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Murray Edwards College
University of Cambridge
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    Dr Thomas Cope

    01223 760697
    Murray Edwards College
    Cambridge
    CB3 0DF

    Fellow in Neuroscience; Director of Studies

    Medicine

    Fellow

    I very much enjoy Murray Edwards’ friendly atmosphere. I find all of the students to be very engaged with and enthusiastic about their work, and all of the fellows to be approachable and eager to share their expertise. On social occasions the fellows and students mix easily, to the benefit of both groups.

    Degrees

    MA MB BChir MClinRes MRCP PhD

    Awards and Prizes

    NIHR Clinical Lectureship in Neurology

    Research Interests

    My research has two overarching aims:

    1) to employ systems neuroscience as a translational bridge between the molecular biology of dementia and targeted clinical trials.

    2) to define perceptual mechanisms, neural codes and brain substrates, and how they go wrong in patients with neurological pathology.

    I am particularly interested in how brain mechanisms for prediction, language and learning become abnormal in patients with the aphasic forms of frontotemporal dementia. These are ideal demonstrator conditions, because of their stereotyped patterns of neurodegeneration, the psychophysical precision of language as a probe, and the fragility of human language networks to synaptic disruption.

    My research uses a variety of techniques, including psychophysics, positron emission tomography, magnetoencephalography and ultra-high field (7-Tesla) functional MRI.

    Biography

    I supervise medical students through their second year courses in neurophysiology and psychology. I direct studies for any student (generally medical, veterinary or natural sciences) who chooses to read either experimental psychology or neuroscience in their third year.

    I am an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Neurology, in the department of Clinical Neurosciences, and a specialist registrar in neurology.

    Publications

    Key Publications:

    Cope TE, Borchert R, Rittman TD, Jones PS, Vatansever D, Allinson KSJ, Passamonti L, Vazquez Rodriguez P, Bevan Jones WR, O’Brien JT, Rowe JB “Tau Burden and the Functional Connectome in Alzheimer's Disease and Progressive Supranuclear PalsyBrain. 2018 141(2):550–567 https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awx347 PMID: 29293892

    Cope TE, Sohoglu E, Sedley W, Patterson K, Jones PS, Wiggins J, Dawson C, Grube M, Carlyon RP, Griffiths TD, Davis M, Rowe JB. “Evidence for causal top-down frontal contributions to predictive processes in speech perceptionNature Communications. 2017 2154 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01958-7 PMID: 29255275

    Other peer-reviewed original research:

    Bevan Jones RW, Cope TE, Jones PS, Passamonti L, Hong YT, Fryer T, Arnold R, Coles JP, Aigbirhio FA, Patterson K, O'Brien JT, Rowe JB “In vivo evidence for pre‐symptomatic neuroinflammation in a MAPT mutation carrier.” Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology 2019 online ahead of print https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.683

    Bevan Jones RW, Cope TE, Jones PS, Passamonti L, Hong YT, Fryer T, Arnold R, Coles JP, Aigbirhio FA, Patterson K, O'Brien JT, Rowe JB “[18F]AV-1451 binding is increased in frontotemporal dementia due to C9orf72 expansion.” Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology 2018 5(10):1292-1296 https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.631 PMID: 30349864

    Sami S, Hughes LE, Williams N, Cope TE, Rittman T, Coyle-Gilchrist ITS, Henson RN, Rowe JB “Neurophysiological signatures of Alzheimer’s disease and Frontotemporal lobar degeneration: pathology versus phenotype.” Brain. 2018 141(8):2600-2510 https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awy180 PMID: 30060017

    Phillips HN, Cope TE, Hughes LE, Zhang J, Rowe, JB “Monitoring the past and choosing the future: the prefrontal cortical influences on voluntary action.” Scientific Reports. 2018 8(1):7247 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25127-y PMID: 29739978

    Bevan Jones WR, Cope TE, Jones PS, Passamonti L, Hong YT, Fryer TD, Arnold R, Allinson KSJ, Coles J, Aigbirhio F, Patterson K, O’Brien JT, Rowe JB. “[18F]AV1451 binding in vivo mirrors the expected distribution of TDP-43 pathology in the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia.Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (JNNP). 2018 89(10):1032-1037 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2017-316402 PMID: 28912300

    Cope TE, Wilson B (joint first authors), Robson H, Drinkall R, Dean L, Grube M, Jones PS, Patterson K, Griffiths TD, Rowe JB, Petkov CI. “Artificial grammar learning in vascular and progressive non-fluent aphasias.Neuropsychologia. 2017 104:201-213 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.08.022 PMID: 28843341

    Kumar S, Tansley-Hancock O, Sedley W, Winston JS, Callaghan MF, Allen M, Cope TE, Gander PE, Bamiou DE, Griffiths TD. “The brain basis for misophonia” Current Biology. 2017 27(4):527-533. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.12.048 PMID: 28162895

