Dr. Laurie Seltzer, D.O.
The Department of Neurology is pleased to announce that Dr. Laurie Seltzer, D.O., Senior Instructor in Child Neurology and Epilepsy, and Dr. Ruth Schneider, MD, Fellow in Movement Disorders are the recipients of the 2015-2016 Department of Neurology Pilot Project Grant Program.
Dr. Seltzer's project is titled, EEG Spectral Analysis and Developmental Outcomes in Infantile Spasms
. Infantile spasms (ISS) is a devastating epileptic syndrome that affects children under 1 year of age. There are multiple and diverse genetic and extrinsic etiologies of ISS, and the syndrome is characterized by resistance to treatment and risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcome. Dr. Seltzer will study novel technologies, including EEG spectral analysis, in the evaluation of electrophysiological data in patients with infantile spasms. Her research aims are to: establish a database of infantile spasms subjects, characterize the spectral definition of hypsarrhythmia, and determine associations between these spectral patterns and response to treatment and developmental outcome. Improving EEG interpretation and diagnosis of ISS could improve rapid and effective treatment of ISS, which may meaningfully improve neurodevelopmental outcome for affected children. Dr. Seltzer's work will involve an ongoing collaboration with and mentorship by Dr. Behnaz Ghoraani, PhD, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology, and her mentors in the Department of Neurology at the University of Rochester, Dr. Gretchen Birbeck, MD and Dr. Alex Paciorkowski, MD.
Dr. Ruth Schneider, MD
Dr. Schneider's project is titled, The Impact of Telemedicine-Delivered Movement Disorder Specialist Care for Nursing Home Residents with Parkinsonism
. Patients with parkinsonism who reside in nursing homes require access to movement disorder specialists, but this may be difficult to achieve for all patients through in-person visits. Dr. Schneider's study will focus on evaluating whether access to movement disorder specialist care through telemedicine will have an effect upon short-term patient outcomes, in particular the rate of falls. The research aims are to evaluate the efficacy of telemedicine movement disorder specialist care by assessing change in fall rate and falls with major injuries; assessing change in hospitalizations; and change in functional and mental status. In this study, nursing home patients with parkinsonism will be randomly assigned to receive immediate telemedicine care or to receive it after 6 months (delayed start group); Dr. Schneider will compare outcomes between these two groups, hypothesizing that the immediate access group will demonstrate improvements in these outcome measures in comparison to the control (delayed start) group. Dr. Schneider's work will include a collaboration with two nursing homes within the Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, NY, and her mentor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Rochester, Dr. Kevin Biglan, MD.
The Department of Neurology Pilot Project Grant Program is designed to allow junior faculty, fellows and residents the opportunity to develop and conduct pilot clinical and basic science research projects, educational programs with an evaluative component or clinical program evaluations.. The projects should allow for future development in an area of academic interest for the recipient, be integrated into a larger career development plan, and lead to future funding opportunities.