Resident Research

Sean Burke, Resident/Fellow Research Day, March 2010

Research Papers/Abstracts published by Neurology Residents at Penn State

During the three ­year training program in Neurology, each resident is required to participate in a research project. Ideally, the project should lead to a publication or presentation at a national meeting. Below is a list of publications that our residents have been credited with over the years. The faculty takes great pride in working with the residents on scholarly activity.  Our residents are consistently acknowledged for their high quality research and presentations.

  1. Pearlman RL, Towfighi J, Pezeshkpour GH, Tenser RB, Turel AP. Clinical significance of types of cerebellar amyloid plaques in human spongiform encephalopathies. Neurology 1988;38:12491254.
  2. Tivakaran SC, Simmons Z, Towfighi J. Muscle biopsy as a diagnostic tool in patients with prolonged weakness after neuromuscular blockers and high­dose corticosteroids. Muscle Nerve 1994;17:1123.
  3. Simmons Z, Tivakaran S. Acquired demyelinating polyneuropathy presenting as a pure clinical sensory syndrome. Muscle Nerve 1996;19:1174­1176.
  4. Stabley J, Simmons Z, Kothari MJ. Axonal polyradiculoneuropathy associated with infectious mononucleosis. Muscle Nerve 1997;20:1057.
  5. Mahadeen ZI, Brennan RW, Kothari MJ. Bilateral facial palsy secondary to herpes zoster meningoencephalitis in a HIV positive woman. Journal of Infection 1997;34:261­262.
  6. Simmons Z, Towfighi J, Reichwein RK, Kothari MJ. Hereditary inclusion body myopathy (h­IBM) resembling spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Neurology 1997;48:A124­A125.
  7. Kothari MJ, Blakeslee MA, Reichwein R, Simmons Z, Logigian EL. Are electrodiagnostic studies useful in clinical practice? Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1998;79:1510­1511.
  8. McCabe, P.H., Blakeslee, M.A., Tenser, R.B. Guillain-­Barré syndrome after thalamotomy for tremor in multiple sclerosis. Neurology 1998;51:1229­1230.
  9. Simmons Z, Mahadeen ZI, Kothari MJ, Powers S, Wise S, Towfighi J. Localized hypertrophic neuropathy: magnetic resonance imaging findings and long­ term followup. Muscle Nerve 1999;22:28­36.
  10. Stabley JP, Frear EJ, Wine M, Kothari MJ. Benzodiazepine toxicity with profound suppression of the electroencephalogram: a case report. JAOA 2000;100 (7):435­436.
  11. Kothari MJ, Stabley J, Wojnar M, Edgar K, Jones BV, McNamara K. Basilar artery dissection in a young female: a case report. Journal of Neuroimaging 1999;9:240­243.
  12. Peterlin BL, Flood W, Kothari MJ. The use of intravenous immunoglobulin in Lambert­ Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome. JAOA 2002;102(12):682­684.
  13. Wright AT, Tenser RB. Basal forebrain malformation with hyperhidrosis and hypothermia; variant of Shapiro's syndrome. Neurology 2002;58:508­509.
  14. Scott KR, Simmons Z, Boyer PJ. Hypothyroid myopathy with a strikingly elevated serum creatine kinase level. Muscle Nerve 2002;26:141­144.
  15. Simmons Z, Peterlin BL, Boyer PJ, Towfighi J. Muscle biopsy in the evaluation of patients with modestly elevated creatine kinase levels. Muscle Nerve 2003;27:242­244.
  16. Fisher J, Parkinson K, Kothari MJ. Self­-reported depressive symptoms in Myasthenia Gravis. J Clin Neuromusc Dis 2003;4(3):105­108.
  17. Naidu SH, Fisher J, Heistand M, Kothari MJ. Median nerve function in patients undergoing carpal tunnel release: Pre- and post­op nerve conductions. Electromyogr. Clin Neurophysiol 2003;43:393- 397.
  18. Scott K, Simmons Z, Kothari MJ. A comparison of quantitative sensory testing with skin biopsy in small fiber neuropathy. J Clin Neuromusc Dis 2003;4(3):129­-132.
  19. Thomas GA, Kothari MJ. The neurological assessment and treatment of the difficult to extubate patient. Neurol Clin N Am 2004;22:315­328.
  20. Szwejbka PE, Conter R, Tenser R, Kothari MJ. Bilateral anterior interosseous neuropathy following surgery: a case report. Electromyogr. Clin Neurophysiol 2004;44:183­186.
  21. Scott K, Kothari MJ. Evaluating the patient with peripheral nervous system complaints. JAOA  2005;105(2):71­83.
  22. Lundeen J, Fisher J, Kothari MJ. Frequency of anxiety in Myasthenia Gravis. J Clin Neuromusc Dis 2004;6(1):9­12.
  23. Kapoor P, McCabe P, Kothari MJ. Levetiracetam induced polyneuropathy: a case report. Electromyogr. Clin Neurophysiol 2005;45:15­17.
  24. Wang X, Lee S, Simmons Z, Boyer P, Scott K, Liu W, Connor J. Increased incidence of the Hfe mutation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 2004;227:27­33.
  25. Garg S, Wright A, Reichwein R, Boyer P, Towfighi J, Kothari MJ. Mononeuritis multiplex secondary to sarcoidosis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2005;107:140­143.
  26. Chehebar DM, Scott KR, Kothari MJ. Guillain­ Barre syndrome: A review and analysis of current neurorehabilitation approaches and outcomes. Crit rev physical & rehabil med 2006;18(4):283­301.
  27. Fisher J, Darvish D, Simmons, Z. A case of hereditary inclusion body myopathy: one patient, two novel mutations. J Clin Neuromusc Dis 2006;7:179­184.
  28. Nord K, Kapoor P, Fisher J, Thomas G, Sundaram A, Scott K, Kothari MJ. False positive rate of thoracic outlet syndrome diagnostic maneuvers. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol. 2008;48:67-74.
  29. Somyreddy K, Kothari MJ. Nitrous oxide induced subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord: a case report. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol. 2008;48:225-8.
  30. Lowden MR; Scott K; Kothari MJ. Familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease presenting as epilepsia partialis continua. Epileptic Disord 2008;10(4):1-5.
  31. Choudhary AK, Jha B. Imaging Findings of Congenital Glaucoma in Opitz Syndrome. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 2008;29:1003-1005.
  32. Jha B, Choudhary AK. Unusual cause of back pain in an adolescent patient: A case report and natural history of aggressive vertebral hemangioma in children. Pain Physician. 2008;11:687-692.
  33. Jha B, Kothari M. Pearls and Oysters: Hyperdense or Pseudohyperdense MCA sign? Damocles sword? Neurology. 2009;72:e116-117.
  34. Lowden MR; Gill D. Teaching NeuroImage: Idiopathic hypertrophic spinal pachymeningitis. Neurology. 2009;72:e27.
  35. Lowden MR; Thomas GA. Teaching NeuroImage: Superficial Siderosis. Neurology. 2009;72:e39.

