News Archives

RFK Jr. Says He had a Dead Worm in His Brain. What are These Parasites and How Common are They?
LA Times - 5/8/24
A single patient could have hundreds of these calcifications in their brain, said Dr. Diana Vargas, a neurologist and neuroimmunologist at the Emory University School of Medicine.

Early Technique Switches “Should be Contemplated” Following Failed Thrombectomy Attempts
NeuroNews - 4/17/24
The analysis in question—now published in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery (JNIS) by Diogo Haussen, Pedro Martins (both Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA) and colleagues—was predicated on the fact that, in the authors’ view, although switching to a different thrombectomy technique after initially unsuccessful passes is a common occurrence, its effect remains undetermined.

Emory Study Finds Air Pollution Increases Alzheimer’s Risk
AJC - 4/12/24
“We know that air pollution is generally bad for human health, including brain health,” James Lah, MD, PhD, principal investigator of the Emory Healthy Brain Study and an associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Emory’s School of Medicine, said in the press release.

How to Get Started on a Brain-Healthy Diet
Brain & Life - 4/10/24
Diet matters, agrees Karima Benameur, MD, associate professor of neurology at Emory University in Atlanta. “In one study, following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a 33 percent reduced risk of stroke,” she says.

Georgia Families Facing Alzheimer’s Deal with Costs and Care Shortages
AJC - 3/21/24
More than 188,000 Georgia residents aged 65 or older had Alzheimer’s Disease in 2020, according to a new report.

Metro Atlanta Doctor Calls Breakthrough Detecting Alzheimer’s Gamechanger
WSB-TV - 1/26/24
BHC neurologist Dr. Erik Johnson spoke with WSB-TV on how exercise, eating a good diet and staying socially connected can protect your brain against Alzheimer's disease.

Florida Woman One of First to Try Promising Alzheimer's Treatment
Fox 5 - 1/24/24
Last summer, Carolyn Davis' journey to become one of the first patients in Georgia to receive an infusion of a recently FDA-approved Alzheimer's treatment began with diagnosis from a neurologist.

Alzheimer's Disease 'Game Changer' as Progression Slowed with Immunotherapy
Newsweek - 12/14/23
Hope is on the horizon for millions of Alzheimer's disease patients as scientists develop a new target for Alzheimer's treatment: the immune system.

Program for Those with Epilepsy Able to Detect Symptoms of Depression, Suicidality
Healio - 12/13/23
“The unmet needs of mental health intervention in epilepsy, dealing with memory problems is what the program is about, but we also talk about quality of life,” says Taylor Shade, BS, a researcher in the department of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine

Experimental Spinal Cord Implant Helps Parkinson’s Patient Walk in New Study
CNN - 11/6/23
This proof-of-concept study is “exciting” and “impressive,” Dr. Svjetlana Miocinovic, a neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s disease and associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine, said in an email.

Early Indicators of Alzheimer’s Disease Discovered in Spinal Fluid Proteins
Senior Housing News - 10/11/23
Proteins in cerebrospinal fluid can provide an early indication about the likelihood of future Alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline, according to recently published research findings out of Emory University in Atlanta.

Emory Pioneers ALS Genetic Data Repository with NIH and UMass Chan Medical School
Emory - 10/6/23
This innovative initiative consolidates data from multiple large-scale projects into a single, easily accessible dataset, unlocking the full potential of ALS and FTD research.

When Lying Is a Sign of a Health Problem
AARP Magazine - 8/25/23
Memory is a funny thing. We all get details wrong from time to time, misremember or simply have gaps in recall. 

Emory Sophomore Climbs Mount Kilimanjaro in Her Father’s Honor
Emory - 8/16/23
Emory is a leading clinical and basic research center for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Decades of pioneering research at Emory have been internationally recognized for playing an integral role in the discovery of PD-related brain circuitry changes, paving the way for new surgical therapies now used globally to treat those with the condition.

These Proteins Could Predict Dementia Risk Decades Before Symptoms, New Study Suggests
STAT News - 7/19/23
Can we predict the risk of dementia decades before onset? In a study published in Science Translational Medicine on Wednesday, neuroscientists reported a startling clue.

Emory Researchers Call Newly-Approved Alzheimer’s Drug Major Breakthrough
Yahoo! News - 7/8/23
A major breakthrough has been made in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. For the first time ever, the FDA granted full approval to a drug proven to slow the progression of the devastating condition. WSB-TV

Study Using Data Strategies to Detect and Predict Atrial Fibrillation in Post-Stroke Patients Awarded Grant
Emory - 6/13/23
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has awarded a $2.7 million grant to Emory University and Emory Healthcare researchers to study the use of data strategies to detect and predict atrial fibrillation in post-stroke patients.

Jaffar Khan Named Chair of Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine
Emory - 3/22/23
Jaffar Khan, MD, has been appointed chair of the Department of Neurology in the Emory University School of Medicine, effective April 1, 2023. Khan, a professor of neurology, has led the department as interim chair since May 2021.

Disparities in Diagnosis, Treatment for African Americans with Alzheimer’s
Atlanta Voice - 3/17/23
Caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease can be a daunting proposition. With African Americans disproportionately affected by the disease, education and planning are essential. The Seattle Medium

Carotid Webs: Armed and Dangerous
Stroke Busters - 3/9/23
BHC associate professor of neurology Dr. Diogo Haussen was featured on the podcast Stroke Busters to discuss carotid webs and the dangers associated with the diagnosis.

Emory Enhances 'Clock-drawing Test' Used to Detect Alzheimer's, Other Types of Dementia
11 Alive - 3/6/23
Emory Healthcare is working to improve a test used to detect Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

Why Evenings can be Harder on People with Dementia—and How to Cope
National Geographic - 3/2/23
When evening approaches, caregivers of dementia patients know to be on their guard for sundowning: a constellation of behaviors that can include restlessness, agitation, aggression, confusion and wandering.

Medical Breakthroughs from Head to Foot
Atlanta Magazine - January 2023
New techniques literally save the brain. 

ALS, a Rare but Deadly Disease, can Silence Anyone. Here’s What to Know.
Washington Post - 11/14/22
Anyone can be affected by the relatively rare amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to experts.

Parkinson's vs. Essential Tremor: What's the Difference?
US News & World Report - 11/10/22
Many people associate involuntary shaking of the body with Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease that affects an individual's movement. But while this uncontrollable trembling is a hallmark sign of Parkinson's disease, it is often mistaken for another – more common – neurological movement disorder: essential tremor.

Emory Healthcare First in Georgia to Offer Non-Invasive Focused Ultrasound Treatment for Tremor
Emory - 9/14/22
Emory Healthcare is the first health care system in Georgia offering a non-invasive ultrasound treatment for patients living with essential tremor or tremor from Parkinson’s disease.