    Passamonti L, Vázquez Rodríguez P, Hong YT, Allinson KSJ, Williamson D, Borchert RJ, Sami S, Cope TE, Bevan-Jones WR, Jones PS, Arnold R, Surendranathan A, Mak E, Su L, Fryer TD, Aigbirhio F, O’Brien JT, Rowe JB. “[18F]AV-1451 positron emission tomography in Alzheimer’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsyBrain. 2017 140(3):781-791 https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/aww340 PMID: 28122879

    Bevan-Jones WR & Cope TE (joint first authors), Passamonti L, Fryer TD, Hong YT, Aigbirhio F, Kril JJ, Forrest SL, Allinson K, Coles JP, Jones PS, Spillantini MG, Hodges JR, O’Brien JT & Rowe JB (joint senior authors). “[18F]AV-1451 PET in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia due to MAPT mutation” Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. 2016 3: 940–947 https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.366 PMID: 28097206

    Bekius A, Cope TE, Grube M. "The Beat to Read: A Cross-Lingual Link between Rhythmic Regularity Perception and Reading Skill." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2016 10: 425 https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00425 PMID: 27630551

    Cope TE, Grube M (joint first authors), Mandal A, Cooper FE, Brechany U, Burn DJ, Griffiths TD. "Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease has No Significant Effect on Perceptual Timing in the Hundreds of Milliseconds Range" Neuropsychologia. 2014 May; 57:29-37 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.02.021 PMID: 24613477

    Cope TE, Grube M, Singh B, Burn DJ, Griffiths TD. “The Basal Ganglia in Perceptual Timing: Timing Performance in Multiple System Atrophy and Huntington’s Disease.” Neuropsychologia. 2014 Jan;52:73-81 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.09.039 PMID: 24135486

    Alcántara JI, Cope TE, Cope W, Weisblatt EJ. “Auditory temporal-envelope processing in high-functioning children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Neuropsychologia. 2012, 50(7), 1235-1251 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.01.034 PMID: 22349444

    Cope TE, Grube M, Griffiths TD. “Temporal predictions based on a gradual change in tempo. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 2012, 131(5), 4013-4022. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.3699266 PMID: 22559374

    Cope TE, Baguley DM, Moore BCJ. “Tinnitus loudness in quiet and noise after resection of vestibular schwannoma.” Otology Neurotology. 2011 32(3):488-496 https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0b013e3182096b02 PMID: 21221046

    Moore BC, Glasberg BR, Low KE, Cope T, Cope W. “Effects of level and frequency on the audibility of partials in inharmonic complex tones. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 2006 Aug; 120(2):934-44 PMID: 16938981

    Review articles:

    Cope TE, Baguley DM, Griffiths TD. "How to understand it: The functional anatomy of central auditory processing." Practical Neurology. 2015 Aug;15(4):302-308. PMID: 2597206

    Cope TE, Sedley W, Griffiths TD. “Timing and the auditory brain.” Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation. 2011 10(6):10-13

    Cope TE, Baguley DM. “Is Musical Hallucination an Otological Phenomenon? A Review of the LiteratureClinical Otolaryngology. 2009 34(5):423-430 PMID: 19793274

    Cope TE. “How does age affect the success of total replacement of the hip joint?Reviews in Clinical Gerontology. 2008 18:211-218

    Cope TE. “Clinical hypnosis for the alleviation of tinnitus.International Tinnitus Journal. 2008 14(2):135-8 PMID: 19205165

    Book chapters:

    Cope TE, Isaacs, J, Kopelman, M “Memory disorders and Dementias” In Oxford Textbook of Neuropsychiatry. In press.

    Baguley, DM, Cope, TE, McFerran, DJ “Functional Auditory Disorders.” In Hallett, Stone and Carson (Eds.), Functional Neurological Disorders (Handbook of Clinical Neurology). 2017. 139:367-378. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-801772-2.00032-1 PMID: 27719856

    Cope, TE, Sedley, W, & Kumar, S “Musical Hallucination.” In D.M. Baguley and M. Fagelson (Eds.), Tinnitus: clinical and research perspectives (chapter 16). 2015. ISBN-13: 978-1597567213

    Cope, TE, Sedley, W, & Griffiths, TD “Disorders of Audition.” In A.W. Toga (Ed.), Brain Mapping: An Encyclopedic Reference (chapter 138). 2015. Oxford: Elsevier Academic Press. ISBN-13: 978-0123970251

    Published case reports:

    Cope TE, Breen DP, Chawla S, Cifelli A. "Anti-collapsin response mediator protein 5 encephalitis masquerading as a low-grade brain tumour." Practical Neurology. 2016 Oct;16(5):376-80. PMID: 27247429

    Cope TE, Samaraweera A, Burn DJ. “Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis: correct hypokalaemia with caution.Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2013, 45(3), 338-40. PMID: 23849367

    Cope TE, Cope W, Beaumont DM. “A case of necrotising fasciitis caused by Serratia marsescens: extreme age as functional immunosuppression?Age and Ageing. 2013, 42(2), 266-8. PMID: 23315798

    Cope TE, McFarland R, Schaefer A. “Rapid-onset, linezolid-induced lactic acidosis in MELAS.” Mitochondrion. 2011, 11(6), 992-993. PMID: 21907311