Clinical Neurosciences

The Department of Clinical Neurosciences at University of Turku is committed to clinical neurological and neurosurgical education, contributing to high-level neuroscientific knowledge, and caring for patients through Neurocenter at Turku University Hospital.

Welcome to the Department of Clinical Neurosciences

The Department of Clinical Neurosciences at University of Turku is one of the leading Finnish academic centers dedicated to excellence in patient care, research and education.

Multiple clinical neurological and neurosurgical trials provide patients and their families with unique opportunities for treatment today and advance our care for the patients of tomorrow.

Internationally distinguished researchers supervise the research at the Department, and the network of professionals participating in the clinical research is extensive.

Turku PET Centre, which functions in connection with the University and Turku University Hospital, provides exceptional possibilities for neurological research.

Turku Brain and Mind Center (TBMC) gathers more than twenty neuroscience research groups in Turku

Clinical Neurosciences

Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku

Publications, Dissertations and Professors

Best Scientific Article of the Year - Winners

2023

Saraste M, Matilainen M, Vuorimaa A, Laaksonen S, Sucksdorff M, Leppert D, Kuhle J, Airas L. Association of serum neurofilament light chain with microglial activation in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2023; 94:698-706

2022

Joutsa J, Moussawi K, Siddiqi SH, Abdolahi A, Drew W, Cohen AL, Ross TJ, Deshpande HU, Wang HZ, Bruss J, Stein EA, Volkow ND, Grafman JH, van Wijngaarden E, Boes AD, Fox MD. Brain lesions disrupting addiction map to a common human brain circuit. Nat Med 2022; 28:1249-1255