Find Calm to Carry On
Simply Buckhead - 8/25/22
Physically healthy people who avoid social interactions should seek help, says Dr. Toby Goldsmith, a psychiatrist at the Emory Brain Health Center in Brookhaven, who directs the Emory Women’s Mental Health Program. “It’s important to attempt to maintain some level of normalcy.”

Study Finds Depression is Not Likely Caused by a Chemical Imbalance or Low Serotonin Levels
Fox 5 - 8/23/22
When it comes to understanding what causes major depressive disorder, Emory psychiatrist Dr. Boadie Dunlop says the answer is complicated.

5 Keys to Building an Emotionally Healthy Relationship with Competing
Dance Magazine - 8/15/22
“When competitiveness impacts your mood and your relationships with others, and when it gets in the way of feeling good about yourself, then it’s problematic,” says Dr. Nadine Kaslow, a psychologist who works with dancers and students at Atlanta Ballet.

9 Tips for Getting the Neurologic Care You Need Despite Staffing Shortages
Brain & Life - 8/5/22
If it is going to take six months or longer for an in-person appointment, ask about a virtual visit, especially if it's the initial step in an evaluation, says Taylor B. Harrison, MD, associate professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Is Reversing Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease Possible? A New Study Finds it May Be
GPB - 7/11/22
“Our approach to personalized medicine is with the recognition that there are these lifestyle factors like sleep, exercise and diet,” Levey said. “[Factors] like the degree of social interaction, [and] there are genetic factors, there's ancestry.”  

This Emory Alzheimer’s Researcher Is Working To Boost Diversity in Research
Being Patient - 6/30/22
Alzheimer’s and dementia research is personal to Emory University’s Dr. Monica Parker: Her 96-year-old mother lives with the condition. But, her familial connection is not what directly led to her involvement in research. 

Todd Golde Named Emory’s Newest GRA Scholar, Joins Goizueta Institute @ Emory Brain Health
Emory - 6/29/22
Emory University has named Todd E. Golde, MD, PhD, the new director of the Emory Center for Neurodegenerative Disease (CND) in the Goizueta Institute @ Emory Brain Health.

Epilepsy Centers Focus on Unique Needs of Older Adults
Neurology Today - 3/17/22
Diagnosing and treating seizures in older people is important because it could stave off cognitive decline, said Edward Faught, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine.

Study Unveils New Protein-Related Changes in the Brain of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Medical Xpress - 3/9/22
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have recently carried out a large-scale analysis of the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

A New Study Helps Untangle the Role of Tau in Dementia
Wired - 1/26/22
Concentrating on other proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases could help scientists find new ways to treat them. “Proteins don’t act in isolation,” says Nicholas Seyfried, an associate professor of biochemistry and neurology at Emory University who studies neurodegeneration. 

Does Edaravone Slow ALS Progression?
Medpage Today - 1/10/22
The FDA approval of edaravone in 2017 was "somewhat of a surprise to many in the ALS scientific and clinical research communities but was seen by patients as new hope for slowing disease," observed Jonathan Glass, MD, and Christina Fournier, MD, MS, both of Emory University in Atlanta.

Emory Receives $6 Million Grant to Accelerate Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Research
Emory - 11/5/21
Emory University researchers received a three-year, $6.3 million grant from the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Collaborative Research Network for research into the motor cortical disturbances caused by Parkinson’s disease.

Doctors Weigh Pros and Cons of Prescribing Hot-Button Alzheimer's Drug
KHN - 7/9/21
Doctors explaining the pros and cons of Aduhelm won’t have a definitive answer. “On an individual basis, it will be absolutely impossible to predict,” said Dr. Allan Levey, director of the Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Emory University.

Jaffar Khan Named Interim Chair of Neurology
Emory - 7/1/21
Jaffar Khan, MD, is serving as interim chair of the Department of Neurology in the Emory University School of Medicine. Khan is associate professor of neurology and serves as assistant dean and vice-chair for Medical Education. He assumed the interim chair role in late May.

Raul Nogueira Honored with Albert E. Levy Award for Excellence in Scientific Research
Emory - 6/15/21
Neurologist Raul Nogueira is this year’s recipients of the Albert E. Levy Award for Excellence in Scientific Research, established to recognize the contributions of Emory faculty members to the advancement of scientific knowledge.

"Flicker" Treatment Aims to Slow Alzheimer's Disease with Lights and Sounds
Emory - 6/15/21
Emory and Georgia Tech investigators recently reported the results of the first human feasibility study of the “Flicker” treatment, a non-pharmaceutical approach aimed at slowing Alzheimer’s disease.

Out of My Mind: Advances in Brain Tech Spur Calls for 'Neuro Rights'
Thomson Reuters Foundation - 3/29/21
But warnings of "science-fiction scenarios" of for-profit mind control are overblown for a line of research that is still so young, said Karen Rommelfanger, director of the neuroethics program at Emory University in Atlanta.

Prognostic Factors Nullify Positive Link Between Race, Survival in ALS
Healio - 1/11/21
Black patients with ALS experienced a greater median survival than white patients in a large, single-center study, though researchers found no independent association between race and survival after adjusting for ALS prognostic factors.

Genuity Science and Emory University Announce Key Research Agreement Collaboration Designed to Speed Insights into Major Neurodegenerative Diseases
PR Newswire - 1/7/21
Genuity Science, a U.S.-headquartered data, analytics and insights organization, today announces an agreement with one of the world’s leading medical research institutions, Emory University.

Prognostic Factors Nullify Positive Link Between Race, Survival in ALS
Black patients with ALS experienced a greater median survival than white patients in a large, single-center study, though researchers found no independent association between race and survival after adjusting for ALS prognostic factors.

Genuity Science and Emory University Announce Key Research Agreement Collaboration Designed to Speed Insights into Major Neurodegenerative Diseases
The collaboration will focus on partnering with Emory on the development of the Genuity Science population clinicogenomic database with an initial focus on neurodegenerative disease, to enable research with pharma and biotech partners.

Alzheimers Q&A: Is it Helpful for Some with Alzheimers to Undergo Psychological Treatment?
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is devastating to the individual, and a mental health professional can help him or her in coping with and accepting the diagnosis. But it also can help deal with behavioral and psychological symptoms.

Stopping COVID-19
Emory researchers embark on an epic journey to tackle humanity’s big test.

Women Who Work for Pay Have Slower Memory Loss as They Age, Study Finds
Women who have spent time in the paid workforce during their adult lives — regardless of whether they were married or single, with or without children — have slower rates of memory decline after age 60 than women who did not work for pay, a new study has found.

