News

This November, research from members of the Duke Department of Neurology examined how different types of seizures feel to the person experiencing them, discovered genes associated with longevity and health cognition, analyzed how the COVID-19 outbreak impacted stroke care, and more. Our faculty, trainees, and staff contributed to 15 studies published in the past 30 days. Read about each of them, and find links to the original articles below. 

Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology

A form of artificial intelligence designed to interpret a combination of retinal images was able to successfully identify a group of patients who were known to have Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting the approach could one day be used as a predictive tool, according to an interdisciplinary study by Andy Liu, MD, James Burke, MD, PhD, and colleagues across Duke University. The novel computer software looks at retinal structure and blood vessels on images of the inside of the eye that have been correlated with cognitive changes.

Members of the Duke Neurology Department contributed to 14 new peer-reviewed studies this October, advancing our understanding of or ability to treat Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and other conditions. Laurie Sanders, PhD, and Claudia Gonzalez Hunt, PhD, advanced our understanding of the links between mitochondrial DNA damage and Parkinson’s disease, providing a potential avenue for future therapies.

This September, members of the Duke Neurology Department contributed to 26 new studies, advancing our knowledge of neuroscience at the subcellular, national, and global levels. Ornit Chiba-Falek, PhD, and Laurie Sanders, PhD, lead studies that answered questions about the genetic origins of Parkinson’s disease and its connection to some forms of breast cancer.

One year after coming to our Morreene Road Clinic, Crystal Ballard still enjoys the challenges and opportunities that come with her work. Each day her job involves supporting our neurology providers, supervising staff assistants, preparing patients for clinic and other tasks. For this week’s “Spotlight” interview, Ballard talks to us about this work, her various positions at Duke over the past 20 years, and embracing and adapting to the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With 18 new peer-reviewed articles from members of our faculty, August 2020 was a record-breaking month for the Duke Neurology Department. Clinical research highlights published in the past 31 days include an analysis of patients presenting with vertigo in Emergency Departments, an essay on the human cost of COVID-19 and how we can help people connect during difficult times, and a study finding new benefits for therapies for myasthenia gravis.

New research from the Duke Neurology Department advanced our understanding of neurological diseases and patient care at the basic science, translational, and clinical levels. Among other topics, our faculty, trainees, and staff found evidence for virtual reality’s potential in neurorehabilitation, tested a wearable device that can help better identify seizures, and reviewed how our understanding of the hippocampus has evolved over the past generation.

This February, members of the Duke Department of Neurology contributed to 10 new research articles in peer-reviewed journals. At the microscopic level, new studies examined how ion channels in endothelial cells may contribute to hypertension associated with obesity, and reviewed how DNA damage contributes to neuronal death in Parkinson’s disease. And at the system-wide level, our Stroke team discussed the massive IMPROVE Stroke Care project, which includes a network of nearly 100 hospitals, and hundreds of other agencies and communities.

For patients living with memory disorders, life requires “adjusting to the new normal,” sometimes even on a daily basis. Social worker Jennifer Sosensky, MSW, LCSW, helps patients at Duke find the resources and strategies to help patients and their families make these adjustments. In her “Spotlight” interview, Sosensky talks to us about why she became a social worker, her 15 years at Duke, and the resources available to patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. 

Members of the Duke Department of Neurology contributed to nine studies in peer-reviewed journals published in December 2019. In the fields of neurodegeneration and neuromuscular disease, our faculty found potential new avenues for therapies for spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) and myasthenia gravis. Other studies by our faculty and housestaff answered important questions about how reductions in blood pressure affect outcomes for thrombectomy, outcomes for deep brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson’s, and other areas.