As soon as a patient enters a Norton Healthcare emergency department with stroke symptoms such as facial weakness, difficulty talking or trouble moving one side of the body, Norton Healthcare providers move quickly to use cutting-edge tools to determine the type of stroke and the right treatment. In order to determine whether an individual has…
The formal name for “childhood periodic syndromes” has changed from “childhood periodic syndromes that are commonly precursors of migraine” in ICHD-2 to “episodic syndromes that may be associated with migraine” in ICHD-3, partly because some of these disorders can affect adults. “Recognizing these migrainous disorders can help children get the treatment they need and potentially…
Neurostimulator monitors for seizures and interrupts them without the patient feeling a thing In 2010, Heather Ritchey had a seizure. It came out of nowhere, and she didn’t have another one for two years. Unfortunately, when the next one hit, she was behind the wheel of her car. It’s the last time she’s driven. “I…
The Norton Healthcare Center for Continuing Medical Education has made available speaker sessions from the 2018 Neuroscience Symposium, one including a presentation on a “Primary Care Physician’s Guide to Multiple Sclerosis” by Geeta A. Ganesh, M.D. of Norton Neuroscience Institute. The continuing education opportunity is available online here. At the conclusion of this offering, the…
As the clinical program for headache medicine has expanded within Norton Neuroscience Institute and further clinical developments have been made in the field of treating headache disorders, our clinical research department has grown. We have participated in several trials that have ultimately led to the FDA approval of products, as well as products that are…
The prevalence of migraine peaks in women during their primary reproductive years, and during this same time, many women will choose to use some form of contraception to either control symptoms of dysmenorrhea or to prevent pregnancy. There has been significant controversy regarding the use of hormonal contraception in women with migraine. The products available…
Trigeminal neuralgia is a disorder of the sensory division of cranial nerve V, which results in severe pain in the face. The pain usually is brief, intense, and on a single side of the face in any branch or in several branches of the trigeminal nerve. An estimated four to five people per 100,000 suffer…
Primary care physicians manage most patients with headache disorders but may lack the confidence to diagnose migraine. A study published in the journal Headache reported that one in four patients with IHS-defined migraine did not receive a clinical diagnosis of migraine. “Primary care physicians need to find a consistently reliable and efficient way to diagnose…
When Abigail J. Rao, M.D., joined Norton Neuroscience Institute in September, she brought a technique for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, in which a patient is fully anesthetized. Dr. Rao said “asleep” DBS has many benefits, including being more comfortable for patients, who understandably often are uncomfortable with the idea of being awake during brain…
In 2019, Norton Neuroscience Institute will open a Ketogenic Clinic — the latest expansion in epilepsy services for adults. The Ketogenic Clinic is founded on scientific research and will assist patients in following a traditional ketogenic diet to improve symptoms. A ketogenic diet traditionally holds a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of fats to carbohydrates plus…
Norton Neuroscience Institute is pleased to welcome Abigail J. Rao, M.D., our newest functional neurosurgeon. Dr. Rao earned her medical degree from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She completed her neurosurgery residency at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and her fellowship in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery at University of California…
In most cases, our providers can control your patients’ seizures through medication and regular check-ins. Medication isn’t effective for about one-third of patients. For some, the side effects of medications are too severe. Epilepsy surgery may be an option if two different medications fail to control your patient’s seizures or the side effects are life…