UConn Health Pulse

Retraining the Brain With Neurosurgical Breakthrough

An emerging approach to stroke recovery involves an outpatient neurosurgical procedure that implants a device capable of stimulating a nerve found to be central to the brain's ability to learn. Dr. Christopher Conner in UConn Health's Brain and Spine Institute is the first neurosurgeon in Connecticut to implant this device, which can make the brain more receptive to intensive occupational therapy. Dr. Conner explains vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and describes its early success.

(November 2024, Dr. Christopher Conner, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco)

Dr. Christopher Conner
https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Conner-Christopher

Connecticut's 1st VNS device implant (UConn Today, May 2024)
https://today.uconn.edu/2024/05/first-in-connecticut-ischemic-stroke-survivors-have-renewed-hope-with-the-vagus-nurve-stimulation-device-now-available-at-uconn-health/

Treating movement disorders with deep brain stimulation (UConn Today, May 2024)
https://today.uconn.edu/2024/05/deep-brain-stimulation-changing-the-quality-of-life-for-those-with-parkinsons-disease/

UConn Health Brain and Spine Institute
https://health.uconn.edu/brain-and-spine-institute/

UConn Health Stroke Center
https://health.uconn.edu/stroke-center/

UConn Health Neurology Deep Brain Stimulation Program
https://health.uconn.edu/neurology/clinical-services/movement-disorders/parkinsons-disease/

UConn Health Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center
https://health.uconn.edu/parkinsons/

 

UConn Health's Excellence in Huntington's Disease Care

It takes expertise across many specialties to earn a designation as a Center of Excellence from the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. UConn Health has earned that designation. From UConn Health's Huntington’s Disease Program, Dr. Shakaib Khan, medical director, and nurse practitioner Robin Zingales-Browne describe what goes into providing care and support for those with Huntington’s Disease and their families. Plus, learn about Huntington’s Disease Education Day, taking place at UConn Health Oct. 26.

(Robin Zingales-Browne, Dr. Shakaib Khan, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco, October 2024).

2024 Huntington’s Disease Education Day, Oct. 26, 2024
https://connecticut.hdsa.org/events/2024-huntington-s-disease-education-day-farmington-ct

Huntington’s Disease Center of Excellence in Connecticut Designated at UConn Health
https://today.uconn.edu/2024/03/huntingtons-disease-center-of-excellence-in-connecticut-designated-at-uconn-health/

Enroll-HD Study
https://health.uconn.edu/psychiatry/research/research-studies/#fl-accordion-606dfb3f99d42-tab-4

Huntington’s Disease Program at UConn Health
https://health.uconn.edu/psychiatry/areas-of-care/adult/huntingtons-disease-program/

Dr. Shakaib Khan
http://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Khan-Shakaib

Robin Zingales-Browne
http://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Browne-Robin

Fall and Winter Respiratory Ailments Await

Whether it's cold or flu, COVID or RSV, get ready for what seems like a growing number of respiratory illnesses this fall and winter. How do we recognize them, how do we react to symptoms, how do we treat them, and how can we reduce their likelihood in the first place? We ask UConn Health infectious diseases experts Nancy Dupont and Dr. David Banach that and more.

(September 2024, Nancy Dupont, Dr. David Banach, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco)

UConn Health Infectious Diseases Division
https://health.uconn.edu/infectious-diseases/

Proper hand-washing demonstration by Nancy Dupont, UConn Health nursing director of epidemiology and infection control
https://youtu.be/UaPSP8rhmCw

Dr. David Banach, UConn Health hospital epidemiologist
https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Banach-David

CDC information for the 2024-2025 flu season
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2024-2025.htm

CDC information for COVID-19
https://www.cdc.gov/covid

CDC information for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/ 

What Can We Learn About Vocal Injury From Aerosmith

A fractured larynx? That's what's done in Steven Tyler and forced Aerosmith to retire from touring. This month we talk to two experts from UConn Health's Voice and Speech Clinic to explain this and other voice problems they see, and to offer some tips on how to treat and prevent them: Dr. Denis Lafreniere, chief of the UConn Health Division of Otolaryngology, and speech and language pathologist Ann Clifford.

(August 2024, Ann Clifford, Dr. Denis Lafreniere, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco)

UConn Health Voice and Speech Clinic
https://health.uconn.edu/otolaryngology/areas-of-care/voice-and-speech-clinic/  
860-679-2804
Request an Appointment Online

UConn Health Division of Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat)
https://health.uconn.edu/otolaryngology/ 

Dr. Denis Lafreniere
https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Lafreniere-Denis 

Ann Clifford
https://facultydirectory.uchc.edu/profile?profileId=Clifford-Ann

Listen to Your Limbs

Dr. Justin D'Addario, vascular and endovascular surgeon at UConn Health, explains the potential health hazards of poor blood flow, and how to recognize problems like peripheral arterial disease, deep vein thrombosis, and aneurysms, and address them before they require drastic measures.

