News

Thapat "Ton" Wannarong, MD, was first drawn to neuromuscular medicine as a medical student, when a neuroanatomy class revealed how the specialty allowed one to localize the case of an injury. That passion grew during Wannarong’s residency, and now he is living his dream as one of our neuromuscular fellows. In this week’s Spotlight interview, Wannarong talks to us about his hopes for providing clinical care while educating a new generation in neuromuscular medicine.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative disease that leads to progressive weakness and ultimately death. As in so many diseases, the ripple effect of ALS is felt throughout a patient’s circle of support. Driven to make a positive change for other families, Duke’s ALS community is celebrating a significant milestone for future patients.   

(This story first appeared on the DukeHealth website. Find that version of the story here.)

Members of the Duke Neurology Department contributed to 12 new peer-reviewed journal articles published this September. Among other findings, this research answered important questions about the use of telehealth to manage chronic neurological conditions, investigated an alternative therapy’s potential benefit for fighting ALS, and synthesized the latest research findings about the role of the immune system and infection in the genesis of Alzheimer’s disease.

The day’s work of a provider depends on frequent support. Appointments are constantly being scheduled and rescheduled, orders for medication refills and procedures need to be maintained, and providers need instant access to records, images and other information. Cerica Phelps, CMA, AMT, provides these duties and more to more than a dozen providers within the Duke Neurology Department--while also acting in an advisory and supervisory role to nine staff assistants.

Members of the Duke Neurology Department contributed to 12 new peer-reviewed journal articles published this August. Highlights include a review article examining evoked potentials used for deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s, the healthcare received by veterans with epilepsy, the optimal stroke treatments for patients with cerebral venous thrombosis, and other topics.

The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) has given its 2022 Public Recognition Award to Richard Bedlack, MD, PhD. This award honors public figures, celebrities, or entities that have made extraordinary contributions toward increasing public awareness of muscle and nerve disorders.
 

Members of the Duke Neurology Department contributed to eight articles and two correspondence letters published in peer-reviewed journals this July.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Duke University Hospital as the top hospital in North Carolina and the 23rd best across the nation for neurology and neurosurgery in its 2022-2023 hospital rankings. The annual rankings, which assessed more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide, analyze and integrate dozens of medical and surgical services.

This June, members of the Duke Neurology Department contributed to 12 new peer-reviewed journal articles as well as two new book chapters. Among other findings these studies uncovered retinal differences that may one day act as early biomarkers for cognitive impairment, population-based studies that will improve treatment for stroke and other conditions, and investigations of hydrogel scaffolds as potential therapies.

This week’s Spotlight interview shines on Samantha Lowenberg, a registered nurse at our Morreene Road Clinic. Lowenberg talks to us about the joys and challenges of her work helping patients with ALS, dementia, and other conditions. She also shares her hobbies of painting, playing music, and traveling when she’s not at Duke.