Santaniello, Sabato

Sabato Santaniello

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Email sabato@engr.uconn.edu
Phone (860) 486-4701
Mailing Address 260 Glenbrook Road, Unit 3247, Storrs, CT 06269
Campus Storrs
Link Lab Website
Google Scholar Link

Brief Bio

One research thrust focuses on the development of modeling tools and analyses to understand the effects of neural disorders on the brain’s electrophysiology, from single units to neural populations. A second thrust focuses on designing control algorithms for adaptive, robust, and optimal neural prostheses, with application to Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, deep brain stimulation, and brain-computer interface. One ongoing project aims at developing algorithms for automatic localization of the epileptogenic onset zone and seizure onset detection in drug-resistant epilepsy patients.

The project investigates the dynamics of the brain network as a seizure approaches by combining multivariate statistics, Bayesian estimation, and optimal control. The goal is to use intracranial EEG recordings to (i) reconstruct and track the topology of the brain network over time, and (ii) identify topological signatures that are specific of the seizure state and uniquely localize the epileptogenic onset zone. The rule that detects these signatures from sequential intracranial EEG measurements is adaptive and optimizes the trade-off between specificity and sensitivity by minimizing a cost function of both the detection delay and the probability of false positives. Another ongoing project aims at understanding the role of stimulation-elicited resonant effects in the motor striatum in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease via high frequency deep brain stimulation.

 

  • Deep Brain Stimulation;
  • Movement Disorders;
  • Epilepsy;
  • Seizure Onset Detection;
  • Brain Computer Interface;
  • Neural Prosthetics;
  • Computational Neuroscience.

ENGR 1166: Foundations of Engineering (Undergraduate Level)
BME 6086-017: Advanced Methods for Biomedical Signal Analysis (Graduate Level)
BME 3100: Physiological Modeling (Undergraduate Level)
BME 6086-004: Fundamentals of Neural Control (Graduate Level)

  1. Zhang, X.*, Hancock, R., & Santaniello, S. (2021). “Transcranial direct current stimulation of cerebellum alters spiking precision in cerebellar cortex: A modeling study of cellular responses,” PLoS Computational Biology, 17(12), e1009609. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009609
  2. Schreglmann, …,  Zhang, X.*, …, Santaniello, S., … & Grossman, N. (2021). Non-invasive suppression of essential tremor via phase-locked disruption of its temporal coherence. Nature Communications, 12(1), 363. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20581-7
  3. Kang Y-J, Clement, EM, Sumsky SL*, Xiang Y, Park I-N, Santaniello S, Greenfield LJ Jr., Garcia-Rill E, Lee S-H (2020) “The Critical Role of Persistent Sodium Current in Hippocampal Gamma Oscillations,” Neuropharmacology, vol. 162:107787. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107787
  4. Sood D, Cairns DM, Dabbi JM, Ramakrishnan C, Deisseroth K, Black LD, III, Santaniello S, Kaplan DL (2019) “Functional Maturation of Human Neural Stem Cells in a 3D Bioengineered Brain Model Enriched with Fetal Brain-derived Matrix,” Sci. Rep., vol. 9:17874. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54248-1
  5. Zhang, X.*, Santaniello, S. (2019) “Role of Cerebellar GABAergic Dysfunctions in the Origins of Essential Tremor,” Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA., vol. 116(27):13592-601. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817689116. NEURON codes are available at: http://modeldb.yale.edu/257028.
  6. Saxena S, Sarma SV, Patel SR, Santaniello S, Eskandar EN, Gale JT (2019) “Modulations in Oscillatory Activity of Globus Pallidus Internus Neurons During a Directed Hand Movement Task — A Primary Mechanism for Motor Planning,” Front. Syst. Neurosci., vol. 13:15. DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2019.00015
  7. Sumsky SL*, Santaniello S (2019) “Decision Support System for Seizure Onset Zone Localization based on Channel Ranking and High Frequency EEG Activity,” IEEE J. Biomed. Health Inf., vol. 23(4):1535-45. DOI: 10.1109/JBHI.2018.2867875
  8. Tang-Schomer M, Jackvony T, Santaniello S (2018) “Cortical Network Synchrony under Applied Electrical Field in Vitro,” Front. Neurosci., vol. 12:630. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00630
  9. Santaniello S, Gale, JT, Sarma SV (2018) “Systems approaches to optimizing deep brain stimulation therapies in Parkinson’s disease,” WIREs Syst Biol Med, e1421. DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1421
  10. Sumsky SL*, Schieber MH, Thakor NV, Sarma SV, Santaniello S (2017) “Decoding Kinematics Using Task-Independent Movement-Phase-Specific Encoding Models,” IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng., 25(11):2122-32. DOI: 10.1109/TNSRE.2017.2709756
  11. Kang X, Sarma SV, Santaniello S, Schieber M, Thakor NV (2015) “Task-Independent Cognitive State Transition Detection from Cortical Neurons during 3D Reach-to-Grasp Movements,” IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng., vol. 23(4):676-82. DOI: 10.1109/TNSRE.2015.2396495
  12. Yaffe RB, Borger P, Megevand P, Groppe DM, Kramer MA, Chu CJ, Santaniello S, Meisel C, Mehta AD, Sarma SV (2015) “Physiology of Functional and Effective Networks in Epilepsy,” Clin. Neurophysiol., vol. 126(2):227-36. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2014.09.009
  13. Santaniello S, McCarthy MM, Montgomery EB Jr., Gale JT, Kopell N, Sarma SV (2015) “Therapeutic Mechanisms of High Frequency Stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease and Neural Restoration via Loop-based Reinforcement,” Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 112(6):E586-95. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1406549111
  14. Burns SP*, Santaniello S*, Yaffe RB, Jouny CC, Crone NE, Bergey GK, Anderson WS, Sarma SV (2014) “Network Dynamics of the Epileptic Brain and the Influence of Seizure Focus,” Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 111(49):E5321-30. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1401752111
  15. Santaniello S, Sherman DL, Thakor NV, Eskandar EN, Sarma SV (2012) “Optimal Control-based Bayesian Detection of Clinical and Behavioral State Transitions,” IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng., vol. 20(5):708-19. DOI: 10.1109/TNSRE.2012.2210246
  16. Santaniello S, Montgomery EB Jr., Gale JT, Sarma SV (2012) “Non-stationary Discharge Patterns in Motor Cortex under Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation,” Front. Integr. Neurosci., vol. 6:35. DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2012.00035
  17. Santaniello S, Burns SP, Golby AJ, Singer JM, Anderson WS, Sarma SV (2011) “Quickest Detection of Drug-Resistant Seizures: An Optimal Control Approach,” Epilepsy Behav., vol. 22(Suppl. 1):S49-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2011.08.041
  18. Santaniello S, Fiengo G, Glielmo L, Grill WM (2011) “Closed-Loop Control of Deep Brain Stimulation: A Simulation Study,” IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng., vol. 19(1):15-24. DOI: 10.1109/TNSRE.2010.2081377
  19. Santaniello S, Fiengo G, Glielmo L, Catapano G (2008) “A Biophysically Inspired Microelectrode Recording-based Model for the Subthalamic Nucleus Activity in Parkinson’s Disease,” Biomed. Signal Process. & Control, vol. 3(3):203-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2008.03.001