Department of Neurological Surgery

Douglas Terry, PhD, and colleagues surveyed former professional football players about whether they believe they have Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. (photo by Donn Jones)
September 25, 2024

Vanderbilt’s Douglas Terry named Senior Director of Research for the National Football League

The role will concentrate on several initiatives meant to enhance the health and safety of NFL players and is an extension of Terry’s expertise and work on sport-related concussion and cumulative head impacts.

By Holly Fletcher
Douglas Terry, PhD, and colleagues surveyed former professional football players about whether they believe they have Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. (photo by Donn Jones)
September 23, 2024

New study reveals common belief of CTE, link to mental health among former professional NFL players

“Understanding the proportion of former players who think they have CTE — and identifying the common symptoms in those who believe they have CTE — is an important step for helping these individuals receive medical and mental health treatment,” said Douglas Terry, PhD, assistant professor and clinical neuropsychologist in the Department of Neurological Surgery and co-director of the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center.

By Holly Fletcher
August 28, 2024

For former NFL players, football before age 12 not linked to worse health later in life: study

Data from 4,189 former NFL athletes who spanned the ages of 24-89 show no evidence playing organized football younger than age 12 led to more cognitive, mood, sleep, cardiovascular or other health issues later in life. These results, which are published in Sports Medicine, contrast with previous small studies from a decade ago.

By Holly Fletcher
(Adobe Stock)
July 23, 2024

VUMC set to debut focused ultrasound treatment for tremors, Parkinson’s disease

Focused ultrasound treatment is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of tremors or Parkinson’s disease performed in an outpatient clinic with MRI as the navigation tool.

By Holly Fletcher
An initiative at VUMC is helping patients recover more quickly from major surgery, leave the hospital earlier and have fewer side effects from their pain management. (photo by Joe Howell)
April 26, 2024

VUH adopts enhanced recovery for spine surgery

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is launching an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway for the nearly 1,000 adult patients who undergo elective spine surgery each year at Vanderbilt University Hospital and Belle Meade Surgery Center.

By Paul Govern
March 29, 2024

A gunshot to the head. A long recovery. Then a wedding.

Special Agent Adam Daniels celebrates ongoing recovery after gunshot causes traumatic brain injury; family’s gift will support care of others with similar injuries

By Jill Clendening
March 6, 2024

Jay Wellons elected president of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons

Vanderbilt's John "Jay" Wellons III, MD, MSPH, has been elected as the 2024-2025 president of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons.
By Christina Echegaray
February 27, 2024

Ballerina dancing again after inspiring recovery from brain tumor

Emily Kneussle, a 20-year-old aspiring professional ballerina, was “born a dancer.” When a tumor in her brain threatened her dreams, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt helped her get back on stage.
By Nancy Humphrey
February 7, 2024

Teamwork key to treating boy’s severe head injuries following golf cart accident

Collaboration between teams at Vanderbilt was critical in saving a 2-year-old boy who suffered severe and complex injuries to his head after it was accidantly struck by a golf cart.
By Nancy Humphrey
January 11, 2024

New NIH grant funds novel brain network approach to improve epilepsy surgery

Investigators received a $3.2 million grant to develop novel brain network-based measures to guide surgical decisions and improve outcomes in the field of epilepsy surgery. The project builds upon work recently published by VUMC investigators in the journal Brain.
By Holly Fletcher
September 14, 2023

Study suggests way to relieve cognitive deficits caused by Parkinson’s disease

Vanderbilt research raises the possibility of using DBS to slow the decline of cognitive function, a major source of disability, diminished quality of life, and death in more than three-quarters of patients with Parkinson’s disease.
By Bill Snyder
June 22, 2023

Neurocritical care team helps boy survive severe brain injury

Vanderbilt's pediatric neurocritical care team combines experts from different areas of pediatric medicine to care for each child according to individual needs to maximize that child’s quality recovery.
By Christina Echegaray
April 4, 2023

Study shows ketamine could be beneficial for treating brain injury in children

Vanderbilt research shows a common anesthesia drug could be beneficial in reducing pressure inside the skull of children with traumatic brain injuries.
By Craig Boerner
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