Poster Presentations:

  1. Haija A and Freedman E. Lyme disease or giant cell arteritis? American College of Physicians National Meeting, Washington, D.C., May 2008
  2. Jha B, Choudhary AK, Nguyen D. Back and Neck Pain in Children: A Diagnostic Approach Based on the Anatomical Structure Involved. RSNA Nov 2008. Chicago. Educational exhibit.
  3. Burke S and Kunselman MA. What percentage of "Brain Attacks" have an acute imageable ischemic stroke? Can we predict who won't? Resident/Fellow Research Day, Penn State Hershey. March 2010.
  4. Popeliansky EA. Retrospective analysis of the effect of hormonal contraception on age of onset of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. Resident/Fellow Research Day, Penn State Hershey. March 2010.
  5. Steadham RM. Evaluation of the accuracy of the implementation of a brain attack protocol in the determination of acute stroke & transient ischemic attack diagnoses. Resident/Fellow Research Day, Penn State Hershey. March 2010.
  6. Clardy SL, Mitchell RM, Stephens HE, Simmons Z and Connor JR. Clinically Useful Plasma Biomarkers in ALS. American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada. April 2010.
  7. Kaur D. Primary angiitis of the central nervous system. Pennsylvania Neurological Society Meeting, Abington, PA, October 2010.
  8. Emmady PD, Acharya VJ, Acharya JN. "Detection and clinical outcome of status epilepticus in patients continuous EEG monitoring". Annual meeting of American Epilepsy Society, San Antonio, Dec 2010.
  9. Emmady PD, Gill D. "Characterizing radiology reports in patients with Alzheimer's disease". American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics, Bethesda, MD.
  10. Emmady PD, Acharya VJ, Acharya JN. "Diagnostic utility of Neuroimaging in status epilepticus in patients undergoing continuous EEG study". Annual meeting of American Society of Neuroimaging, Fort Myers, Jan 2011
  11. Freedman E, Gill D, and Giampetro D. "Response to Epidural Steroid Injections in Patients with Radiculopathies Diagnosed with or without EMG". Resident/Fellow Research Day, Penn State Hershey. March 2011
  12. Emmady PD, Thamburaj K. "An alternate role for diffusion sequence to identify intramural clot of acute cranio-cervical dissections". Annual meeting of American Academy of Neurology, Hawaii, April 2011.


Book Chapters:

  1. Clardy SL, Connor JR, and Beard JL (2009). The Iron Metabolic System. In: Restless Legs Syndrome. Hening WA, Allen R, Chokroverty S, and Earley C (eds). Burlington: Elsevier, 2009.

Grand Rounds:

  1. Clardy SL (June 2008) "The Importance of Iron: Clinical Practices and Emerging Developments". Grand Rounds, Department of Medicine, Hershey Medical Center and Lebanon VA, Hershey and Lebanon, Pennsylvania.