Think Neuro: Recent Episodes
Think Neuro
The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. You’ll go deep into the brain and beyond, exploring the neurological processes and structures that control our health, hormones, behaviors, movements, moods, and emotions. You’ll learn about new therapies that are giving hope for sufferers of the most challenging diseases, and you’ll hear about some habits you can develop to keep your brain in good working order for years to come. We’ll show you why patients from around the world are coming to Pacific Neuroscience Institute for novel treatments that are in many instances, available at few other institutions.
pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7450
Think Neuro's host is Anthony Effinger, an award-winning journalist who is fascinated with neuroscience and the workings of the brain. Anthony spent 24 years at Bloomberg News, where he covered all aspects of finance, with forays into science and health. In 2006, the Association of Health Care Journalists awarded him first prize for Playing the Odds, an in-depth piece on the changing strategies used to treat prostate cancer. These days, he is a staff writer at Willamette Week, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and two children.
Parkinson's disease begins with the quiet loss of the brain cells that make dopamine, and dopamine is what carries your movement, your mood and the drive that gets you through the day. As those cells disappear, so does everything they were holding up, which is why the disease eventually shows itself in so many different ways at once. For years the central question in Parkinson's research has been whether any of that can be given back, and stem cells offer one of the more hopeful answers, since they can be turned into the very dopamine neurons the brain can no longer make on its own.
For a tiny organ, the pituitary gland carries outsized responsibilities in the human body. The size of a pea, the so-called “master gland” produces vital hormones that regulate many important bodily functions, including growth, stress, thirst, and even reproductive development. So it only follows that when things go awry with the pituitary gland, the body can suffer many other problems. Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian is a director of the Pacific Pituitary Disorders Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute and he joins us today to discuss the positive parts—and the pitfalls—of the pituitary gland.
Christine, one of Dr. Barkhoudarian’s patients, also joins us to share her story of the long and arduous road to get her pituitary tumor diagnosed—and the happy ending she experienced when Dr. Barkhoudarian finally removed the tumor.
For more information, visit:
PacificNeuro.org
July is Healthy Vision Month, and the National Eye Institute—part of the National Institutes of Health—reminds us to take care of our eyes, by eating a healthy diet and exercising, and also by understanding the connection between our vision and other diseases. Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is one of those diseases. Dr. Barbara Giesser, who specializes in treating patients with MS at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, says that often times, a sudden loss of vision is the first indication that a person might have MS. Dr. Howard Krauss, one of the founders of Pacific Neuroscience Institute and a neuro ophthalmologist, notes that 40 percent of the brain’s activity is related to vision—so it makes sense that a disease of the brain like MS would have such a big impact on vision. We’re revisiting this conversation between these two doctors who have partnered in ways that can detect MS very early in the process, and to monitor the optic nerve to see how well MS treatments are working. Let’s listen in!
Every medical treatment needs to start with a diagnosis, but sometimes that diagnosis proves elusive. Sometimes it may appear that a person has one thing needing treatment, and after that treatment doesn’t work, doctors have to consider other possibilities. Dr. Amit Kochhar at Pacific Neuroscience Institute sees patients with facial paralysis, which is often diagnosed as Bell’s Palsy or Ramsey Hunt Syndrome—but sometimes turns out to be a cancerous tumor on a facial nerve. Doctors try to figure that out as quickly as possible, so they can remove the tumor and begin the work of restoring the patient’s appearance. In today’s episode, Dr. Kochhar describes these various symptoms and explains how he reaches the right diagnosis and treatment for his patients.
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you probably kept a close eye on the pollen count this spring—and you may have felt those all-too-familiar symptoms that affect one in five people: Congestion, sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose. That’s known as allergic rhinitis or, more commonly, hay fever. And that’s why now is a good time to revisit this Think Neuro podcast with Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Dr. Michael Yong, an otolaryngologist with focused training in neuro-rhinology who specializes in treating these seasonal allergies. We’ll learn about what causes allergies and what the different treatment options are. Let’s listen in!
