-Kozakiewicz M, Pinto P, Petri S, Madeira S, Swash M, de Carvalho M (2020). Spreading in ALS: the relative impact of upper and lower motor neuron involvement. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology 7:1181-1192.

Cavanagh SE, Malalasekera WN, Miranda B, Hunt, LT, Kennerley SW (2019). Visual fixation patterns during economic choice reflect covert valuation processes that emerge with learning. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 116(45): 22795-22801.

González-Duarte A, Berk JL, Quan D, Mauermann ML, Schmidt HH, Polydefkis M, Waddington-Cruz M, Ueda M, Conceição IM, Kristen AV, Coelho T (2019). Analysis of autonomic outcomes in APOLLO, a phase III trial of the RNAi therapeutic patisiran in patients with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis. Journal of Neurology 267(3):703-712.

Miltenberger-Miltenyi G, Conceição VA, Gromicho M, Pronto-Laborinho AC, Pinto S, de Carvalho M (2019). C9orf72 expansion is associated with accelerated decline of respiratory function and decreased survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 90(1):118-120.

Johnsen B, Pugdahl K, Fuglsang-Frederiksen A, Kollewe K, Paracka L, Dengler R, Camdessanché JP, Nix W, Liguori R, Schofield I, Maderna L, Czell D, Neuwirth C, Weber M, Drory VE, Abraham A, Swash M, de Carvalho M (2019). Diagnostic criteria for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a multicenter study of inter-rater variation and sensitivity. Clinical Neurophysiology 130(2):307-314.

Pinto S, Gromicho M, Swash M, de Carvalho M (2019). Cervical Muscle Weakness Is a Marker of Respiratory Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery Psychiatry 91(3):323-324.

Pato MP, Santos NJG, Areias P, Pires, EB, de Carvalho M, Pinto, S, Lopes, DS (2011) "Finite element studies of the mechanical behavior of the diaphragm in normal and pathological cases". Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin; 14, 505-513.

de Carvalho M (2011) "The needle goes deeper in ALS". Clin Neurophysiol (Editorial); 122, 414-422.

de Carvalho M, Pinto S, Swash M (2011) " Does the motor cortex influence denervation in ALS? EMG studies of muscles with both contralateral and bilateral corticospinal innervations". Clin Neurophysiol; 122, 629-635.

de Carvalho M, (2011) "Deep Thoughts in ALS". Clin Neurophysiol (Editorial); 122, 845-846.

de Carvalho M, Swash M (2011) "Fasciculation-cramp syndrome preceding anterior horn cell disease: an intermediate syndrome? "J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry; 82, 459-461.

Lee T, Li YR, Ingre C, Weber M, Grehl T, Gredal O, de Carvalho M, Meyer T, Tysnes OB, Auburger G, Gispert S, Bonini NM, Andersen PM, Gitler AD, (2011) "Ataxin-2 intermediate-length polyglutamine expansions in European ALS patients". Hum Mol Genet; 20, 1697-1700.

de Carvalho M, (2011) "Why is ALS so excited?" Clin Neurophysiol (Editorial); 122, 1689-1690.

Neuwirth C, Nandedkar S, Stalberg E, Barkhaus PE, de Carvalho M, Furtula J, van Dijk JP, Baldinger R, Castro J, Costa J, Otto M, Sandberg A, Weber M (2011) "Motor Unit Number Index (MUNIX): A novel neurophysiological marker for neuromuscular disorders; test-retest reliability in healthy volunteers in a multicentre study". Clin Neurophysiol; 122, 1867-1872.

Neuwirth C, Nandedkar S, Stalberg E, Barkhaus PE, de Carvalho M, Furtula J, van Dijk JP, Baldinger R, Castro J, Costa J, Otto M, Sandberg A, Weber M (2011) "Motor Unit Number Index (MUNIX): Reference values of five different muscles in healthy subjects from a multi-centre study". Clin Neurophysiol; 122, 1895-1896.

Almeida V, Ohana B, de Carvalho M, Swash M (in press) (2011) "Patrikios syndrome: two patients with treatable flail-leg weakness". J Clin Neurosci.

de Carvalho M, Swash M (2011) "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: an update". Curr Opin Neurol; 24: 497-503.

Pereira AF, Silva MT, Martins JM, de Carvalho M (2011) "Implementation of an efficient muscle fatigue model in the framework of multibody systems dynamics for analysis of human movements". J Multi-body Dynamics 225: 359-370.

Swash M, de Carvalho M, (2011) "Muscle ultrasound detects fasciculations and facilitates diagnosis in ALS". Neurology (Editorial) 77, 1508-1509.

Pugdahl K, Fuglsang-Frederiksen A, Tankisi H, Johnsen B, de Carvalho; Fawcett P, Labarre-Vila A, Liguori R, Nix W, Schofield I, (2011) "Impact of medical audit on electrodiagnostic medicine in polyneuropathy". Clin Neurophysiol 122, 2523-2529.

Peter P, Sharon A, Borasio GD, de Carvalho M, Chio A, Van Damme P, Hardiman O, Karen M, Petri S, Pradat P-F, Silani V, Barbara T, Wasner M, Markus W (in press) "EFNS guidelines on the clinical management of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (MALS) - revised report of an EFNS task force". Eur J Neurol.

de Carvalho M, Dengler R, Eisen A, England JD, Kaji R, Kimura R, Mills K, Mitsumoto H, Nodera H, Shefner J, Swash M (2011) "The Awaji criteria for diagnosis of ALS" (letter) Muscle Nerve 44, 456-7.

Neutel D, Miltenberger-Miltenyi G, Silva I, de Carvalho M (in press) (2011) Chorea-acanthocytosis presenting as motor neuron disease. Muscle Nerve.

Pinto S, de Carvalho M, Swash M (in press) "Respiratory exercise in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis". Amyotr Lat Scler 13, 33-43.

Ostrowska M, de Carvalho M (in press) (2011) "Prognosis of phrenic nerve injury following thoracic interventions: 4 new cases and a review". Clin Neurol Neurosurg.

Lopes de Almeida JP, Silvestre R, Pinto AC, de Carvalho M (in press) (2011) "Exercise and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – a review". Neurol Sci.

Pinto S, Pinto A, de Carvalho M (in press) (2011) "Decreased heart variability predicts death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis". Muscle Nerve.

Swash M (in press) (2011). "Survey of non-invasive ventilation use in ALS in Britain" (Editorial). J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry.

Ratilal BO, Costa J, Sampaio C, Pappamikail L, (2011) "Antibiotic prophylaxis for preventing meningitis in patients with basilar skull fractures". Cochrane Database Syst Review. 8: CD004884.

Saldanha C,de Almeida JP (2011) "Erythrocyte as a link between basic and clinical research."Clin Hemorheol Microcirc; 49:463-72.

Mariano, C.; Silva, S.; Pereira P.; Fernandes A.; Brites D.; Brito M. (2011). "Evidence of tricellulin expression by immune cells, particularly microglia". Biochem Biophys Res Commun; 409: 799-802.

de Carvalho M, Pinto S (2011) "Lithium treatment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: do we have enough?" Expert Rev Neurother; 11, 1693-1698.

Duarte ST, Oliveira J, Santos R, Pereira P, Barroso C, Conceição I, Evangelista T. (2011) "Dominant and recessive RYR1 mutations in adults with core lesions and mild muscle symptoms" Muscle Nerve 44; 102-108.

Ferreira M, Evangelista T, Almeida LS, Martins J, Macario MC, Martins E, Moleirinho A, Azevedo L, Vilarinho L, Santorelli FM (2011) " Relative frequency of known causes of multiple mtDNA deletions: two novel POLG mutations". Neuromuscul Disord 21: 483-8.

Pereira JP, Barroso C, Evangelista T, Fonseca JE, Pereira da Silva JA (2011) "Macrophagic myofasciitis: a case report of autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA)". Acta Reumatol Port. 36: 75-6.

Ferreira DM, Castro RE, Machado MV, Evangelista T, Silvestre A, Costa A, Coutinho J, Carepa F, Cortez-Pinto H, Rodrigues CM (2011) "Apoptosis and insulin resistance in liver and peripheral tissues of morbidly obese patients is associated with different stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease". Diabetologia 54: 1788-98.

Swash M (2011) Nitric oxide and muscle weakness. (Editorial) Neurology 76: 940-941.

Valls-Sole J, Castillo CD, Casanova-Molla J, Costa J. (2011) Clinical consequences of reinnervation disorders after focal peripheral nerve lesions. Clin Neurophysiol.; 122: 219-28.

de Carvalho M and Swash M (2011) Fasciculation potentials: still mysterious Clin Neurophysiol (Editorial); 123: 399-401.

Costa J, Fareleira F, Ascenção R, Borges M, Sampaio C, Vaz-Carneiro A (2011) Clinical comparability of the new antiepileptic drugs in refractory partial epilepsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Epilepsia 52: 1280-91.

Bentes C, Costa J, Peralta R, Pires J, Sousa P, Paiva T (2011) Dream recall frequency and content in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia; 52: 2022-7.

Costa J (2011) Is neurophysiology a valuable marker of pre-clinical stages of Lewy Body Disorders? Clin Neurophysiol 122: 2330-1.

