In my group we investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie human behavior, with a focus on motor and sensory systems. Using a broad variety of experimental approaches like psychophysics, eye movement recordings and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) we study the underpinnings of human behavior. We perform experiments in children, adults and elderly, in both the healthy population as well as in several patient groups with alleged motor and/or sensory deficits. Patient populations include children with Autism, Williams and Crigler-Najjar syndrome, cerebellar ataxia, adults with paraneoplastic cerebellar ataxias (PCA) and whiplash.Close collaborations exist with many other departments of the Erasmus MC (e.g., Neurology, Radiology, and Epidemiology). This offers an optimal platform for unraveling the neurophysiological mechanisms of behavior and behavioral deficits in humans. Within our department I collaborate closely with the group of Maarten Frens.

Functional MRI

See the Erasmus MC functional MRI website at fmri.neuro.nl for more information.

Selected publications

• Krab LC, de Goede-Bolder A, Aartsen FK, Moll HA, de Zeeuw CI, Elgersma Y, van der Geest JN (2010) Motor learning in children with Neurofibromatosis Type I. Cerebellum, in press.
• Smit A, van der Geest J, Metselaar M, van der Lugt A, Vanderwerf F, De Zeeuw C (2010) Long-term changes in cerebellar activation during functional recovery from transient peripheral motor paralysis. Exp Neurol, in press
• Voogd J, Schraa-Tam CK, van der Geest JN, De Zeeuw CI (2010) Visuomotor Cerebellum in Human and Nonhuman Primates. Cerebellum, in press
• van Broekhoven PCA, Schraa-Tam CK, van der Lugt A, Smits M, Frens MA, van der Geest JN (2009) Cerebellar contributions to the processing of saccadic errors. Cerebellum 8(3):403-15
• Smit AE / van der Geest JN, Vellema M, Koekkoek B, Willemsen R, Govaerts LC, Oostra BA, De Zeeuw CI, Vanderwerf F (2008) Savings and extinction of conditioned eyeblink responses in Fragile X syndrome. Genes Brain Behav, 7(7):770-7
• Schraa-Tam CK, van der Lugt A, Frens MA, Smits M, van Broekhoven PC, van der Geest JN (2008) An fMRI study on smooth pursuit and fixation suppression of the optokinetic reflex using similar visual stimulation. Exp Brain Res 185(4):535-44
• van Hagen JM /van der Geest JN, van der Giessen RS, Lagers-van Haselen GC, Eussen HJ, Gille JJ, Govaerts LC, Wouters CH, de Coo IF, Hoogenraad CC, Koekkoek SK, Frens MA, van Camp N, van der Linden A, Jansweijer MC, Thorgeirsson SS, De Zeeuw CI. (2007) Contribution of CYLN2 and GTF2IRD1 to neurological and cognitive symptoms in Williams Syndrome. Neurobiol Dis. 26(1):112-24
• Montfoort I, Frens MA, Hooge IT, Haselen GC, van der Geest JN. (2007) Visual search deficits in Williams-Beuren syndrome. Neuropsychologia. 45(5):931-8
• van der Geest JN, Haselen GC, Frens MA. (2006) Saccade adaptation in Williams-Beuren Syndrome. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 47(4):1464-8

An almost complete collection of our publications is available at PubMed using this link.