Department of Neurology Archives
VUMC forms center focused on Alzheimer’s and related dementias
Oct. 1, 2020—Leaders at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have announced that the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center (VMAC), currently housed in the Department of Neurology, will become a freestanding institutional center.
Froehler elected to surgery society board of directors
Sep. 10, 2020—Michael Froehler, MD, PhD, associate professor of Neurology, Neurological Surgery and Radiology and Radiological Sciences, has been elected a member of the board of directors of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS).
VUMC to lay groundwork for Tennessee’s first federally funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
Sep. 10, 2020—Angela Jefferson, PhD, professor of Neurology and director of the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center, has been awarded a $3.7 million, three-year grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to support establishment of a prospective NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
New clue to Alzheimer’s disease
Sep. 3, 2020—Combining studies of genetically diverse mouse populations and human data led to the identification of a gene associated with cognitive decline and brain changes in Alzheimer’s disease.
Cashew shell compound appears to mend damaged nerves
Aug. 17, 2020—In laboratory experiments, a chemical compound found in the shell of the cashew nut promotes the repair of myelin, a team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported Aug. 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Grant supports research on abnormal brain aging
Aug. 6, 2020—With the aid of an $18.2 million, five-year grant renewal from the National Institute on Aging, the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project (VMAP) will advance interdisciplinary research into abnormal brain aging and cognitive decline in older adults, with continuing emphasis on the role of blood flow changes in the heart and brain.
Pilot study suggests Parkinson’s disease progression can be slowed
Jun. 30, 2020—A pair of ultra-thin electrodes surgically implanted deep into the brain might slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease, according to five-year outcomes from a 30-patient randomized clinical trial conducted by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Single mutation causes seizure disorder
Jun. 22, 2020—A single mutation in one gene can impair inhibitory signaling in the brain and cause multiple types of seizures and behavioral abnormalities.
Darby lands award for research on complex human behaviors
May. 27, 2020—For outstanding contributions to research in behavioral neurology, Ryan Darby, MD, assistant professor of Neurology, has won the 2020 Norman Geschwind Prize in Behavioral Neurology from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).
New study examines Alzheimer’s disease images and molecular biomarkers
May. 7, 2020—Alzheimer’s disease (AD) involves distinctive wasting away of certain brain regions, such that medical imaging of these regions can distinguish the disease from other subtypes of dementia.
Spasticity underdiagnosed
Mar. 24, 2020—Spasticity — a consequence of stroke and other disorders of the central nervous system — may be underdiagnosed and undertreated in nursing home residents.
Grant bolsters research on subjective cognitive decline
Feb. 27, 2020—Katherine Gifford, PsyD, MS, assistant professor of Neurology, has been awarded a five-year, $4.3 million research grant from the National Institute on Aging to study what subjective cognitive decline can reveal about underlying pathology.