(June 2024, Dr. Justin D'Addario, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco)

Dr. Justin D'Addario
https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/D'Addario-Justin

UConn Health Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
https://health.uconn.edu/vascular-surgery/

“UConn’s Vascular Surgeons Take DETOUR to Save Woman’s Toes, Foot, and Leg from Peripheral Arterial Disease” (UConn Today)
https://today.uconn.edu/?p=208883

BEFAST to Save Brain From Stroke

Whether it's the acute care during the medical emergency or the recovery and rehabilitation that follows, UConn Health continues to earn recognition for its stroke care. Dr. Priya Narwal, interim medical director of UConn Health's Stroke Center, Brooke Medel, stroke nurse navigator, and nurse Kristen Bryant, interim stroke coordinator, share their expertise, and remind us that BEFAST (Balance, Eyes, Face, Arm, Speech, Time) is still the mantra when it comes to recognizing and reacting to stroke.

(Dr. Priya Narwal, Brooke Medel, Kristen Bryant, Chris DeFrancesco, May 2024)

UConn Health Stroke Center
https://health.uconn.edu/stroke-center/

Dr. Priya Narwal
https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Narwal-Priya

News on UConn Health stroke care

Miracle Outcome for Patient’s Life-Threatening Stroke
https://today.uconn.edu/?p=214021

First in Connecticut: Ischemic Stroke Survivors Have Renewed Hope With the Vagus Nerve Stimulation Device Now Available at UConn Health
https://today.uconn.edu/?p=214132

Hacer que la EM sea más 'VISIBLE'

Un gran reto en la atención de la esclerosis múltiple es reconocerla lo suficientemente pronto como para iniciar la intervención y cambiar la trayectoria de la enfermedad. Los determinantes sociales de la salud, incluyendo las barreras culturales, pueden hacer que esto sea especialmente difícil. El Dr. Jaime Imitola, jefe de la División de Esclerosis Múltiple y Neuroinmunología Traslacional de UConn Health, dirigió un grupo que ideó un nuevo recurso bilingüe para ayudar a los pacientes, estudiantes de medicina y proveedores a reconocer los signos de la enfermedad y evitar los retrasos en la atención medica.

(Dr. Jaime Imitola, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco, marzo de 2024)

Enlaces de referencia:

http://www.imitolab.org/visiblms.html

http://www.imitolab.org/

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585241228739

https://health.uconn.edu/multiple-sclerosis/

https://today.uconn.edu/2024/03/making-early-signs-of-multiple-sclerosis-visibl/

Keeping Women Moving

You don't have to be an elite athlete to take advantage of a new care model that offers access to full range of expertise: the Women's Center for Motion and Performance at UConn Health is for women of all ages, ability levels, and medical needs. Dr. Katherine Coyner, director, and Dr. Allison Schafer, medical director, explain how patients will benefit from this collective of specialties designed to optimize the coordination of care and get or keep women active and healthy.

(April 2024, Dr. Katherine Coyner, Dr. Allison Schafer, Chris DeFrancesco)

Women's Center for Motion and Performance at UConn Health (starting 4/23/24)
https://health.uconn.edu/womens-center-for-motion-and-performance/ 

Women's Center for Motion and Performance nurse navigator:
860-679-6330

UConn Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
https://health.uconn.edu/orthopedics-sports-medicine/ 

Dr. Allison Schafer
https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Schafer-Allison 

Dr. Katherine Coyner
https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Coyner-Katherine 

Dr. Coyner's Inspiring Women in Engineering and Medicine (IWEM) program
https://www.drcoyner.com/iwem.html

UConn Health Half Marathon, June 1, 2024
https://www.hartfordmarathon.com/uconn-health-half-marathon-10k-5k/

UConn Institute for Sports Medicine
https://sports.institute.uconn.edu/ 

UConn Health Simsbury
https://health.uconn.edu/plan-your-visit/locations-and-directions/simsbury 

UConn Health Southington
https://health.uconn.edu/plan-your-visit/locations-and-directions/southington 

Making MS More 'VISIBL'

A great challenge in multiple sclerosis care is recognizing it soon enough to start intervention and change the disease trajectory. Social determinants of health, including cultural barriers, can make this especially difficult. Dr. Jaime Imitola, chief of UConn Health’s Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Translational Neuroimmunology, led a group that came up with a new, bilingual resource to help patients, medical students, and providers recognize the signs and avoid delays in care.

(Dr. Jaime Imitola, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco, March 2024)

Note: A Spanish version of this episode is in production. It will be released separately to subscribers' feeds and be available on Podbean and at https://health.uconn.edu/archives/uconn-health-podcast.

"Making Early Signs of Multiple Sclerosis 'VISIBLE'" (UConn Today)
https://today.uconn.edu/2024/03/making-early-signs-of-multiple-sclerosis-visibl/

"VISIBL-MS: A bilingual educational framework to increase awareness of early multiple sclerosis" (Multiple Sclerosis Journal)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585241228739

VISIBL-MS tool (open access)
http://www.imitolab.org/visiblms.html

Imitola Lab
http://www.imitolab.org/

UConn Health’s Multiple Sclerosis Center
https://health.uconn.edu/multiple-sclerosis/

Addressing Barriers to Rx Access

UConn Health is now part of the Dispensary of Hope Network, which means it can connect qualifying patients with no-cost prescriptions for certain medications that the pharmaceutical companies make available. Emmett Sullivan and Dr. Hetal Patel from the UConn Health Pharmacy explain the program, which is only the third of its kind in Connecticut and joins about 250 other pharmacies throughout the U.S.

(Dr. Hetal Patel, Emmett Sullivan, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco, December 2023)

UConn Health Specialty Pharmacy
https://health.uconn.edu/specialty-pharmacy

Dispensary of Hope:
https://www.dispensaryofhope.org/