Telehealth Visits Soar as Emory Healthcare Keeps Patients and Doctors Connected during Pandemic
“The speed and quality in establishing a robust telehealth practice from very few visits a week to around 12,000 per week has been an amazing transformation,” says Gregory Esper, MD, MBA, associate chief medical officer at Emory Healthcare and lead of Emory’s systemwide telehealth initiatives. “Our thanks go out to the many dedicated team members at Emory Healthcare who have helped us maintain important provider connections with our patients during these challenging times. We are pleased to be able to offer telehealth visits to our patients to meet their needs.”

Investigational Drug for Genetic Form of ALS Showing Early Promise, Trial Indicates
An experimental gene-silencing drug designed for a rare, inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has shown promise in a clinical trial conducted at the Emory ALS Center and other medical centers around the world.

Grady Doctor Talks Brain Issues with COVID
We’re very concerned about stroke. We understand that there is a tendency for clotting that I think is very apparent now. This virus does create a tendency towards forming blood clots, which could lead to more strokes or more deadly form of strokes, which are in larger blood clots blocking larger arteries.

Why Having More Blacks, Latinos in Alzheimer's Trials is Vital 
According to Dr. Monica Parker, a family physician and Emory University researcher, concentrations of tau protein and its phosphorylated isoform in cerebrospinal fluid differed significantly between African American and white individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Worried about COVID-19, Stroke Patients may Delay Getting Help
In Metro Atlanta and around the US, hospital emergency departments are seeing a drop in non-COVID-19 patients, coming in with stroke and heart attack symptoms.

Living Brain Tissue Experiments Raise New Kinds of Ethical Questions
Live bits of brain look like any other piece of meat —  pinkish, solid chunks of neural tissue. But unlike other kinds of tissue or organs donated for research, they hold the memories, thoughts and feelings of a person.

How to Donate a Piece of Your Brain to Science - While You're Still Alive
“There's not a uniform way in the in the U.S. really to donate your brain, much less brain tissue,” says Karen Rommelfanger, a neuroethicist at Emory University. But if donors want to do it, she says, they should be able to. “They feel it's a way for their illness to help others.”

What is Biohacking and Should You Give This Silicon Valley Trend a Try?
You don’t have to be in Silicon Valley using some never-heard-of technology and supplements to biohack your brain. That’s according to Karina Benameur, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Emory University, who teaches the open course Biohacking Your Brain’s Health and shares the view that biohacking can absolutely consists of really anything that enhances brain function.

Meet Belfast's 'Dementia-Friendly Barber'
"The fascinating thing about dementia is that while it's an epidemic and so many people are experiencing it, each individual's experience is going to be very different," said Carolyn Clevenger, clinical director for the Emory Integrated Memory Care Clinic in Atlanta, Georgia.

Arrival of the Bees
This is not the story it was supposed to be, not by a long shot. It was supposed to be about brain research, with an emphasis on the Emory Healthy Aging Study. But then a blood clot unleashed a beehive in my brain. This story begins with the bees.

AJC on Campus: Emory Gets Major Alzheimer's Research Grant
Emory University got a major check last week for some important research. Georgia’s largest private university announced it will be the lead institution for a major $37.5 million federal grant to speed up the development of new therapies and technologies to slow, prevent and cure Alzheimer’s.

Major New Emory Grant will Accelerate Search for Alzheimer's Treatments
Emory University has received a major tool in the fight to discover new treatments for Alzheimer’s. The university has been selected as the lead institution for a major $37.5 million federal grant to speed up the development of new therapies and technologies to slow, prevent and cure the progressive disease that affects more than 5.8 million people in the United States, including 150,000 in Georgia.

NIA Announces Major $73 Million Alzheimer's Grant, Emory Leads International Drug Discovery Center
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is awarding approximately $37 million over five years to a team of international researchers, led by Emory University, to help accelerate the development of promising new therapies that will effectively treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD). NIA is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Scientists Rethink Alzheimer's, Diversifying the Drug Search
When researchers at the University of Kentucky compare brains donated from people who died with dementia, very rarely do they find one that bears only Alzheimer’s trademark plaques and tangles — no other damage.

Scientists Rethink Alzheimer's, Diversifying the Drug Search
When researchers at the University of Kentucky compare brains donated from people who died with dementia, very rarely do they find one that bears only Alzheimer’s trademark plaques and tangles — no other damage.

Awareness and Money Raised from the Ice Bucket Challenge Helps Georgia Families Five Years Later
Five years later, money raised from the first Ice Bucket Challenge has gone a long way in helping fight ALS.

Emory Neurologist Awarded $2.1 Million Grant to Research Sleep Disorders
Emory neurologist Lynn Marie Trotti has earned a five-year, $2.1 million grant for clinical research on sleep disorders. he grant, issued by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, will give Trotti and her colleagues with the Emory Sleep Center the chance to build on decades of research regarding the mechanisms behind the antibiotic clarithromycin, a generic drug typically used to treat skin, ear, sinus or lung infections.

Fed Up with Washington, ALS Advocates Consider ACT UP's Take-No-Prisoners Approach
Next Wednesday, a cadre of ALS patients will gather for a protest outside the FDA’s headquarters in suburban Maryland with a clear message: “No More Excuses.”

Bad Cholesterol, Rare Alzheimer's may be Linked
Here's another reason to keep your cholesterol under control: New research suggests that LDL, or "bad," cholesterol may play a role in the development of early-onset Alzheimer's.

High LDL Linked to Early-Onset Alzheimer's
Researchers with the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Emory University have found a link between high LDL cholesterol levels and early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The results could help doctors understand how the disease develops and what the possible causes are, including genetic variation.

The Alzheimer's-Cholesterol Connection
Elevated low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels were tied to a higher probability of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, a case series showed.

People with High Cholesterol are at Higher Risk of Early Alzheimer's
High cholesterol raises the risks of early-onset Alzheimer's disease and may even cause the devastating brain disorder, new research suggests.

High LDL Linked to Early-Onset Alzheimer's
According to Dr. Thomas Wingo, lead author of the study, the results show that LDL cholesterol levels may play a causal role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

High LDL Linked to Early-Onset Alzheimer's
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine and the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center have found a link between high LDL cholesterol levels and early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The results could help doctors understand how the disease develops and what the possible causes are, including genetic variation. The study findings appear in the May 28 issue of JAMA Neurology.

Doctors Have More Time Than Thought to Treat Stroke Patients, Study Suggests
The new study "reinforces the importance of individualizing acute stroke treatment and not simply excluding patients because of the time they were last seen normal," Dr. Fadi Nahab, medical director for the Stroke Program at Emory University Hospital, who was not involved in the study, wrote in an email.

