News

Duke Neurology Research Round Up, January 2021

The final month of 2020 saw fifteen new publications written or co-written by members of the Duke Department of Neurology. Sneha Mantri, MD, MS, was a lead author of a new study examining factors contributing to burnout and moral injury among health-care workers at Duke. Our Neuromuscular Disease faculty wrote multiple studies advancing our understanding of myasthenia gravis, including how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people with this condition. Other articles answered questions about stroke, Parkinson’s, and other diseases.

Duke Neurology Research Round Up, December 2020

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

Faculty Spotlight: Dorlan Kimbrough, MD

For Dorlan Kimbrough, MD, neurology is both an intellectual challenge and a moral calling, or in his words, “a puzzle that matters.” For this week’s “Spotlight” interview, the new member of our faculty talks about balancing his work diagnosing and treating patients with neuroimmunological conditions while conducting clinical research to improve treatment for those conditions. He also discusses the medical community’s success in treating multiple sclerosis over the past 20 years, his own career path to neurology, and enjoying music, running, and chess in his spare time.

Duke Neurology Research Round Up, August 2020

Members of the Duke Neurology Department contributed to 14 new peer-reviewed articles published this July, improving our understanding of neuroscience, charting a course for research in a post-COVID-19 world, and offering opportunities for advancing patient care. Simon Gregory, PhD, and Yong Chen, PhD, respectively co-authored articles offering new therapeutic avenues for muscle repair and chronic pain treatment. Wuwei “Wayne” Feng, MD, MS, was part of a consortium examining the impact of COVID-19 on the NIH’s StrokeNet and offering a vision for resuming clinical trials.

Duke Neurology Research Round Up, July 2020

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.

Stem cell transplantation for multiple sclerosis: Searching for a cure

A multicenter, phase III interventional clinical trial being offered at Duke through the Immune Tolerance Network is examining the efficacy of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, an emerging therapy for patients with active, treatment-resistant relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). The condition causes inflammatory flares in the brain and spinal cord once every 12 to 15 months on average.

Duke Neurology Research Round Up, January 2020

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.

Neurology and Women's Health, Part 1: Multiple Sclerosis

A spectrum of factors influence women’s health, and neurology is no exception. At the biological level, sex differences such as hormonal changes during menarche, pregnancy, and menopause, and subtle influences sex hormones have on gene expression may affect symptoms and onset of Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions. Cultural mores mean that women do most of the caregiving for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, even as they are at greater risk than men for developing the condition.