Honorary Fellow
Overview
Jacob is an Honorary Research Fellow within the School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of Queensland and is looking to recruit prospective honours and RHD students interested in studying the neurophysiology of human movement. Potential students can send him an email (j.thorstensen@uq.edu.au) to chat about projects on offer, or to suggest an idea for a project.
Jacob’s PhD was in human neurophysiology (Griffith University, Australia), where he studied how endogenously released neuromodulators (e.g., monoamines such as serotonin and dopamine) control the excitability of cortico-motoneuronal pathways and muscle activation in healthy human subjects. Jacob also has postdoctoral training in clinical neuroscience (The University of Queensland, Australia), where he further developed his expertise in neuromodulation by investigating the use of non-invasive neurostimulation techniques (e.g., repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, rTMS) as a clinical intervention after nervous system injury.
Overall, Jacob’s research involves direct electrophysiological data collection from awake human participants, and his work spans across basic and clinical neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, and exercise science. He has a strong background in mechanistic human neurophysiology experiments, and extensive experience with non-invasive brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation techniques that quantify or modulate the output of the human nervous system and muscles.
Research Interests
- Human Neurophysiology
- Neuromodulation
- Exercise Science
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy of Neuroscience, Griffith University
- Bachelor (Honours), Griffith University
- Bachelor of Exercise Science, Griffith University
Publications
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Journal Article: Are we underestimating the potential of neuroactive drugs to augment neuromotor function in sarcopenia?
Orssatto, Lucas B.R., Thorstensen, Jacob R., Scott, David and Daly, Robin M. (2024). Are we underestimating the potential of neuroactive drugs to augment neuromotor function in sarcopenia?. Metabolism, 154 155816, 155816. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2024.155816
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Journal Article: Excitatory drive to spinal motoneurones is necessary for serotonin to modulate motoneurone excitability via 5-HT2 receptors in humans
Henderson, Tyler T., Taylor, Janet L., Thorstensen, Jacob R. and Kavanagh, Justin J. (2024). Excitatory drive to spinal motoneurones is necessary for serotonin to modulate motoneurone excitability via 5-HT2 receptors in humans. European Journal of Neuroscience, 59 (1), 17-35. doi: 10.1111/ejn.16190
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Stein, Athena, Thorstensen, Jacob R, Ho, Jonathan M, Ashley, Daniel P, Iyer, Kartik K and Barlow, Karen M (2023). Attention Please! Unravelling the link between brain network connectivity and cognitive attention following acquired brain injury: A systematic review of structural and functional measures. Brain Connectivity (ja), 4-38. doi: 10.1089/brain.2023.0067
Publications
Journal Article
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Orssatto, Lucas B.R., Thorstensen, Jacob R., Scott, David and Daly, Robin M. (2024). Are we underestimating the potential of neuroactive drugs to augment neuromotor function in sarcopenia?. Metabolism, 154 155816, 155816. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2024.155816
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Henderson, Tyler T., Taylor, Janet L., Thorstensen, Jacob R. and Kavanagh, Justin J. (2024). Excitatory drive to spinal motoneurones is necessary for serotonin to modulate motoneurone excitability via 5-HT2 receptors in humans. European Journal of Neuroscience, 59 (1), 17-35. doi: 10.1111/ejn.16190
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Stein, Athena, Thorstensen, Jacob R, Ho, Jonathan M, Ashley, Daniel P, Iyer, Kartik K and Barlow, Karen M (2023). Attention Please! Unravelling the link between brain network connectivity and cognitive attention following acquired brain injury: A systematic review of structural and functional measures. Brain Connectivity (ja), 4-38. doi: 10.1089/brain.2023.0067
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Thorstensen, Jacob R., Henderson, Tyler T. and Kavanagh, Justin J. (2023). Serotonergic and noradrenergic contributions to motor cortical and spinal motoneuronal excitability in humans. Neuropharmacology, 242 109761, 109761. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109761
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Muscle responses to motor cortical stimulation: Can we get more out of surface electromyography?
Thorstensen, Jacob R. (2023). Muscle responses to motor cortical stimulation: Can we get more out of surface electromyography?. The Journal of Physiology, 601 (14), 2763-2764. doi: 10.1113/jp284738
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Henderson, Tyler T., Taylor, Janet L., Thorstensen, Jacob R., Tucker, Murray G. and Kavanagh, Justin J. (2022). Enhanced availability of serotonin limits muscle activation during high-intensity, but not low-intensity, fatiguing contractions. Journal of Neurophysiology, 128 (4), 751-762. doi: 10.1152/jn.00182.2022
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Persistent inward currents in spinal motoneurones: how can we study them in human participants?
Thorstensen, Jacob R. (2022). Persistent inward currents in spinal motoneurones: how can we study them in human participants?. The Journal of Physiology, 600 (13), 3021-3023. doi: 10.1113/jp283249
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Thorstensen, Jacob R., Taylor, Janet L. and Kavanagh, Justin J. (2022). 5‐HT2 receptor antagonism reduces human motoneuron output to antidromic activation but not to stimulation of corticospinal axons. European Journal of Neuroscience, 56 (1), 3674-3686. doi: 10.1111/ejn.15672
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Henderson, T. T., Thorstensen, J. R., Morrison, S., Tucker, M. G. and Kavanagh, J. J. (2021). Physiological tremor is suppressed and force steadiness is enhanced with increased availability of serotonin regardless of muscle fatigue. Journal of Neurophysiology, 127 (1), 27-37. doi: 10.1152/jn.00403.2021
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Human corticospinal-motoneuronal output is reduced with 5-HT<sub>2</sub> receptor antagonism
Thorstensen, Jacob R., Taylor, Janet L. and Kavanagh, Justin J. (2021). Human corticospinal-motoneuronal output is reduced with 5-HT2 receptor antagonism. Journal of Neurophysiology, 125 (4), 1279-1288. doi: 10.1152/jn.00698.2020
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Thorstensen, Jacob R., Taylor, Janet L., Tucker, Murray G. and Kavanagh, Justin J. (2020). Enhanced serotonin availability amplifies fatigue perception and modulates the TMS‐induced silent period during sustained low‐intensity elbow flexions. The Journal of Physiology, 598 (13), 2685-2701. doi: 10.1113/jp279347
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Thorstensen, Jacob R., Tucker, Murray G. and Kavanagh, Justin J. (2018). Antagonism of the D2 dopamine receptor enhances tremor but reduces voluntary muscle activation in humans. Neuropharmacology, 141, 343-352. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.08.029