Experimental Treatment Could be "Game-Changing" for Genetic ALS
An experimental treatment for the rapidly progressive disease ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, has been called potentially "game-changing." The treatment, called tofersen, was found to slow the decline of muscular function associated with a genetic form of ALS in a study to be presented next week at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Do You Know ALS? Meet Ed
Upon diagnosis, Ed was immediately enrolled in a clinical trial happening at the time at Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital. He received two stem cell transplants into his spine’s grey matter, which required two surgeries — and a lot of time at Emory.

After the Diagnosis: A Guide to Alzheimer's Disease
“The gold standard for diagnosing Alzheimer’s is taking a look at a piece of the brain under the microscope postmortem,” says Dr. Chadwick Hales, an assistant professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine and a neurologist at Emory Brain Health Center in Atlanta. “But there are some tests you can do in living people,” he says.

Parkinson’s Expert on What the Latest Research Is Telling Us About the Disease
Globally, more than 10 million people have Parkinson’s Disease. About 60,000 will be diagnosed with the disease in this country this year. While Parkinson’s has historically been associated with motor function symptoms like tremors, rigidity and a shuffling gait, several cognitive issues are also related to the disease.

Alzheimer's Failure Puts Efforts to Find a Cure in Doubt
Some researchers are still enthusiastic about the amyloid idea despite the growing number of setbacks. The drugs tried so far have failed because they have been hitting the wrong form of the compound, according to Lary Walker, an experimental neuropathologist at Emory University.

Rate of Dementia Deaths has More Than Doubled
Emory University School of Medicine assistant professor Chad Hales, who was not involved in the report, told CNN that “diagnosing dementia begins with a good clinical history and exam, brain imaging and lab studies to ensure no other conditions are causing the symptoms.” But “the current gold standard,” he told the network, “is postmortem diagnosis with neuropathological confirmation,” meaning the disease is best diagnosed after death.

Alzheimer's Grows Sharply in Georgia - and Faster than National Average
Dr. Monica Parker, a geriatric doctor at Emory Healthcare, said an early diagnosis can help someone get access to more treatment options to help lessen symptoms, allow someone an opportunity to participate in clinical trials and give families more time to assemble a long-term health care plan, review legal documents and set up a support network.

Atlanta Doctor Takes on the Alzheimer's Challenge
When The Goizueta Foundation funded a large research project at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Emory University five years ago, a major transformation took place, according to Emory neurologist and neuroscientist Allan Levey, director of the ADRC.

Education Won't Help Much When it Comes to Dementia
Emory University's Dr. Aliza P. Wingo, a psychiatrist and an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Dr. Thomas S. Wingo, a neurologist and an assistant professor of neurology and human genetics, described the study as "thorough" while noting that the findings "may not be easy to generalize beyond the people they studied given the relatively old age of participants and many years of educational attainment most of these participants had."

What is Lewy Body Dementia?
When CNN founder Ted Turner made the bombshell announcement on “CBS Sunday Morning” in September that he had Lewy body dementia, the general reaction was: “What’s Lewy body dementia?”

Alzheimer's Attack on the Brain may Vary with Race
Research on Alzheimer’s has mainly focused on Caucasians. New findings, however, suggest the disease process that leads to dementia may differ in African–Americans. According to a study published Monday in JAMA Neurology, the brains of African–Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s have less buildup of a protein called tau—one of the two hallmark proteins that characterize the disease.

Local Research Key to Critical Alzheimer's Battle
The National Institute on Aging funds Alzheimer’s disease centers at major medical institutions, including Atlanta’s own Emory University. Researchers at these 27 centers are on an increasingly critical mission to improve the diagnosis and care for people living with Alzheimer’s, as well as to find a way to cure and possibly prevent the disease.

Do African-Americans have More, or Different, Alzheimer's Disease? Too Little Data to Tell
One study is being led by William Hu of Emory University, Atlanta. Hu recalled that his interest in biologic differences was sparked during his neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where researchers incorporate CSF tests into their diagnostic workups for people with clinical signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

JO Gives Inc. Donates to ALS Research
Approximately 5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year and the average survival time is three years after diagnosis. Since its inception in 2016, the Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team’s non-profit JO Gives Inc. has been making donations to Emory University’s ALS Research Center annually.

Free Memory Screenings, Support for Families at Huge Alzheimer's Conference Coming to Atlanta
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s (AFA) will host a large free conference next month to offer support, resources and information for people with Alzheimer’s disease, their family members and others interested in learning more about the disease.

Why Diagnosis, Treatment of Dementia can be Difficult
Just like there’s no one treatment to stop Alzheimer’s disease in its tracks, it often takes more than one test to confirm a diagnosis.“Diagnosing Alzheimer’s involves a complete assessment that considers all possible causes,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Emory Renames Center Goizuetta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
In May 2018, The Goizueta Foundation made a $25 million grant to the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center dedicated to the development of a Clinical Trials Unit and to support the Neuroinflammation Discovery Unit.

Emory Renames Center Goizuetta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Enters Next Phase of Research
Emory University has renamed its Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) the Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in recognition of The Goizueta Foundation’s ongoing support for transformational research toward developing treatment for the disease. In May 2018, The Goizueta Foundation made a $25 million grant to the ADRC dedicated to the development of a Clinical Trials Unit and to support the Neuroinflammation Discovery Unit.

Hospital Readmissions Drop for Stroke Patients
"Intuitively, you would think that the higher volume of stroke patients a hospital treats, the better the quality of care is and the better their outcomes," observed Adam Webb, MD, of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, who was not involved in the study. "In fact, this is just the opposite for readmission in non-teaching hospitals."

AI-Powered Brain Emulation is Changing Our Definition of Death
“We don’t have a really great way of determining when brain function is gone and when that is irreversible. We can do a pretty good job but we’re not always perfect,” says Adam Webb, a neurologist at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, who experienced first-hand the apparent reanimation of this patient.

Stroke Care Better at GWTG Hospitals
This study has several limitations, observed Adam Webb, MD, of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Participating in GWTG-Stroke is voluntary, so it may be that "the presence of these engaged clinicians and leaders would have been sufficient to improve the quality of stroke care at these hospitals even in the absence of GWTG-Stroke," he wrote in an accompanying editorial.

2.0 is Nice, but I'm Still Searching for My Real Voice
“The tongue is a very complicated muscle,” said Dr. Hyder Jinnah, who is treating me at the Emory University Brain Health Center in Atlanta.

Many Men don't Realize They have Migraine Pain
Headache pain is one of the top 5 reasons people end up in the ER. But only about half of the 37 million migraine sufferers in the US have ever been formally diagnosed with the neurological disorder, according to the National Headache Foundation. About 3 times as many women as men experience migraine attacks.