Doctoral Dissertations

Panelius, Martin. 1969. Studies on epidemiological, clinical and etiological aspects of multiple sclerosis.
Frey, Harri. 1971. Enzymes of central nervous system myelin with special reference to maturation. An experimental study on guinea pigs.
Sonninen, Vesa. 1971. Clinical, experimental and biochemical studies on the significance of monoamines in Parkinson's disease.
Lehtonen, Johannes. 1972. Visual evoked cortical potentials in man. Studies on recording and stimulation technique, and findings in migraine patients.
Marttila, Reijo. 1974. Epidemiological, clinical, and virus-serological studies of Parkinson's disease.
Siirtola, Taisto. 1974. Long-term treatment of Parkinson's disease with levodopa. Clinical and metabolic studies.
Kalimo, Hannu. 1974. Ultrastructural studies on the hypothalamic neurosecretory neurons of the rat.
Kangasniemi, Pentti. 1975. Biogenic amines and vasoactive peptides in the pathophysiology of migraine. Biochemical, clinical and therapeutical correlations
Kytömäki, Ossi. 1975. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function in patients with intracranial neurological diseases
Nikoskelainen, Eeva. 1975. Clinical, prognostic and etiological studies on optic neuritis. With special reference to its relationship to multiple sclerosis
Molnár, Gábor. 1976. Experimental allergic neuritis. Immunological, neurochemical and morphological studies on rabbits
Laaksonen, Hannu. 1977. Brain dopamine, GABA and acetylcholine neurons in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. Neurochemical, clinical and therapeutical correlations
Rautakorpi, Ilkka. 1978. Essential tremor. An epidemiological, clinical and genetic study
Pynnönen, Seppo. 1979. Studies in the determination and the clinical pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide in epileptic patients, alcoholics and controls
Röyttä, Matias. 1979. Studies on the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Morphological and neurochemical aspects
Narva, Erkki. 1980. Radionuclide brain scanning and rapid sequential scintiphotography in patients with cerebral infarction
Mölsä, Pekka. 1980. Dementia. A clinical study in the Finnish population
Hukkanen, Veijo. 1982. Glycoprotein antigens in multiple sclerosis
Saksa, Markku. 1982. The autonomic nervous system in experimental allergic neuritis. A functional, morphological and biochemical study
Halonen, Jukka-Pekka. 1982. Normal and pathological firing pattern of single motor units in man
Salonen, Reijo. 1983. Interferons in multiple sclerosis and optic neuritis
Ruutiainen, Juhani. 1983. Studies on antibodies to central nervous system dominant antigens. With special reference to multiple sclerosis.
Laihinen, Arto. 1983. Dopamine receptor function in Parkinson's disease. A clinical and biochemical study
Forssell, Heli. 1985. Mandibular dysfunction and headache
Grénman, Reidar. 1985. Involvement of the audiovestibular system in multiple sclerosis. An otoneurological and audiological study
Halonen, Päivi. 1986. Vibratory perception thresholds in healthy and neurologically affected adults and children
Koski, Kari. 1987. Threatened stroke. A clinical study of risk factors, atherosclerosis, role of platelet aggregation, and outcome in transient ischemic attacks and relation to transient global amnesia
Rinne, Juha. 1987. Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and aging. A study of brain cholinergic and dopaminergic receptors with neuropathological aspects
Laine, Matti. 1989. On the mechanisms of verbal adynamia. A neuropsychological study
Nyrke, Timo. 1991. Spectral analysis of steady-state visual evoked potentials and the alpha rhythm in migraine
Tenovuo, Olli. 1992. Substance P in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and ageing
Kotilainen, Esa. 1994. Microinvasive lumbar disc surgery: a study on patients treated with microdiscectomy or percutaneous nucleotomy for disc herniation
Heinonen, Esa. 1995. Selegiline in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Pharmacokinetic and clinical studies
Päivärinta, Markku. 1995. Motor behaviour in experimental herpes simplex virus brain infection. Responses in dopamine and serotonin systems
Soilu-Hänninen, Merja. 1996. Viruses and autoimmune inflammation in the brain: Role of leukocyte and endothelial cell adhesion molecules
Ma, Shuang Yong. 1997. The substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease. A morphometric study on neuronal changes
Erälinna, Juha-Pekka. 1997. Viral Facilitation and Treatment of Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis in Balb/c Mice
Ruottinen, Hanna. 1998. Catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibition in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Responses to entacapone in positron emission tomography, pharmacokinetic and clinical studies
Mattila, Petri. 1999. Cortical Lewy bodies and Alzheimer-type pathology in Parkinson's disease in relatation to cognitive impairment. A neuropathological and biochemical study
Kaasinen, Valtteri. 2000. Dopamine D2-like receptors in the human brain. Positron emission tomography studies in Parkinson's disease and in healthy subjects
Kaarisalo, Minna. 2000. Stroke and heart. Epidemiological studies on relations between stroke and cardiac disorders
Portin, Raija. 2000. Cognitive functioning in midlife. Assessment by mild deterioration battery and CogniSpeed
Lamusuo, Salla. 2001. Imaging the epileptogenic region with positron emission tomography in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy
Nurmi, Elina. 2001. Progression of nigrostriatal hypofunction in Parkinson's disease
Kemppainen, Nina. 2002. Brain dopamine transporter and receptors in Alzheimer's disease
Järvenpää, Tarja. 2003. Monozygotic twins and cognitive decline with emphasis on Alzheimer's disease
Laatu, Sari. 2003. Semantic memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis
Brück, Anna. 2005. Cognitive impairment in early Parkinson's disease. A positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging study
Roine, Susanna. 2005. Clinical and imaging findings in CADASIL
Kupila, Laura. 2005. Aetiological diagnosis of acute central nervous system infections in adults. The role of PCR
Koponen, Salla. 2006. Psychiatric sequelae of traumatic brain injury
Strandberg, Marjatta. 2007. The role of transesophageal echocardiography in patients with ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, or atrial fibrillation
Hiekkanen, Heli. 2009. Apolipoprotein E and Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury
Koivunen, Jaana. 2011. Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early Detection of Alzheimer`s Disease. A Positron Emission Tomography Study
Jokinen, Pekka. 2011. PET and MR imaging in Parkinson’s disease patients with cognitive impairment. A study of dopaminergic dysfunction, amyloid deposition, cortical hypometabolism and brain atrophy
Himanen, Leena. 2011. Cognitive Functions After Traumatic Brain Injury. A 30-year Follow-up Study
Martikainen, Mika. 2012. Mitochondrial disease in Southwestern Finland. Population-based molecular genetic and clinical studies
Virta, Jyri. 2012. Genetically Determined Hypometabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease and Midlife Risk Factors for Cognitive Impairment
Joutsa, Juho. 2012. Neurobiology of pathological gambling. Brain imaging and epidemiological studies
Frantzén, Janek. 2012. Bioactive Glass in Lumbar Spondylodesis. A Pre-Clinical and Clinical Study
Posti, Jussi. 2012. Alpha2-Adrenoceptor-mediated vascular responses induced by dexmedetomidine
Lindroos, Markus. 2013. On Glucose Metabolism in Patients with the m.3243A>G Mutation
Puustinen, Juha. 2014. Benzodiazepines and Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults. With Emphasis on Long-Term Use and Withdrawal
Jalkanen, Anna. 2014. Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy: clinical and immunological aspects
Jokela, Manu. 2015. Late-onset spinal motor neuronopathy- a new neuromuscular disease
Tuulari, Jetro. 2015. Effects of Obesity and Weight Loss Following Bariatric Surgery on Brain Function, Structural Integrity and Metabolism
Rissanen, Eero. 2015. Imaging Neuroinflammation in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis
Koskimäki, Janne. 2015. Intracranial Nimodipine Implant: Feasibility and Implications for the Treatment of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage – A Pre-Clinical Study
Karlsson, Henry. 2016. Neuroreceptor availability and cerebral morphology in human obesity
Åivo, Julia. 2017. Vitamin D in the Prevention and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
Lindholm, Pauliina. 2017. Neural mechanisms of orofacial pain - effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation
Sipilä, Jussi. 2017. Huntington’s disease in Finland. Epidemiologic, genetic and clinical studies
Saraste, Maija. 2018. Pregnancy-related immune alterations in multiple sclerosis
Mäkinen, Elina. 2018. Diagnostic and prognostic aspects of clinical brain dopamine transporter imaging in parkinsonism
Saarenpää, Ilkka. 2018. Factors affecting accuracy and fusion rate in lumbosacral fusion surgery - a preclinical and clinical study
Sihvonen, Aleksi. 2018. Neural basis of acquired amusia and its recovery
Jaakkola, Elina. 2018. Neuropsychiatric symptoms and brain dopamine transporter imaging in Parkinson's disease
Majuri, Joonas. 2019. Dopamine, opioid and serotonin neurotransmission in behavioral addictions
Östberg, Anna. 2019. Cholinergic system in sequelae of traumatic brain injury
Sahlsten, Hanna. 2019. Tinnitus – psychiatric comorbidity and treatment using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Åkerlund, Kira. 2020. Environmental and lifestyle factors in multiple sclerosis with emphasis on vitamin D, EBV infection, smoking and cancer risk
Hossain, Iftakher. 2020. Acute biochemical diagnostics of mild traumatic brain injury : A clinical study
Kuusimäki, Tomi. 2021. Phenotype-, comorbidity-, and treatment-related prognostic factors in Parkinson’s disease
Lindgrén, Noora. 2021. Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease - Twin study on episodic memory and imaging biomarkers of neuroinflammation and β-amyloid
Tuisku, Jouni. 2021. Imaging of neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis brain : a positron emission tomography and diffusion tensor imaging study
Pirttisalo, Anna-Leena. 2021. Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Finland with the emphasis on hospitalization and infection-related admissions
Mohammadian, Mehrbod. 2021. Microstructural analysis of diffuse axonal injury after traumatic brain injury using diffusion-weighted Magnetic resonance imaging
Kotkansalo, Anna. 2022. Surgery for degenerative and rheumatoid cervical spine disease in Finland
Vainio, Susanne. 2022. Experimental models of focal neuroinflammation - Efficacy assessment of pharmaceuticals of multiple sclerosis using PET imaging
Honkanen, Emma. 2022. Basal ganglia function in parkinsonism and dystonia
Kuutti, Katariina. 2022. Early prognostic factors of multiple sclerosis
Kantonen, Tatu. 2022. Brain opioid and endocannabinoid systems as risk factors for obesity. Positron emission tomography studies of μ-opioid and CB1 receptors with glucose uptake analysis
Saari, Laura. 2022. Clinicopathological characteristics of nigral neuron density in Lewy body spectrum diseases
Malmberg-Ceder, Kirsi. 2022. Pain in Finnish female municipal employees with special reference to psychosocial and work-related factors and quality of life
Laukka, Dan. 2023. Intracranial aneurysms in patients with Kawasaki disease or thoracic aortic aneurysms
Sucksdorff, Marcus. 2024. Smouldering inflammation in multiple sclerosis - a PET imaging study on prediction of disease progression and effects of treatment

