NEURO

Congratulations to Drs. Nikolaus McFarland , Michael Okun , and David Vaillancourt on the publication of “ Development and validation of the automated imaging differentiation in parkinsonism (AID-P): a multicentre machine learning study ,” in the August 27th edition of The Lancet Digital Health. Summary Background Development of valid, non-invasive biomarkers for parkinsonian syndromes is crucially needed. We aimed to assess whether non-invasive diffusion-weighted MRI can distinguish between parkinsonian syndromes using an automated imaging approach. Methods We did an international study at 17 MRI centres in Austria, Germany, and the USA. We used diffusion-weighted MRI from 1002 patients and the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III (MDS-UPDRS III) to develop and validate disease-specific machine learning comparisons using 60 template regions and tracts of interest in Montreal Neurological Institute space between Parkinson’s disease a...

In an international study at 17 MRI centers in the U.S., Austria and Germany, a research team led by UF’s  David Vaillancourt, Ph.D. ,  used a non-invasive MRI method with 1,002 patients to develop an automated system to accurately diagnose Parkinson’s disease and related but different neurodegenerative disorders. In the study published Aug. 27 in The Lancet Digital Health, researchers used diffusion-weighted MRI, an imaging method that measures how water molecules diffuse in the brain and is particularly helpful in identifying where neurodegeneration is occurring. Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, such as multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy, can present a challenge for accurate diagnosis because of shared and overlapping motor and non-motor symptoms. In fact, according to the new study, accuracy of diagnosis in early Parkinson’s is about 58 percent, and more than half of misdiagnosed patients actually have multiple system atrophy or progressi...

Congratulations to Dr. Katharina Busl on the publication of “ Neurocritical Care Outcomes, Research, and Technology A Review,” in the New England Journal of Medicine. Abstract Importance   Neurocritical care has grown into an organized specialty that may have consequences for patient care, outcomes, research, and neurointensive care (neuroICU) technology. Observations   Neurocritical care improves care and outcomes of the patients who are neurocritically ill, and neuroICUs positively affect the financial state of health care systems. The development of neurocritical care as a recognized subspecialty has fostered multidisciplinary research, neuromonitoring, and neurocritical care information technology, with advances and innovations in practice and progress. Conclusions and Relevance   Neurocritical care has become an important part of health systems and an established subspecialty of neurology. Understanding its structure, scope of practice, conseque...

Congratulations to Drs. Adolfo Ramirez-Zamora, Aysegul Gunduz, Vinata Vedam-Mai, Leonardo Almeida, Wissam Deeb, Kelly D. Foote and Michael S. Okun on the publication of “ Proceedings of the Sixth Deep Brain Stimulation Think Tank Modulation of Brain Networks and Application of Advanced Neuroimaging, Neurophysiology, and Optogenetics .”  The proceedings can soon be found in Frontiers for Neuroscience. The annual Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Think Tank aims to create an opportunity for a multidisciplinary discussion in the field of neuromodulation to examine developments, opportunities and challenges in the field. The proceedings of the Sixth Annual Think Tank recapitulate progress in applications of neurotechnology, neurophysiology and emerging techniques for the treatment of a range of psychiatric and neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, Tourette syndrome, epilepsy, cognitive disorders, and addiction.   from Department of Neurology...

Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than 5.5 million Americans. Now, new clinical trial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine yield a finding that could advance our understanding of human memory. A recent trial involving 42 patients evaluated deep brain stimulation targeting the fornix, an arch-like structure connecting the hippocampus to other parts of the limbic system, with a primary aim of improving cognition in Alzheimer’s patients. Though that objective was unsuccessful, a research team led by  Wissam Deeb, M.D. , assistant professor of neurology at the University of Florida, analyzed a phenomenon of flashback-like cognitive experiences in nearly half of the patients occurring during initial programming of the stimulator. from Department of Neurology https://ift.tt/2Hgwdj2