Worried About Memory Loss? Cut Your Blood Pressure
“For middle-aged and older individuals, this underscores the importance of having regular checkups and working with your doctor to ensure that proper blood pressure levels are achieved, and that blood pressure levels are achieved at closer to 120/80 versus the traditional 140,” says Whitney Wharton, PhD, a cognitive neuroscientist at Emory University in Atlanta. Wharton has studied the relationship between blood pressure medications and Alzheimer’s.

The Search for Better Animal Models of Alzheimer's Disease
Although mice have been productive workhorses for research on Alzheimer’s disease, the difficulties that researchers have experienced in translating promising findings from mice into successful trials in people are driving the field to explore other options for animal models. “The predictive value of transgenic mouse models for therapeutics has been limited,” says Lary Walker, a neuroscientist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

Georgia's First Mobile Stroke Unit is Now in Service 
Grady Health System, Emory University School of Medicine, and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association unveiled Georgia's first mobile stroke unit – an ambulance designed to take cutting edge stroke care directly to patients.

Grady: New Mobile Stroke Unit
"Using a sophisticated tele-medicine platform, our goal is to extend the vast experience and proven expertise of our stroke specialists to participating network hospitals, giving each and every stroke patient in the areas serviced by our network partners the best chance of survival and living an independent quality of life," says Marcus Stroke Network director Michael Frankel, MD, professor & director of vascular neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, chief of neurology and director of Grady's Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center.

The Radio Man without a Voice
If you're scanning through radio stations, you may soon hear a familiar but oddly mechanical voice reporting the latest news from Capitol Hill. Cox radio veteran Jamie Dupree is back on the air Monday after a two-year absence. But the melodious tones that graced the airways for over 30 years sound a bit different today.

With My Voice Gone, Time for Jamie Dupree 2.0
Other news organizations asked questions as well, led by CNN’s medical unit. Producer Sandee LaMotte – who listened to me on WSB in Atlanta – helped me find a neurological expert at the Emory University Brain Health Center who had actually treated similar cases.

Raul Nogueira Receives Health Care Hero Award
Raul Nogueira was honored by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in its Health Care Heroes issue with the Health Care Researcher/Innovator award for helping create the FAST-ED app, which enables first responders to make the best decisions for stroke patients.

ALS Patients Losing Time as They Wait for Insurers to Cover a Pricey New Drug
Dr. Jonathan Glass, an Emory University neurologist, discusses Radicava, a new drug for ALS approved last fall by the FDA.

Playing Football Young may Mean Earlier Cognitive, Emotional Problems
Emory Brain Health Center neurologist Chad Hales was interviewed about a new study that finds the earlier American football players with the degenerative disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), started tackle football, the more vulnerable they were to emotional and cognitive problems. Hales says until there is a test or some kind of biomarkers that can pinpoint when and how CTE starts, it's going to be a challenge to fully understand the nature of the disease.

Why are so Many Americans Sleep Deprived?
According to Dr. Nancy Collop of the Emory Sleep Center, sleep deprived people often make a good night's rest a low priority. "Sleep becomes the thing they can give up the easiest I guess,” says Dr. Collop. “It may not be the best thing for their health, but that's often what happens.” Dr. Collop says people who work two jobs, or work non-traditional hours sacrifice sleep for a social life.

Regular Exercise can Prevent Older Adults from Falling
Researchers from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recently conducted a review, published in the Journal of the America Medical Association, to determine the best practices to avoid falls among people age 65 and older. “It’s abundant evidence,” said Madeleine Hackney, geriatrics professor at Emory University, who was not a part of the trial. “As we get older, we lose muscle mass. The way to get stronger is to strengthen them on a regular basis.”

New Drug Could Stop Chronic Migraines without Side Effects, Study Finds
Dr. Michael R. Silver, an assistant professor of neurology at Emory University, comments on a study by German researchers about a new migraine medication. The study will be presented at the upcoming meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Work at a Desk All Day? Sitting too Long Linked to Thinning of Brain Region Critical for Memory, Study Says
The medial temporal lobe, which includes the hippocampus, is the region of the brain critical for new memory formation. Medial temporal atrophy, such as thinning, has been associated with memory loss and has been used to predict Alzheimer’s disease, according to Dr. Joe Nocera, an assistant professor in neurology at Emory University who was not involved in the UCLA study.

Night Owls have 10 Percent Higher Mortality Risk, Study Suggests
A study by researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Surrey found that "night owls" are at increased risk of mortality from all causes. "The results are provocative, but they can tell us very little about why the mortality rate is higher in night owls. The study is not experimental and does not show what benefits, if any, might occur by changing one's schedule," said Dr. Donald L. Bliwise, director of the program in sleep, aging and chronobiology at Emory School of Medicine.

Marcus Foundation Gives $15 Million to Help Fight Scourge of Strokes
The Marcus Foundation has donated $15 million to create a network for stroke care to help reduce disability and death from the disease in the Southeast. A wide swath of the South is known as the Stroke Belt, due to the 11-state region’s unusually high incidence of strokes and other forms of cardiovascular disease.

Marcus Foundation Gives $15 Million to Create Marcus Stroke Network
The Atlanta-based Marcus Foundation gave $15 million to establish the Marcus Stroke Network, a partnership that includes Grady Health System, Emory University School of Medicine, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and Boca Raton Regional Hospitals.

Stem Cell Implants Improve Monkeys' Grip After Spinal Cord Surgery
Emory neurologist Jonathan Glass was quoted discussing a study recently published in Nature Medicine: “This type of cellular therapy, though still in its infancy, may eventually be a reasonable approach to treating central nervous system injury and possibly even neurodegenerative disease in humans."

Transforming Memory Care
Open since 2015, the IMCC has quickly become a model of care for patients like Joung. It is the first nurse-led clinic in the nation specializing in primary care for dementia patients and the first nurse-led medical home at Emory Healthcare.

Extra Hours for Stroke Treatment
Current guidelines for stroke treatment recommend clot removal only within six hours of the onset of symptoms. But a milestone study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that clot removal up to 24 hours after a stroke led to significantly reduced disability for some patients. 

Lowering blood pressure may lower Alzheimer's risk
“Hypertension may be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, in contrast to other known risk factors such as advanced age, female gender, and family history,” she says. “Therefore, there is the ability to make lifestyle changes.”

Dinner with a Doctor: Migraines
A breeze drifts across the restaurant patio, where diners are clustered around long tables in bright green chairs that match the park-like setting. As the group looks over the dinner menu, neurologist Gregory Esper cautions everyone to make their selections carefully

Stroke Treatment Guidelines Encourage Broader Use of Clot-Removal Procedure
Emory neurologist, Raul Noguiera’s DAWN trial is referenced in an article about new stroke-treatment guidelines announced this week by the American Stroke Association (ASA). Findings from the DAWN trial impacted the guideline revisions that extend to up to 24 hours the time in which stroke patients can be treated with thrombectomy, a clot removal procedure.

