Valtteri Kaasinen
MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology
valtteri.kaasinen@utu.fi |
Clinical Neurology; Movement Disorders; Parkinson's disease; Addictions; Neurotransmitters; Neuroimaging; PET; SPECT; Dopamine System
Movement disorders, neurotransmitters and addictions
Dr. Kaasinen is Professor of Neurology at the University of Turku, and Chief Physician at Neurocenter of Turku University Hospital.
He was appointed as Adjuct Professor of Neurology in 2011, received special competence in medical education in 2016, and was appointed as full Professor of Neurology in 2021.
Dr. Kaasinen is a clinical neurologist and a movement disorder specialist who received his medical degree from the University of Turku in 1996. This was followed by a PhD focusing on brain dopamine PET imaging of Parkinson's disease in 2000. He did his postdoctoral training in 2003-2004 in the University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Since 2004, he has led a research group that focuses on function brain PET and SPECT neurotransmitter imaging in Parkinson's disease, other movement disorders and behavioral addictions. His group is involved in several project that aim to improve diagnostics and treatment of neurological movement disorders.
Main focus of research is brain function and dysfunction in relation to neurotransmitters, addictions and movement disorders.
Dr. Kaasinen has been involved in curriculum planning and implementation of neurology courses since 2013. He is a personal teacher mentor for medical students and has supervised of several PhD students.
- Differences in striatal dopamine transporter density between tremor dominant and non-tremor Parkinson's disease. (2014)
- European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
- DRD2-related TaqIA genotype is associated with dopamine release during a gambling task (2014)
- Journal of Addiction Medicine
- Huimaus haastaa lääkärin ja terveydenhuollon (2014)
- Lääkärilehti
- Impulse control disorders are associated with multiple psychiatric symptoms in Parkinson's disease (2014)
- Journal of Parkinson's Disease
- Miksi pappa ei päässyt ruokasaliin? (2014)
- Duodecim
- Mortality in Parkinson's disease is not associated with the severity of early dopaminergic defect. (2014)
- Parkinsonism and Related Disorders
- Overlapping activity periods in early visual cortex and posterior intraparietal area in conscious visual shape perception: A TMS study (2014)
- NeuroImage
- Unlike in clinical blindsight patients, unconscious processing of chromatic information depends on early visual cortex in healthy humans. (2014)
- Brain Stimulation
- Brain glucose metabolism in neuropathologically confirmed multiple system atrophy (2013)
- Journal of Neurology
- Normal dopamine transporter SPECT in neuropathologically confirmed corticobasal degeneration (2013)
- Journal of Neurology
- Parkinsonin taudin impulssikontrollihäiriöt (2013)
- Duodecim
- Reduced Striatal Dopamine Synthesis Capacity is Associated with Symptoms of Depression in Patients with de novo Unmedicated Parkinson's Disease (2013)
- Journal of Parkinson's Disease
- Dose-dependent effect of dopamine agonists on impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease: A longitudinal study (2012)
- Movement Disorders
- Effects of dopamine agonist dose and gender on the prognosis of impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease (2012)
- Parkinsonism and Related Disorders
- Impulse control disorders and depression in Finnish patients with Parkinson's disease (2012)
- Parkinsonism and Related Disorders
- Increased Medial Orbitofrontal (18F)fluorodopa Uptake in Parkinsonian Impulse Control Disorders (2012)
- Movement Disorders
- Mesolimbic dopamine release is linked to symptom severity in pathological gambling (2012)
- NeuroImage
- Parallel Appearance of Compulsive Behaviors and Artistic Creativity in Parkinson’s Disease (2012)
- Case Reports in Neurology
- Seasonality of striatal dopamine synthesis capacity in Parkinson's disease (2012)
- Neuroscience Letters
- Extensive abnormality of brain white matter integrity in pathological gambling (2011)
- Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging



