Neuromuscular Section
The Neuromuscular Section of The Department of Neurology at Wake Forest is actively involved in patient care, education, and research, and the section continues to expand. Drs. James Caress , Francis Walker, Amy Harper, Michael Cartwright, and Allison Brashear oversee the clinical practice, electrodiagnostic laboratory and clinical research. Dr. Martin Childers performs translational research in muscular dystrophies to bring discoveries from the lab into clinical practice, and Dr. Carol Milligan leads the basic science research effort in ALS.
The Neuromuscular Section has a busy clinical practice including the only ALSA Certified ALS Center in North Carolina, an active MDA Clinic, and several other neuromuscular clinics each week. In the Diagnostic Neurology Center , NCS/EMG, single fiber EMG, autonomic testing, ultrasound and EMG guided chemodenervation, laryngeal EMG, and neuromuscular ultrasound are performed. In addition to electrodiagnosis, Drs. Walker and Brashear also have expertise in movement disorders and evaluate a large number of patients with Huntington’s and Parkinson’s Diseases.
The section is active in the education of students, residents, and fellows. Neurology residents spend 3 months on the Neuromuscular/Movement Disorders/EMG Rotation during their PGY-3 year, and they have the option to pursue further neuromuscular training during their PGY-4 electives. The number of Neuromuscular fellows varies between one and three per year. A large number of individuals that complete their neurology residency at Wake Forest go on to EMG/neuromuscular disease fellowships at Wake Forest and other institutions.
Research comprises another significant focus. The section has competitive extramural support for training and clinical investigation, participates actively in multi-center clinical trials, and has a large unrestricted gift to be used for the study motor neuron disease. Current studies involve ALS, Charcot-Marie-Tooth, muscular dystrophies, Huntington’s Disease, chemodenervation agents, compression neuropathies, and voice disorders. Our section is currently developing new technologies, and is a national leader in the use of ultrasound in evaluating neuromuscular disease.