Finding a Better Way to Spot Memory Loss/Dementia
It took Andy and Beth Bussey years to find The Emory Brain Health Center in Atlanta, and an answer to why the 67-year-old retired Columbus father of 4 was struggling to keep up with conversations, or switch gears.

Georgia Man Fights to Regain His Ability to Speak
A patient with a rare genetic disorder was treated by Dr. Stewart Factor, director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Program, at the Emory Brain Health Center.

Idiopathic Hypersomnia: No, Coffee Won't Cure My Hypersomnia
“Because [IH’s symptoms] exist on the spectrum with things that healthy humans experience, they can be mislabeled and misunderstood to the point where some people may never get medical evaluation,” Lynn Marie Trotti, MD, associate professor of neurology at Emory University, tells SELF. 

Ultrasound Could Offer Noninvasive Treatment for Parkinson's and Depression
Emory neuroscientist Helen Mayberg discusses preclinical research from Stanford University using ultrasound as a noninvasive treatment for neurological disorders. “The idea that, with a very carefully designed dose, you could actually deliver [focused ultrasound] and stimulate the brain in the place you want and modulate a circuit rather than damage it, is a really important proof of principle,” said Mayberg.

Human Head Transplants are about to Happen in China: but Where are the Bodies Coming From?
Karen S. Rommelfanger, director of the Neuroethics Program at Emory’s Center for Ethics, coauthored an op-ed on the ethics surrounding China’s announcement that a scientist there would attempt to perform a human head transplant.

Head Transplants: Sergia Canavero is about to Perform the First Human Surgery - and There's Nothing to Stop Him
Karen Rommelfanger, neuroethics program director at Emory University Center for Ethics in Georgia, raises one other intriguing caveat: the possibility that this operation is a sanitized version of murder. “If you still have a brain that’s alive...then to take that head off and take the body away, are we possibly killing someone?” she says.

Teen Imprisoned by Rare Brain Disorder Finds Freedom 
Emory Brain Health Center neurologist, Stewart Factor, MD, and neurosurgeon, Robert Gross, MD, are featured in a story about the treatment of a young man with a rare brain disorder.

What Health and Medical Experts Say About the Advice in Tom Brady's New Book
Dr. Karen Rommelfanger, program director of Emory University’s neuroethics program at the Center for Ethics and an assistant professor in the department of neurology, said the process Brady is describing is specific and applicable to him and how his body works.

North Georgia Couple Fights Parkinson's Disease
Emory Brain Health Center neurologist Stewart Factor is interviewed about the importance of physical activity to help slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease in a story featuring one of his patients.

Study gives new insight into how brain cells die in Alzheimer's
Dr. David Katz and Dr. Allan Levey discuss their research published in Nature Communications showing that removal of the regulatory gene LSD1 in mice induces changes in gene activity similar to Alzheimer's disease.

Potential Breakthrough for CTE
Emory Brain Health Center neurologist Chadwick Hales, MD, PhD, discusses new research showing that CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) could eventually be diagnosed in living patients.

Mary Rose Taylor Faces Greatest Challenge Yet
Alzheimer’s, the disease that took her second husband, developer Mack Taylor, prompted her to devote her life to fighting that illness, Parkinson’s and other intractable neurological disorders. She directed time, resources and her networking ability toward helping Dr. Allan Levey and the Emory University Department of Neurology rise to the challenge. Then in 2014, she began experiencing worrying problems— difficulty swallowing, a forgotten word. Her friend Jonathan Glass, who is also director of Emory’s ALS Center, sat across from her at a Starbucks and recognized the symptoms.

Telemedicine in Your Neurology Clinic
In neurology, the most common use of telemedicine is in acute settings, but according to Jaime Hatcher-Martin, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, “Telemedicine is also being used to evaluate patients in nursing homes or remote sites, including rural areas in the United States and in remote locations in other countries to determine which patients need to be transferred to higher level care.”

Treating Movement Disorders with Telemedicine: Getting Started
Jaime Hatcher-Martin, MD, PhD, a movement disorders specialist at Emory University Hospital and the founder of Emory's movement disorders telemedicine clinic, shares her personal experience with telemedicine and provides some guidance for clinicians who might be interested in exploring this treatment option to improve their patients' access to care.

Heartburn Meds Don't Raise Alzheimer's Risk
Drugs used to treat acid reflux and ulcers don't appear to boost the risk of dementia, as has been previously suspected, new research suggests. Researchers from Emory University in Atlanta analyzed a National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center database for the study. "The results of this study do not confirm recent reports that the use of PPIs is linked to greater risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease," wrote the researchers, led by Felicia Goldstein of the Department of Neurology at Emory's School of Medicine.

The Local Take Talks About the Emory Healthy Aging Study and the Emory Brain Health Center
Dr. Aaron Anderson, assistant professor of neurology at the Emory University School of Medicine, speaks about healthy aging and using research to understand what factors can lead to better outcomes. Dr. Monica Parker from the Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, speaks about the medical research being done in Atlanta. She encourages listeners to ask their primary care physicians about research available for any medical challenge that they may face.

Stem Cell Study Offers Hope for ALS
An experimental study at Emory University involves injecting stem cells directly into ALS patients’ spines. Drs. Nicholas Boulis, Jonathan Glass and a team at Emory began looking into stem cells more than 7 years ago. “We’re not repairing or replacing motor neurons, we’re trying to protect them and induce them to heal and grow back,” says Boulis, a neurosurgeon with Emory Healthcare.

New Research on Strokes Extends Window for Treatment
Leading medical researchers have found that treating many severe-stroke patients as long as 24 hours after a devastating stroke can restore a relatively normal life to some people whose brains had been viewed as badly injured. In results presented at the European Stroke Organization conference, the research neurologists said that pulling a clot from major arteries to the brain can carry powerful effects many hours later than conventional wisdom had dictated. Co-principal investigator, Raul G. Nogueira of Emory University and Grady Memorial Hospital estimated that “about 30 to 40%” of the most severe stroke patients “might fit in this new window.”

Can a Pill Make You More Moral? 
Neuroscientists want to understand how morality functions in the brain but neuroscience doesn't tell us what we should do. "Humans do that," Karen Rommelfanger, Emory University neuroethicist, told Gizmodo.

