NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE CENTER
Overview & Personnel

MAILING ADDRESS
Neuromuscular Division
Box 8111-Neurology
660 South Euclid Avenue
Saint Louis, MO 63110

Phone: 314-362-6981
Fax: 314-362-3752

Neuromuscular
  Patient Appointments
  Neuromuscular Clinic

  Clinical Laboratory
  Personnel
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Saint Louis



NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE CENTER: GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Neuromuscular Group conducts a variety of activities
NEUROMUSCULAR CLINIC
  • General information
    • We treat over 2,000 outpatients each year in our Neuromuscular Clinic.
      • Specific diseases treated include
        • ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease
        • Muscle Disorders: Including Muscular Dystrophy and Myositis
        • Nerve disorders: Including Peripheral neuropathies and Pain
        • Myasthenia gravis
      • Most other patients have disorders of muscle or peripheral nerve
      • We also see some patients with ataxia or spinal cord disorders
    • Our neuromuscular clinic is supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).
      • It is also a designated ALS/MDA clinic.
    • A full range of available services includes:
        • Medical, Physical & Occupational therapy, Respiratory & Nutritional care,
        Orthotics, Social work, and Medical & Rehabilitation supplies, Wheelchair evaluation.

  • Clinic Appointments: New Patient
    • Please send or fax medical records to
        Neuromuscular Disease Center
        Box 8111-Neurology
        660 South Euclid Avenue
        Saint Louis, MO 63110
        Phone: 314-362-6981; Fax: 314-362-3752
    • It is very helpful if the records include
      • A diagnosis or reason for referral
      • A recent history and physical examination by a neurologist
      • Insurance information
      • The name and address of the referring physician to whom we can send our reports
    • After two weeks call 314-362-6981 to discuss the status of your appointment
    • If there is a need for an urgent appointment
      • Please have your physician call us: 314-362-6981, option 5
    • Other information about new patient appointments
      • Call us at 314-362-6981 and choose option 1: Listen to directions

  • Telephone Instructions

  • Clinic visits: Patients should come to
    • The Center for Advanced Medicine (Forest Park & Euclid), 6th floor
    • Parking: North garage on Euclid Ave
    • Maps

  • Clinic appointments: Other
NEUROMUSCULAR ELECTRODIAGNOSTIC SERVICE
  • Our active electrodiagnostic service (314-362-3324) studies 2,500 patients per year.
  • Available tests include
      Electromyography, Nerve conduction studies, Repetitive nerve stimulation,
      Single fiber EMG, Quantitative sensory evaluation, Autonomic testing.
  • More information: See WUP website
NEUROMUSCULAR CLINICAL LABORATORY
HELP: Contact information














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NEUROMUSCULAR PERSONNEL

Faculty
  Alan Pestronk (Director, Neuromuscular Division)
  Muhammad Al-Lozi (Director, Electrodiagnostic Lab)
  Julaine Florence (Director, Clinical Studies)
  Anne Connolly
  Glenn Lopate
  Paul Golumbek
  Bob Baloh
  Chris Weihl
  Tim Miller
Fellows: Matt Harms, Luisa Rojas, Robert Gardner, Craig Zaidman
Administrative staff: Charlie Wulf, Traci Christenson, Marty Caldera, Tina Mayhall, Pat Foerstel, John Caldera
Laboratory staff: Rati Choksi, Richard Keeling, Jim Planer, Robyn Reese, Beth Streif, Shobhna Mehta, Gary Mueller, Riannon Mendoza
Clinical trials group: Julaine Florence, Reneé Renna, Jeanine Schierbecker, Charlie Wulf, Barbara Abrams, Betsy Malkus, Catherine Seiner
Rehabilitation Services: Jeanine Schierbecker, Julaine Florence, Betsy Malkus, Catherine Seiner, Reneé Renna
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Coordinators: Debbie King (ALS); Katie Pollman
Images
  Neuromuscular Group
  Former Neuromuscular Fellows
  Changes



Neuromuscular research: Our research spans a wide range of clinical and basic topics.
We study disorders of the spinal cord, peripheral nerve, neuromuscular junction and muscle.
Disorders under study include:
  Immune mechanisms and autoantibodies in neuromuscular disorders.
  Hereditary disorders of the spinal cord, nerve, neuromuscular junction and muscle.
  Clinical trials of medications and trophic factors in neuromuscular disorders.

Active clinical studies & trials at the Neuromuscular Disease Center at Washington University include  

  Call 314-362-6981 for information.
  * Open to new patients

    Neuromuscular Genetics Project: Hereditary Disorders
l Motor Neuron Disease (ALS)*
l Nerve Disease*
l Muscle Disease*
    Neuropathy
l Multifocal motor neuropathy: Rituximab treatment
l Anti-MAG neuropathy: Rituximab treatment
l Waldenström's macroglobulinemia*
l Sjögren syndrome
    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
l Knopp*
l Genetics & Genetic modifiers*
l Ceftriaxone treatment*
l SOD-ALS: Genetic therapy*
    Spinal muscular atrophy
l Sodium phenylbutyrate treatment for children*
l Valproate treatment for adults*
l Quality of life*
    Duchenne muscular dystrophy
l Quality of life*
l Genetic diagnosis*
l PTC*
    Inherited myopathy: Other
l Acid maltase: Diagnostic and treatment study
l Limb-Girdle muscular dystrophy: Diagnostic and natural history study*
l Distal myopathy + Paget's disease: Clinical and Genetic study*
    Immune & inflammatory myopathies
l Myositis-specific antibodies: Clinical & pathological correlations*
l Dermatomyositis: Treatment trials
l Immune & inflammatory myopathies: Pathology and Natural history study*
l Inclusion body myositis: Etanercept (Enbrel) treatment*
 Cruikshank





Conferences and Teaching include
  • Neuromuscular Grand rounds (monthly; 1st Wednesday of each month 8 am)
  • Clinic patient review (weekly)
  • Clinical rounds (4 times weekly);
  • Electrodiagnostic
    • Clinical conference (Al-Lozi; weekly)
    • Basic EMG & Nerve conduction conference (Al-Lozi et al.; weekly)
    • Electrophysiology teaching conference (weekly)
  • Muscle and Nerve biopsy
    • Reading (weekly; Saturday mornings)
    • Teaching & Unknowns (weekly; Wednesday 2:45 pm)
  • Neuromuscular Journal Club (weekly; Friday 12:30 pm),
  • Laboratory meetings (Pestronk; weekly); (Basic group; 2x/month)
 Cruikshank



Fellowships in neuromuscular diseases, electrodiagnosis and research are provided.
To apply send a personal letter and 3 letters of recommendation to
    Dr. A Pestronk (Neuromuscular Fellowship)
    Dr. M Al-Lozi (Neuromuscular Electrodiagnostic Fellowship)
Rotations (2 months) for residents in neurology and rehabilitation are available.



Guidelines for Autoantibody Testing:
Motor Syndromes
Anti-Sulfatide Antibodies
Anti-MAG Antibodies

The staff of the neuromuscular division also has a sense of humor.



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4/30/2008