The University of Florida Continuing Medical Education and Department of Neurology Present “Annual UF Neurology Graduate Medical Education Update ”   Christina Wilson, MD, PhD Assistant Professor Associate Chair of Education Interim Neurovascular Division Chief Director, Neurology Residency Program Director, Neurovascular Fellowship Program PO Box 100236 Gainesville, FL  32610 Presentation will be in lecture format with Q & A following   Tuesday, August 13, 2019 Speaker: 12:00pm-1:00pm McKnight Brain Institute, DeWeese Auditorium, LG-101   TO VIEW ONLINE PLEASE CLICK ON LINK BELOW ( RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS ): https://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/Mediasite/Play/3616177c1c954fb0834d140e92a8fffa1d   Neurology Grand Rounds – Section # 0255 & 0256 from Department of Neurology https://ift.tt/2KEoqwp

UF Health has been named one of four Parkinson’s Foundation Research Centers of Excellence. The $2 million award ($500,000 per year for four years) will provide funding to help researchers at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health and Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida jumpstart pilot projects and form new collaborations. “This support from the Parkinson’s Foundation will help us make a significant contribution to our understanding of Parkinson’s disease,” said Malú G. Tansey, PhD, director of UF’s Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease and principal investigator of the new Parkinson’s Foundation Research Center award at the Fixel Institute. “We are thrilled they have chosen the University of Florida to help shape the future for people with Parkinson’s disease with new discoveries and better therapies.” from Department of Neurology https://ift.tt/2TdhgTR

By  Steven DeKosky June 29 Americans and others around the world have turned increasingly to dietary supplements to maintain or preserve their brain health. A  recent study  found that a quarter of adults over 50 take a supplement for brain-related health. But that same study, done by experts convened by AARP, suggests that seniors should spend their money elsewhere. The supplements don’t work. This is no small issue. Expenditures on non-vitamin brain health supplements such as minerals, herbal mixtures, nurtraceuticals or amino acids, have extended into the  billions of dollars . This can cost  $20 to $60 a month  for seniors, a sizable sum that could be put toward other expenses, including fresh vegetables and fruit that actually do make a difference. Read More! from Department of Neurology https://ift.tt/2GGyVyc

UF Health has been named a Tourette Association of America’s 2019 Center of Excellence.  Congratulations on a job well done! Thank you for your service to the TS community and continuing to expand treatment and outreach.   from Department of Neurology https://ift.tt/333oazp

Jordan is joining the Neuromuscular Division as a Clinical Programs Coordinator.  Please welcome him to the department! from Department of Neurology https://ift.tt/2T3FD6p

Congratulations Dr. Nikolaus McFarland on the publication of “Development of a transcallosal tractography template and its application to dementia,” in NeuroImage.  This article will be in the October issue. Abstract Understanding the architecture of transcallosal connections would allow for more specific assessments of neurodegeneration across many fields of neuroscience, neurology, and psychiatry. To map these connections, we conducted probabilistic tractography in 100 Human Connectome Project subjects in 32 cortical areas using novel post-processing algorithms to create a spatially precise Trancallosal Tract Template (TCATT). We found robust transcallosal tracts in all 32 regions, and a topographical analysis in the corpus callosum largely agreed with well-established subdivisions of the corpus callosum. We then obtained diffusion MRI data from a cohort of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and another with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and used a two-compartment m...

In the late 1970s, researchers discovered that deficits in an enzyme that synthesizes acetylcholine were present in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. “That put geriatricians and neurologists on alert, and the word went out: Don’t put older adults, especially those with cognitive dysfunction, on drugs with acetylcholine-blocking effects,” said Dr. Steven DeKosky, deputy director of the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida. Read more! from Department of Neurology https://ift.tt/2JSH30i

“Microglial responses to amyloid-beta” Presented by: Dr. Karen McFarland Monday, July 22 12:00-1:00pm DeWeese Auditorium, McKnight Brain Institute from Department of Neurology https://ift.tt/2XNoNxT

