We are interested in developing novel imaging biomarkers for motor neuron diseases, i. e. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, primary lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, post-polio syndrome.
Currently several prospective imaging studies are ongoing that evaluate novel sequences and MR approaches developed by our partners in MR physic (Prof. Olivier Bieri, Magnetic Resonance Physics & Methodology and PD Dr. Santini, Basel Muscle MRI).
We also conduct post-mortem studies to validate these novel MR-parameters in collaboration with the research groups of Prof. Eva Scheuer and PD Dr. Claudia Lenz, University of Basel.
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Selected Publications
Kesenheimer, Eva Maria, Wendebourg, Maria Janina, Weidensteiner, Claudia, Sander, Laura, Weigel, Matthias, Haas, Tanja, Fischer, Dirk, Neuwirth, Christoph, Braun, Nathalie, Weber, Markus, Granziera, Cristina, Sinnreich, Michael, Bieri, Oliver, & . (2025). Spinal cord gray matter atrophy is associated with disability in spinal muscular atrophy [Journal-article]. Journal of Neurology, 272(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-024-12740-3
Kesenheimer, Eva Maria, Wendebourg, Maria Janina, Weidensteiner, Claudia, Sander, Laura, Weigel, Matthias, Haas, Tanja, Fischer, Dirk, Neuwirth, Christoph, Braun, Nathalie, Weber, Markus, Granziera, Cristina, Sinnreich, Michael, Bieri, Oliver, & . (2025). Spinal cord gray matter atrophy is associated with disability in spinal muscular atrophy [Journal-article]. Journal of Neurology, 272(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-024-12740-3
Wendebourg, Maria Janina, Kesenheimer, Eva, Sander, Laura, Weigel, Matthias, Weidensteiner, Claudia, Haas, Tanja, Madoerin, Philipp, Diebold, Martin, Deigendesch, Nikolaus, Neuhaus, Dominique, Naumann, Nicole, Neuwirth, Christoph, Braun, Nathalie, Weber, Markus, Granziera, Cristina, Scheurer, Eva, Lenz, Claudia, Schweikert, Kathi, Sinnreich, Michael, et al. (2024). The Lateral Corticospinal Tract Sign: An MRI Marker for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis [Journal-article]. Radiology, 312(3). https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.231630
Wendebourg, Maria Janina, Kesenheimer, Eva, Sander, Laura, Weigel, Matthias, Weidensteiner, Claudia, Haas, Tanja, Madoerin, Philipp, Diebold, Martin, Deigendesch, Nikolaus, Neuhaus, Dominique, Naumann, Nicole, Neuwirth, Christoph, Braun, Nathalie, Weber, Markus, Granziera, Cristina, Scheurer, Eva, Lenz, Claudia, Schweikert, Kathi, Sinnreich, Michael, et al. (2024). The Lateral Corticospinal Tract Sign: An MRI Marker for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis [Journal-article]. Radiology, 312(3). https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.231630
Wendebourg, Maria Janina, Weigel, Matthias, Weidensteiner, Claudia, Sander, Laura, Kesenheimer, Eva, Naumann, Nicole, Haas, Tanja, Madoerin, Philipp, Braun, Nathalie, Neuwirth, Christoph, Weber, Markus, Jahn, Kathleen, Kappos, Ludwig, Granziera, Cristina, Schweikert, Kathi, Sinnreich, Michael, Bieri, Oliver, & . (2024). Cervical and thoracic spinal cord gray matter atrophy is associated with disability in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [Journal-article]. European Journal of Neurology, 31(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.16268
Wendebourg, Maria Janina, Weigel, Matthias, Weidensteiner, Claudia, Sander, Laura, Kesenheimer, Eva, Naumann, Nicole, Haas, Tanja, Madoerin, Philipp, Braun, Nathalie, Neuwirth, Christoph, Weber, Markus, Jahn, Kathleen, Kappos, Ludwig, Granziera, Cristina, Schweikert, Kathi, Sinnreich, Michael, Bieri, Oliver, & . (2024). Cervical and thoracic spinal cord gray matter atrophy is associated with disability in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [Journal-article]. European Journal of Neurology, 31(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.16268
Maria Janina Wendebourg, Matthias Weigel, Laura Richter, Vanya Gocheva, Patricia Hafner, Anna-Lena Orsini, Valentina Crepulja, Simone Schmidt, Antal Huck, Johanna Oechtering, Maria Blatow, Tanja Haas, Cristina Granziera, Ludwig Kappos, Philippe Cattin, Oliver Bieri, Dirk Fischer, & . (2022). Spinal cord gray matter atrophy is associated with functional decline in post-polio syndrome. Sfcns.
Maria Janina Wendebourg, Matthias Weigel, Laura Richter, Vanya Gocheva, Patricia Hafner, Anna-Lena Orsini, Valentina Crepulja, Simone Schmidt, Antal Huck, Johanna Oechtering, Maria Blatow, Tanja Haas, Cristina Granziera, Ludwig Kappos, Philippe Cattin, Oliver Bieri, Dirk Fischer, & . (2022). Spinal cord gray matter atrophy is associated with functional decline in post-polio syndrome. Sfcns.