Clot Removal Therapy Effective Outside Six-Hour Window for Some Stroke Patients
The trial sets a new selection paradigm showing for the first time that looking at patients fulfilling certain imaging and clinical criteria is a much better approach to determining whether patients will benefit from endovascular therapy as opposed to adhering to strict time windows, noted Raul Nogueira, MD, professor at Emory University School of Medicine, and director of neuroendovascular service and neurocritical care service at Marcus Stroke & Neuroscience Center, Grady Memorial Hospital.

"Lets Put on a Show!" Theater, Arts May Improve Brain Function
Focused attention can be beneficial for the aging population, because it can help to block external stimuli, says Whitney Wharton, a cognitive neuroscientist who specializes in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders at Emory’s Brain Health Center.

Emory neurologist receives 2017 Pierre Gloor Award
The American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) has presented the 2017 Pierre Gloor Award to Charles M. Epstein, MD, professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine.

Perimenopausal lipid changes predict subclinical carotid plaque
Dr. Fadi Nahab, medical director of the Stroke Program at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, commented on a study about the predictive value of lipid changes in perimenopausal women. "The results may encourage providers caring for women during this period to monitor lipid levels at least once a year," he said in an email.

The man who beat Lou Gehrig’s disease
When diagnosed in 2010 by Jonathan Glass, a doctor at the Emory ALS Center, Ted Harada was deteriorating quickly. What saved him was an experimental ALS treatment pioneered by doctors at the Emory ALS Center, in which doctors opened his spinal cord and injected neural stem cells directly into diseased areas, where the pools of motor neurons affected by ALS are found.

As nation ages, dementia is becoming a significant economic burden
Whitney Wharton and Joe Nocera, assistant professors of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, are taking part in the multi-center EXERT Study that is testing whether physical exercise can slow the progression of early AD. They use brain imaging and spinal fluid to look for AD symptoms before and after participants complete an 18-month exercise program at a local YMCA.

How hearing 'twist my arm' engages the brain
Listening to metaphors involving arms or legs loops in a region of the brain responsible for visual perception of those body parts, scientists have discovered. More evidence for 'grounded cognition': the idea that comprehension of abstract concepts in the brain is built upon concrete experiences. "The EBA is part of the extrastriate visual cortex, and it was known to be involved in identifying body parts," says senior author Krish Sathian, MD, PhD, professor of neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and psychology at Emory University. "We found that the metaphor selectivity of the EBA matches its visual selectivity."

Learning to be a fighter: Young mom struggles with Parkinson’s
People under the age of 40 make up about 15 percent of all Parkinson's cases, according to Stewart Factor, a neurologist and director of the Movement Disorders Program at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. "We call that young-onset Parkinson's, while under the age of 20 is juvenile-onset of Parkinson's disease," Factor said. "That's much less common."

$5.4M for Parkinson's Research
Emory will receive more than $1 million each year for the next five years from the NIH, renewing the agency's support for Emory's Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence in Parkinson's Disease Research. The center's ongoing mission is to develop better Parkinson's treatments that have fewer side effects, train researchers and clinicians, and educate the public about this disease. "This funding will allow us to look at some of the least understood brain circuit abnormalities in Parkinson's disease," says Thomas Wichmann, center director. (Read More

Emory Healthy Brain Study launches to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease
"Our goal is to learn as much as we can about who is most likely to get Alzheimer's so that we can develop new treatments that may prevent them from ever getting the disease," says James Lah, MD, PhD, the study's principal investigator and associate professor and vice-chair of the Department of Neurology at the Emory University School of Medicine. "Alzheimer's disease will likely become the leading cause of death among seniors, so it's important that we get as many people, from as many different backgrounds, to participate in this research in order to have ample data for comparisons across demographics," adds Monica Parker, MD, assistant professor of neurology and education core member of the Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Optimal approach for preserving cognition in hypertension remains unclear
Dr. Felicia Goldstein from Emory University School of Medicine, who recently detailed the relationship between cognitive functioning and current guidelines for hypertension in older adults, told Reuters Health, "Hypertension is a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, in contrast to other known risk factors such as advanced age, female gender, and family history. Therefore, there is the ability to make lifestyle changes that can attenuate the cognitive effects of hypertension."

How brain-machine connections can help paraplegics move again
Emory University neuroethicist Karen Rommelfanger understands why many people find the promise of connecting brains so compelling. "The idea of being able to touch somebody really far away — touch someone's thoughts from far away — is an exciting appeal." But she says that both in science and on the consumer side, there are questions that need to be asked along the way.

Does this headline look blue to you? Then it might also feel like a triangle.
A study published in the European Journal of Neuroscience suggests that simply having one type of synesthesia for example, seeing colors in letters of the alphabet is enough to blur the lines between other senses as well. "It shows that something about their synesthesia is spilling over into another domain," said Dr. Krish Sathian, a neurologist at Emory University.

Caregiving in Connecticut: Navigating financial burdens and emotional hardship
Whitney Wharton, a cognitive neuroscientist and assistant professor of neurology at Emory University discusses how caregivers can continue to care for their loved ones and avoid negative impacts on their own personal health.

Atlanta lab plays critical role in ALS gene discovery
Project MinE's U.S. DNA collection site in Atlanta received $1 million from the ALS Association following the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge. "This new gene will allow us to investigate the biology behind this gene," Dr. Jonathan Glass, director of the Emory ALS Center said. "This is a baby step forward, and lots of baby steps create a giant leap."

Pat Summitt's public fight spurs research support
Pat Summitt's fight against Alzheimer's disease continues, and it has even gained momentum since her death. "Certainly in the last five years, the amount of support from the National Institutes of Health for Alzheimer's research has just skyrocketed," said Allan Levey, the director of the Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Stem cells deemed safe for ALS patient
Scientists report that stem cell therapy appears to be safe for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but it's not yet clear whether the treatment provides any benefits. Dr. Jonathan Glass, one of the study authors and leader of Emory University's ALS Center, called it an important start in developing a therapy for the incurable disease, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. "We can say this procedure is doable in ALS patients," Glass said. "Now we have to test whether it's actually therapeutic."

When 11 hours aren't enough: The rare disorder of perpetual sleepiness
Idiopathic hypersomnia patients sleep for excessively long periods — generally more than 11 hours at a stretch — but even after awakening in daytime hours often find themselves slipping back into slumber. David Rye, a professor of neurology in the sleep program at the Emory University School of Medicine, and more than 5,000 other physicians, researchers and experts will converge on Denver for SLEEP 2016, a gathering of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies starting Sunday at the Colorado Convention Center. Rye has identified biological activity that may be the "parking brake" on wakefulness that triggers the disorder in some patients.

