Parkinson's Disease And Movement Disorders News

Thirteen years ago, Matthew Tackitt was working in the financial sector, when the 2008 global economic crisis and cross-country move got him thinking about a career change. He opted for nursing and has stuck with it ever since. This May, Tackitt joined the Movement Disorders clinic as their navigator for their Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS) Program.

Hui Zhang, MD, first knew that she wanted to specialize in movement disorders during residency after she saw the dramatic improvement deep brain stimulation provided to a patient with dystonia. Now, she’s finishing her year as a fellow in our Division of Movement Disorders.

A novel application of zoledronic acid, a bisphosphonate typically prescribed to prevent or treat osteoporosis, is being assessed in a large-scale trial for its potential to prevent fractures in senior patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

Meet Greg Monroe! Greg is living well with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD) and receives care at the Duke Movement Disorders Center. Tell us a little about yourself. Feel free to share about your family, career, special interests, etc!

This interview is part of the May 2021 issue of Move More, the quarterly newsletter from the Duke Movement Disorders Clinic. Find that and previous issues, or sign up to receive future issues here.

Treatment for movement disorders goes beyond providing medical care. Adjusting to a life with Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, or other conditions requires requires lifestyle changes, planning for the future, and coping with the stress and waves of emotions associated with a diagnosis. Anne Kosem, LCSW, at our Morreene Road Clinic helps people with movement disorders and their loved ones navigate these and other complex challenges.

Members of the Duke Neurology Department advanced the fields of clinical, translational, and basic neuroscience this April with 14 new peer-reviewed studies. Nicole Calakos, MD, PhD, was the senior author of a new study in Science that  expands our understanding of the integrated stress response in the brain and how it influences learning and memory.

Members of the Duke Neurology Department contributed to 21 new studies in peer-reviewed journals this March, advancing our ability to understand, treat, and prevent diseases and conditions from across the field of neurology. Brian Mac Grory, MB BCh, MRCP, and other members of our stroke and vascular neurology helped answer questions about the best way to treat patients who have a stroke in their sleep.

Research from members of the Duke Neurology Department advanced the fields of clinical, translational, and basic neurology in February. Over the past 28 days, our faculty, staff, and trainees contributed to journal articles answering questions about the use of mobile phones for stroke care, modifiable risk factors associated with cognitive decline in Parkinson’s, the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease, and more.

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.

Nicole Calakos, MD, PhD, was one of six Duke faculty members named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers. They are among 489 new fellows elected this year.

The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. A virtual induction ceremony for the new fellows in the organization’s 24 sections will be held on Feb. 13, 2021. The Duke faculty members elected this year are as follows:

Engineering