UCLA Neurology

Deep brain stimulation has been successful in treating movement disorders, such as #Parkinsons disease. In this study, Drs. Dawn Eliashiv & John Stern find that deep brain stimulation may be useful in alleviating #memory disorders. https://www.brainstimjrnl.com//S1935-861X(20)3030/fulltext

With the emergence of #SocialMedia, scholars can engage wider audiences in creative ways and have a broader impact. Dr. Wesley Kerr contributed to this effort to develop crowdsourced guidelines for documenting social media scholarship. https://www.jmir.org/2020/12/e25070/

Dr. Daniel Geschwind recently published a commentary in Biological Psychiatry entitled "Polygenicity in PsychiatryLike It or Not, We Have to Understand It" concerning the heritable components of nearly all psychiatric traits. https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com//S000/fulltext

Formation of A oligomers and fibrils plays a central role in the pathogenesis of #Alzheimers disease. The results of a study by Dr. Zhefeng Guo and other researchers suggest that A42 and A40 form mixed oligomers with direct molecular interactions. https://www.sciencedirect.com///abs/pii/S0006291X20321367

The results of the MyRIAD study, where Dr. David Liebeskind and others discern the mechanisms of recurrent #stroke in intracranial atherosclerotic disease, were recently published. https://www.strokejournal.org//S1052-3057(20)3092/fulltext

If you’re considering an attitude adjustment as a New Year’s resolution, this Hidden Brain podcast entitled "Minimizing Pain, Maximizing Joy" has some good takeaways. https://podcasts.google.com//NTI0N2MzZjAtM2E2NC00NDkwLWFjM

For our first #FactFriday of 2021, we wonder: how can we trick our minds into maintaining our #NewYearsResolutions? Check out this article on ways to stick to your resolutions, including quantifying your goals and rewarding yourself. https://www.popsci.com/how-to-accomplish-new-years-resolut/

As we enter 2021, we're grateful for all the ways our faculty, staff, and patient community have been a light and a hope for us and for one another. We at UCLA Neurology wish you all a #HappyNewYear2021!

The Research Development Track at UCLA Neurology, the R25 program, seeks to train neurology residents in basic or clinical science research through direct investigative study, oral and written scientific presentations, and intensive mentored career development.

The grant process can be daunting, which is why representatives from National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke have made Building Up the Nerve for neuroscience trainees. This podcast goes through the life cycle of a grant from idea to award at NINDS, with tips for successful grant writing along the way. https://tunein.com//Educa/Building-Up-the-Nerve-p1254268/

"If someone gets out of the shower or a hot bath, that drop of temperature is allowing for a more robust melatonin release." Dr. Alon Avidan was quoted in an Insider article on how to naturally increase #melatonin production for better #sleep: https://www.insider.com/what-is-melatonin

In this report, Dr. Harry Vinters and other researchers evaluate the first experience of the use of a digital tonometer to understand the biomechanical properties of #epilepsy tissue and to guide the conduct of epilepsy #surgery. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-77888-0

The most recent publication by Drs. Alexan Yerevanian and Francy Shu is entitled "Pearls and Oy-sters: Number, weaker, and dizzier due to transthyretin amyloidosis after two liver transplants". https://n.neurology.org//2/12/04/WNL.0000000000011289.long

PRESS RELEASE: Drs. Noah Zaitlen & Valerie Arboleda are part of a multi-institution team that was awarded a 4-year, $3.2 million grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute to study genetic diversity of different populations and determine how that diversity impacts clinical care. https://www.uclahealth.org//extending-the-genomics-revolut

Mossy cells (MCs) of the dentate gyrus (DG) are important for regulating activity of dentate granule cells. Dr. Istvan Mody & others discovered MCs in the dorsal & ventral DG differ in the distribution of their axonal projections & possibly their function. https://www.jneurosci.org///24/JNEUROSCI.2455-20.2020.long

It's #FactFriday! Have you ever wondered about the #neuroscience behind baseball? Expert #baseball players don't use their frontal cortex, which enacts decision-making, as much as nonexperts do when hitting. Instead, players seem to make the decision in their motor cortex.

Dr. Aaron McMurtray and the California Neurology Society's Fall 2020 Conference is on "The Impact of the #Coronavirus Outbreak on Neurologists in Los Angeles". For more information and to register for the Fall Conference of #Neurology Innovations 2020, click below.

The UCLA Brain Mapping Center Seminar Series presents Dr. Michael A. Yassa, Director of the UCI Brain Institute. Dr. Yassa will be presenting High-resolution multimodal MRI investigations of human episodic memory on Thurs, 11/5.

Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA) is a progressive and debilitating neurological disorder. Dr. Susan Perlman was featured on Lifetime's "The Balancing Act" with her patient Frankie Perazzola, whose diagnosis changed the course of her life. https://thebalancingact.com/behind-the-mystery-friedreichs/

For Grand Rounds this week, Dr. Richard T. Benson, Director of the NINDS Office of Global Health and Health Disparities, will give a presentation on the "NINDS Health Disparities Strategic Planning Process". Dr. Benson will be speaking on Wed, 10/21 @ 9am.

The HIV Motor Scale (HMS) is a validated tool that captures motor abnormalities on routine neurologic examination. In this study, Dr. Elyse Singer & others applied a modified HMS to a nationwide cohort of #HIV patients to characterize the factors contributing to motor dysfunction. https://academic.oup.com//article-abstr/71/6/1532/5582032

Researchers including Dr. Gal Bitan explore how the variants of molecular tweezer CLR01 destroy enveloped viruses, including #HIV, #Ebola, and Zika virus, and remodel amyloid fibrils in semen that promote viral infection. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.0c06400

Scholars including Dr. Brian Rundle developed an outreach activity targeted at 6th grade middle school students, which aims to determine the level of phosphate in samples of water from nearby lakes and streams. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33043196/

Exploring the drivers of epigenetic age acceleration could lead to valuable insights into neurocognitive development. This study by Dr. Andrew Levine found that accelerated epigenetic aging in adolescents from low-income households is associated with altered #brain development. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11011-020-00589-0

Spinal cord injury in mammals is thought to trigger scar formation with little regeneration of axons. Here, Dr. Daniel Geschwind & others show that a crush injury to the spinal cord in mice leads to healing that permits the growth of long axons. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2795-6

In our newest installment of #HumansOf UCLA Neurology, meet Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD! When he isn't conducting research on epilepsy & dissociative seizures, Wes likes ultramarathon obstacle racing, trail running, & being a father to two kids! https://www.instagram.com/p/CGOqObeHzzW/