Somatic symptoms before concussion may predict recovery
Psychosomatic symptoms may predict concussion recovery, although post-concussive symptom burden is still a stronger predictor, researchers reported. In an accompanying editorial, David Loring, PhD, of Emory University in Atlanta, and Michael Makdissi, PhD, of Olympic Park Sports Medicine Center in Melbourne, Australia, agreed that pre-injury psychosomatic symptoms may eventually help to develop early interventions that can improve outcomes for patients who have a concussion.

Encore for Bruce
Emory neurologist Dr. Stewart Factor recommended Deep Brain Stimulation to patient and pianist Bruce Gilbert after Gilbert had exhausted his pharmaceutical options. Surgeon Dr. Jon T. Willie performed the procedure at Emory University Hospital using a relatively new technology in which much of the procedure occurs while the patient is inside an extra-wide MRI machine, allowing him to map Bruce’s brain to accurately guide the wires to the target area. 

Apple new CareKit Platform allows any user to collect medical data
Dr. Jaime Hatcher-Martin, an assistant professor in movement disorder neurology at Emory University who did consulting work for Apple on the CareKit version of mPower, notes that these high-quality apps, developed by researchers who study specific conditions, also provide doctors with objective data such as measuring a person's tremor, recording a person's voice and even collecting information on a person's walking gait.

Blessing from a Curse
More than a decade ago, a woman in her early 70s came to see neurologist Allan Levey for an evaluation. She was experiencing progressive memory decline and was there with her children.

U.S. aims to overhaul ethics rules for research with people
Karen Rommelfanger, director of neuroethics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, was interviewed for a story on new rules proposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to add privacy protections for participants in clinical research studies.

Women bear higher cost burdens with Alzheimer's
Experts on Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are not surprised by the results of a recent Emory University study, which finds that women pay more for Alzheimer's disease care than men. Changing that reality is not an easy feat to accomplish. "There is not that much there happening to mitigate the cost," said one of the study's authors, Zhou Yang, assistant professor in Emory's Rollins School of Public Health. The other study author is Dr. Allan Levey, chair of the Department of Neurology and director of the Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, which is the only National Institutes of Health designated ADRC in the Southeast.

Blood pressure meds may cut Alzheimer's risk
People with early thinking and memory issues who took an ACE inhibitor or an ARB medication for their high blood pressure were less likely to get Alzheimer's disease than those on other BP drugs. "All of these blood pressure medications have been available for decades. They're all FDA-approved. They're cheap. And blood pressure is easily controlled," says researcher Whitney Wharton, PhD, an assistant professor at the Emory University School of Medicine. Results from the study were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2015 in Washington, D.C.

Sleeping Beauty Syndrome makes it hard to wake up
Doctor David Rye and his colleagues study hypersomnia at the Emory University Sleep Center, where they say they have identified a possible cause in some patients by testing cerebrospinal fluid. "Their body is producing a small protein, or what's called a peptide, that essentially mimics the effects of sleeping pills or anesthesia," Dr. Rye explained.

UM awards Taubman Prize, $100K to Emory U. researcher
Mahlon DeLong, M.D., a professor of neurology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, has been named the recipient of the 2015 Taubman Prize for Excellence in Translational Medical Science. The award, which carries a cash prize of $100,000, was announced by the University of Michigan's A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute. DeLong's research into Parkinson's disease over a 40-year career has improved the quality of life for tens of thousands of Parkinson's disease patients.

Homunculus re-imagined
The brain area that controls neck muscles used to be between areas that control the thumb and the top of the head, but a new study puts the neck between the shoulder and the trunk. Hyder Jinnah of Emory University in Atlanta and colleagues used fMRI to scan the brains of volunteers as they activated their head-turning neck muscles. The research was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.This article also appeared in io9.

Alzheimer's research takes a leaf from the prion notebook
Neuroscientist Larry Walker described how he has borrowed a technique from prion research to study different 'strains' of the amyloid-B protein, which accumulates in clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimers "The Alzheimer's field has not been paying enough attention to what's happening in the prion field," says Walker, who is based at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Community brain health forum focuses on nutrition, preventing memory loss and self-care
The Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Foundation to provide education and training on brain health and offer memory screenings for older adults in metro Atlanta.

Easing dystonia symptoms with deep brain stimulation
Michael Richardson first experienced symptoms of dystonia, a movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions and spasms, when he was 13.  These exaggerated movements are called "overflow"—a common occurrence among dystonia patients, says Mahlon DeLong, William Timmie Professor of Neurology at Emory's School of Medicine.

Improving your health could help you sleep better
The most common sleep disorder is insomnia, but for others they get too much sleep and still battle constant tiredness. Both conditions have consequences for your health. What can you do to improve your sleep? Dr. David Rye of the Emory Sleep Center says good sleep hygiene means keep a regular schedule, try to get to bed at the same time, get up early, get exposure to the sun, don't go to bed with your iPhone, and try not to take long naps in the day.

Alzheimer's research and African-Americans
Emory University researcher Whitney Wharton says African-Americans are more likely to become afflicted with vascular risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, all which contribute to Alzheimer's. She is leading a clinical trial that hopes to determine if a medication used to treat high blood pressure might reduce the risk of Alzheimer's in Blacks.

Music can hinder a person's memory
A new study from Georgia Tech looks at the effect of music on memory and the difference between young and old brains. The findings have implications for improving memory, said Emory clinical neuropsychologist Felicia Goldstein, who wasn't involved in the study. "It sounds pretty common sense, but we often don't think about the importance of minimizing distraction," Goldstein said.

Shots of brain cells restore learning, memory in rats
The researchers directed human stem cells to become a type of brain cell that is destroyed by radiation, a common cancer treatment, then grafted the cells into the brains of irradiated rats. Within a few months, the rats' performance on learning and memory tests improved. "This technique, translated to humans, could be a major step forward for the treatment of radiation-induced brain … injury," says Jonathan Glass, a neurologist at Emory University in Atlanta.

Still Alice: An accurate look at Alzheimer's?
For the latest video from Emory Looks at Hollywood, Ken Hepburn of Emory's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center analyzes the authenticity of the film "Still Alice" and Julianne Moore's performance.

Emory ADRC receives funding to promote brain health for people of color
The Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) has received a $50,000 grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Foundation to provide education on brain health and offer memory screenings for people of color.

How an Emory researcher benefited from the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Jonathan Glass, who directs the Emory ALS Center, is one of the U.S. investigators for Project MinE, an international genetic research program that will receive $1 million in funds raised by the challenge. The project is working to map the DNA profiles of 15,000 people with ALS to compare with the profiles of 7,500 control subjects.

Emory ALS researchers to receive funds from ice bucket challenge
The ALS Association has announced an initial commitment of $21.7 million from this summer’s ice bucket challenge to support six programs to expedite the search for treatments and a cure for ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.