Robyn Nelson called louder and louder for her 4-year-old daughter, who was somehow drifting away despite lying right by her mother’s side. “Mommy, where are you? I don’t see you,” said Brooklynn Williams, who repeated the same response after her mom assured her she was right in front of her face. During this time, Brooklynn’s eyes deviated to the left. She was having a seizure, her first of many in what has become an arduous battle with epilepsy. “She became unresponsive, foaming at the mouth,” Robyn said. “People have in their mind an idea of a seizure. She didn’t have those classic indicators, like the rigid body, shaking. She didn’t have those things that you imagine when you think of somebody having a seizure.” from Department of Neurology https://ift.tt/2XpwRF7

The UF Department of Neurology is pleased to announce the appointment of Christina Wilson, M.D. PhD. , to the position of Interim Chief of the Vascular Neurology Division . Dr. Wilson joined the Department of Neurology in 2013 after completing medical school, neurology residency, and vascular neurology fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania. She currently serves as the UF Neurology Associate Chair of Education, Residency Program Director, and Vascular Neurology Fellowship Director. Dr. Wilson has done an amazing job with the neurology residency program and with the stroke fellowship program. During her tenure as residency director, the program has increased in both size and national visibility, and is currently ranked #17 nationally and #4 among public institutions. She is a recipient of the AB Baker Teacher Recognition Award from the American Academy of Neurology and has been awarded the Exemplary Teacher Award from the UF College of Medicine for five consecutive ye...

By Jean Cibula, MD, FAES On May 9, 2019, the Google doodle (the picture or animation on the Google search page) highlighted Dr Lucy Wills, a British hematologist who first identified folic acid. Folic acid is one of the B vitamin family (also known as vitamin B9). She studied macrocytic (large cell) anemia in pregnancy and was able to distinguish the difference from pernicious anemia, which is caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. The cause was related to diet during pregnancy, and the anemia could be both prevented and treated using yeast extracts (like Marmite or Vegemite which are nonalcoholic food spreads made from the byproducts of beer brewing or brewers’ yeast). Folic acid was first called the “Wills factor” and was identified as folate in the 1940s. Dr Wills’ work contributed to positive pregnancy outcomes by identifying dietary contributors to pregnancy related deaths (moms and babies) and led to the supplementation of vitamins, particularly of iron and the B vitamins during ...

On June 19, UF Health leaders cut the ribbon on the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health, 24,700-square-foot interdisciplinary care and research facility that houses the UF Health Neuromedicine – Williston Road practice. Doors will open to patients on July 1. from Department of Neurology http://bit.ly/2L4JVbE

Congratulations to Drs. Leonardo Almeida ,  Aysegul Gunduz ,  Wei Hu ,  Kelly D Foote , and Michael S Okun on the publication of “ Image-based analysis and long-term clinical outcomes of deep brain stimulation for Tourette syndrome: a multisite study.”  This article was published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. Abstract Background  Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can be an effective therapy for tics and comorbidities in select cases of severe, treatment-refractory Tourette syndrome (TS). Clinical responses remain variable across patients, which may be attributed to differences in the location of the neuroanatomical regions being stimulated. We evaluated active contact locations and regions of stimulation across a large cohort of patients with TS in an effort to guide future targeting. Methods  We collected retrospective clinical data and imaging from 13 international sites on 123 patients. We assessed the effects of DBS over ti...

Congratulations to Drs Okun & Hass on the publication of “ Effects of a Cycling Dual Task on Emotional Word Choice in Parkinson’s Disease.”   This article was published in the May issue of the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research.   Abstract Purpose Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) demonstrate language- and emotion-related impairments; however, emotional language production has received little attention within the literature despite the fact that deficits could significantly impact one’s daily interactions with loved ones and others. Multitasking (i.e., dual tasking), specifically while completing language tasks, is a common everyday occurrence and typically impacts performance on 1 or both tasks. This study compared emotional word use during discourse production in individuals with PD and healthy older adults (HOAs) under single- and dual-task conditions. Method Participants completed a discourse task while sitting in a quiet room and while...