Costa J, Guzmán J, Valldeoriola F, Rumià J, Tolosa E, Casanova-Molla J, Valls-Solé J (2011) Modulation of the soleus H reflex by electrical subcortical stimuli in humans. Exp Brain Res 112: 439-48.

de Almeida JP, Freitas-Santos T, Saldanha C, (2011) Evidence that the degree of band 3 phosphorylation modulates human erythrocytes nitric oxide efflux - in vitro model of hyperfibrinogenemia".Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 49: 407-16.

Oliveira M, Silva N, Matos L, Xavier R, Geraldes V, Ferreira R, Silva-Carvalho L, Rocha I (2011) "Effect of vagal stimulation on atrial refractoriness and vulnerability to induce atrial fibrillation in the anaesthetized rabbit". Exp Physiol. 96: 125-33.

Guimarães D, de M Carvalho; L, Geraldes V, Rocha I, Santos JP (2011) "Study of lead accumulation in bones of Wistar rats by X-ray fluorescence analysis: aging effect". Metallomics. 4: 66 – 71.

Oliveira M, da Silva N, Cunha P, Ramos R, Marques F, Santos S, Rocha I, Silva-Carvalho L, Ferreira R (2011) "Effects of acute autonomic modulation on atrial conduction delay and local electrograms duration in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation". Int Journal Cardiol 149: 290-295.

Guimarães D, JP Santos, ML Carvalho, G Vale, HM Santos, Geraldes, V, Rocha, I, JL Capelo (2011) "Ultrasonic energy as a tool to overcome some drawbacks in the determination of lead in brain tissue and urine of rats.". Talanta 86: 442–446.

Guimarães D, ML Carvalho , Geraldes, V, Rocha I, JP Santos (in press) "Lead concentration in feces and urine of exposed rats by X-ray Fluorescence and Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry" XRay Spectroscopy.

Delgado, E; Marques-Neves, C; Rocha, I ; Sales-Luís, J ; Silva-Carvalho, L (in press) "Modulation of Vasomotive Activity in Rabbit External Ophthalmic Artery by Neuropeptides". J Ophthalmology.

Domingos F, Escalda A (in press) "Causes of autonomic dysfunction in idiopathic recurrent kidney stone formers". Int Urol Nephrol.

Guimarães D, JP Santos, ML Carvalho, G Vale, HM Santos, Geraldes V, Rocha I, JL Capelo, Domingos F, Serra A (2011) "Nephrolithiasis is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease" Nephrol Dial Transplant. 26: 864-8.

Fonseca AC, Geraldes R, Almeida V, Pinho e Melo T (2011) "Treatment with rtPA of stroke associated with intravenous immunoglobulins perfusion" J Neurol Sci. 308, 180-1.

Maia, TV, Frank M J (2011) From reinforcement learning models to psychiatric and neurological disorders. Nat Neuroscience 14: 154-162.

Horga G, Maia TV, Wang P, Wang Z, Marsh R, Peterson, BS (2011) Adaptation to conflict via context-driven anticipatory signals in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. J Neuroscience 31: 16208 –16216.

Posner J, Maia TV, Fair D, Peterson BS, Sonuga-Barke EJ, Nagel BJ (2011) The attenuation of dysfunctional emotional processing with stimulant medication: An fMRI study of adolescents with ADHD. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 193:151-160.

Posner J, Nagel B J, Maia TV, Mechlin, A, Oh M, Wang Z, Peterson BS (2011) Abnormal amygdalar activation and connectivity in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolescent Psychiatry 50: 828-837.

Wang Z, Maia TV, Marsh R, Colibazzi T, Gerber,A, Peterson, BS (in press) The neural circuits that generate tics in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. American Journal of Psychiatry.

Maia TV, McClelland JL (in press). A neurocomputational approach to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

Swash M and de Carvalho M (2011). Muscle ultrasound detects fasciculations and facilitates diagnosis in ALS (Editorial). Neurology; 77: 1508-1509. Citações = 1.

Pugdahl K, Fuglsang-Frederiksen A, Tankisi H, Johnsen B, de Carvalho; Fawcett P, Labarre-Vila A, Liguori R, Nix W, Schofield I (2011). Impact of medical audit on electrodiagnostic medicine in polyneuropathy. Clin Neurophysiol; 122: 2523-2529.

de Carvalho M, Dengler R, Eisen A, England JD, Kaji R, Kimura R, Mills K, Mitsumoto H, Nodera H, Shefner J, Swash M (2011). The Awaji criteria for diagnosis of ALS (letter). Muscle Nerve; 44: 456-7.

Rodrigues SM, de Carvalho M, Mestre T, Ferreira JJ, Coelho M, Peralta R, Vale P (2012). Paralytic shellfish poisoning due to ingestion of Gymnodinium catenatum contamined cockles – application of the AOAC HPLC official method. Toxicon 59: 558-566.

Vasconcelos A, Abecasis F, Monteiro R, Camilo C, Vieira M, de Carvalho M, Correia M (2012). A 3-month-old baby with H1N1 and Guillain-Barre syndrome. BMJ Case Rep pii: bcr1220115462. doi: 10.1136/bcr.12.2011.5462.

Conceição I, NZwalo H, de Carvalho M (in press). Coexistence of transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy and hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsy. Clin Neurol Neurosurg.

de Carvalho M (in press). Estimating the value of estimation. Clin Neurophysiol (editorial).

Costa J, Swash M, de Carvalho M (in press). The Awaji criteria for the diagnosis of ALS: a systematic review. Arch Neurol.

Pinto S, Pinto A, de Carvalho M (in press). Phrenic nerve studies predict survival in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Clin Neurophysiol .

de Carvalho M (2012). Does Awaji decrease diagnostic yield in ALS? (letter). Muscle Nerve 46:142-143.

Chester C, de Carvalho M, Miltenberger G, Pereira S, Dillen L, van der Zee J, Broeckhoven CV, de Mendonça A (in press). Rapidly progressive fronto temporal dementia and bulbar amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Portuguese patients with C9orf72 mutation. Amyotr Lat Scler.

Pena MJ, Ravasco P, Machado M, Pinto A, Pinto S, Rocha L, de Carvalho M, Cortez Pinto H (2012). What is the relevance of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy on the survival of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis? Amyotr Lat Scler 13:550-554.

Mestre TA, Lang AE, Ferreira JJ, Almeida V, de Carvalho M, Miyasaki J, Chen R, Fox SH (2012). Associated movement disorders in orthostatic tremor. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 83:725-729.

Almeida V, de Carvalho M, Scotto M, Pinto P, Pinto A, Ohana B, Swash M (in press). Primary lateral sclerosis: predicting functional outcome. Amyotr Lat Scler.

Lopes de Almeida JP, Pinto A, Pinto S, Ohana B, de Carvalho M (2012). Economic Cost of Home-Telemonitoring Care for BiPAP-assisted ALS Individuals. Amyotr Lat Scler 13:533-537.

de Carvalho M (in press). Testing upper motor neuron function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: the most difficult task of neurophysiology. Brain.

Pinto S, de Carvalho M (in press). Can inspiratory muscle training increase survival in early-affected Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis patients? Amyotr Lat Scler.

de Carvalho M (in press). Split-had to diagnosis shot. Clin Neurophysiol (editorial).

de Carvalho M. (in press). Is better than it seems or just good enough? The Tafamidis saga". Muscle Nerve (editorial).

Conceição I. Clinical Features of TTR- FAP in Portugal.. Amyloid. 2012 Jun;19 Suppl 1:71-2. Epub 2012 Apr 6.

Coelho T, Maia LF, Martins da Silva A, Waddington Cruz M, Planté-Bordeneuve V, Lozeron P, Suhr O, Campistol J M, Conceição I, Schmidt H. J., Trigo P, Kelly J, Labaudi. nière R, Chan J, Packman J, Wilson A, And Grogan D R. Tafamidis For transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy: a randomized, controlled trial. Neurology. 2012 Aug 21;79(8):785-92.

Dombrowski, P. A., Maia, T. V., Boschen, S. L., Bortolanza, M., Wendler, E., Schwarting, R. K. W., Brandão, M. L., Winn, P., Blaha, C. D., & Da Cunha, C. (in press). Evidence that conditioned avoidance responses are reinforced by positive prediction errors signaled by striatal dopamine. Behavioural Brain Research.

Horga*, G. & Maia*, T. V. (2012). Conscious and unconscious processes in cognitive control: a theoretical perspective and a novel empirical approach. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Vol. 6:199, pp. 1-7. *Authors contributed equally.

Horga, G., Maia, T. V., Wang, P., Wang, Z., Marsh, R., & Peterson, B. S. (2011). Adaptation to conflict via context-driven anticipatory signals in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 31, No. 45, pp. 16208 –16216.

Posner, J., Nagel, B. J., Maia, T. V., Mechling, A., Oh, M., Wang, Z., & Peterson, B. S. (2011). Abnormal amygdalar activation and connectivity in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 50, No. 8, pp. 828-837.

Maia, T. V., & Frank, M. J. (2011). From reinforcement learning models to psychiatric and neurological disorders. Nature Neuroscience, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 154-162.

Postolache O, Girão SPM, Postolache G. Seismocardiogram and Ballistocardiogram Sensing. International Journal of Measurement Technologies and Instrumentations Engineering (IJMTIE), vol. 1, no.3, pp.367-388, 2011

Postolache O, Girão SPM, Perreira DM, Postolache G. FMCW Radar Sensors for Vital Signs and Motor Activity Monitoring. ICST Transaction on Ambient System, vol. 11, no. 10-12, pp. 1-10, 2011

Useful Links