Scientific publications

Year Publications

2013 43

2014 63

2015 81

2016 59

2017 79

2018 76

2019 86

2020 129

2021 92

2022 93

2023 78

2024 98

Adjunct Professors (Docents)

Marttila Reijo, experimental neurology, 1977
Valtonen Simo, neurosurgery,1983
Molnar Gabor, neurology, 1987
Mölsä Pekka, neurology,1987
Laihinen Arto, neurology, 1989
Rinne Juha, neurology, 1996
Ruutiainen Juhani, neurology, 1998
Kotilainen Esa, neurosurgery, 1999
Ruottinen Hanna, neurology, 2000
Elovaara Irina, neurology, 2001
Vuorinen Ville, neurosurgery, 2004
Kaasinen Valtteri, experimental neurology, 2005
Kuoppamäki Mikko, neurology, 2005
Tenovuo Olli, neurology, 2005
Airas Laura, neurology, 2007
Soilu-Hänninen Merja, neurology, 2008
Majamaa Kari, neurology, 2009
Martikainen Mika, neurology, 2014
Joutsa Juho, experimental neurology, 2015
Kivelev Juri, neurosurgery, 2016
Posti Jussi, neurosurgery, 2017
Frantzen Janek, neurosurgery, 2017
Bogoslovsky Tanya, neurology, 2017
Sipilä Jussi, neurology, 2018
Puustinen Juha, neurology, 2019
Jokela Manu, neurology, 2020
Tarvonen-Schröder Sinikka, neurology, 2020
Koskimäki Janne, experimental neurosurgery, 2020
Ruuskanen Jori, neurology, 2021
Rissanen Eero, neurology, 2021
Rahi Melissa, neurosurgery, 2022
Honkaniemi Jari, neurology, 2022
Brück Anna, neurology, 2023
Hossain Iftakher, experimental neurosurgery, 2025

Professors

Rinne Urpo, professor of neurology, 1969-2000
Riekkinen Paavo, associate professor of neurology, 1973-1979
Panelius Martin, associate professor of neurology,1979-1997
Marttila Reijo, professor of neurology, 2002-2009
Majamaa Kari, professor of neurology, 2005-2008
Roine Risto O., professor of neurology, 2010-2021
Soinila Seppo, professor of neurology, 2011-2020
Rinne Jaakko, professor of neurosurgery, 2016-ongoing
Airas Laura, professor of neuroimmunology, 2017-ongoing
Tenovuo Olli, professor of neurotraumatology, 2019-2024
Martikainen Mika, associate professor of neurology, 2021-2022
Honkaniemi Jari, associate professor of neurology, 2021-ongoing
Kaasinen Valtteri, professor of neurology, 2021-ongoing
Joutsa Juho, professor of neurology, 2023-ongoing
Posti Jussi, associate professor of neurosurgery, 2025-ongoing

Recent publications

Diagnostic and prognostic performance of urine ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 across multiple acute brain injury types – A longitudinal prospective cohort study (2025)

Brain and Spine

Hellström, Santtu; Sajanti, Antti; Jhaveri, Aditya; Srinath, Abhinav; Bennett, Carolyn; Cao, Ying; Koskimäki, Fredrika; Falter, Johannes; Frantzén, Janek; Lyne, Seán B.; Rantamäki, Tomi; Takala, Riikka; Posti, Jussi P.; Roine, Susanna; Kolehmainen, Sulo; Jänkälä, Miro; Puolitaival, Jukka; Girard, Romuald; Rahi, Melissa; Rinne, Jaakko; Castrén, Eero; Koskimäki, Janne