When blood collects in the skull outside the brain and below the outermost layer of tissue surrounding the brain (dura), a subdural hematoma results. This may occur due to head trauma when it is called an acute subdural hematoma. Chronic subdural hematomas may occur due to aging and the increased fragility of blood vessels. The pooled blood may resolve on its own or may require surgical intervention as development of a subdural hematoma can be a life-threatening condition. Symptoms of subdural hematoma can include headache, confusion, change in behavior, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, lethargy or excessive drowsiness, weakness, apathy, and seizures. Subdural hematomas are generally diagnosed by CT scan or MRI imaging.
Ashkan Mowla, MD, FAHA, FAAN, is neuro-interventional surgeon at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute® (PNI). He specializes in minimally invasive endovascular procedures to treat conditions and diseases of the brain and spine, including stroke, brain aneurysm, brain and spine arteriovenous malformation and fistula and carotid and intracranial disease.
Accepting new patients: 424-212-5361
If you have back pain, you are not alone. According to Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute, nearly 65 million Americans report a recent episode of back pain, and 16 million adults — 8 percent of all adults — experience persistent or chronic back pain and are limited in everyday activities. Dr. Marcus Mazur at Pacific Neuroscience Institute sees people living with back pain and works to find a solution, whether that’s through surgery or through some of the many other available options, including medication, physical therapy, chiropractors and, interestingly, exercises in a swimming pool. In today’s episode, Dr. Mazur discusses all the options, when surgery can help, and things you can do to prevent back pain from affecting you in the first place.
National Stroke Awareness Month is observed in May to promote public awareness about stroke symptoms and prevention. While 800,000 Americans have a stroke every year, many of these can be prevented. It’s particularly critical to recognize when a stroke is happening, because fast treatment can prevent the worst effects. In this Spotlight Replay, Dr. Sandra Narayanan, a neurointerventional surgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute who treats people who’ve had strokes, tells us how a healthy lifestyle can help most people avoid a stroke. And she gives an important update to the F.A.S.T. acronym for helping recognize when someone has had a stroke—it’s now BE FAST. Let’s listen in and learn what BE FAST stands for—and keep a stroke from knocking us down!
May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month, which the National Brain Tumor Society calls “a time dedicated to supporting, empowering, and amplifying the voice of the brain tumor community.” The NBTS estimates that more than 1.3 million Americans are living with a brain tumor and, while 73 percent of these are benign, an estimate 18,350 Americans will die of a brain tumor this year. In this Spotlight Replay, we revisit a conversation with Dr. Chester Griffiths, one of the founders of Pacific Neuroscience Institute and a pioneer in the minimally invasive brain surgery that has become one of PNI’s hallmarks. Dr. Griffiths tells how he helps find the path through the brain to the tumor, helps the neurosurgeon remove the disease, and then leads their tiny instruments out again. Let’s listen in!
Dr. Nouzhan Sehati, is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes the treatment of a wide variety of brain, spine and spinal cord disorders at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. His expertise is in surgical and nonsurgical management of degenerative, traumatic and neoplastic (tumor) diseases of the brain and spine with a focus on minimally invasive techniques.
Dr. Sehati believes in clinical excellence and comprehensive care for all of his patients. His compassionate approach involves working as a partner with his patients, honoring patient individuality and dignity, understanding the patient’s needs and preferences, discussing all aspects and options of treatment available, and implementing advanced, state-of-the art techniques for optimal outcomes.
In general, aneurysms are only detected after they have burst although they may sometimes be detected during the course of other tests. Operating on the arteries of the brain may feel scary but there have been tremendous advances in the way that aneurysms are surgically treated. The interventional neuroradiologist has several options for treating the aneurysm from the inside of the blood vessel based on the patient’s status. These kinds of surgery, called endovascular neurosurgery or embolization, are performed using the minimally invasive microcatheter-based approach mentioned earlier. In this way, aneurysms can be treated by coiling, stent coiling, flow diversion, or balloon remodeling. In all these methods, the aim is to prevent blood from pooling in the aneurysm and causing blood clots. The deposited wire coils or cages help to cut off the blood’s access to the aneurysm so that it can flow normally through the blood vessel.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurologic movement disorder. It affects the brain and causes difficulty with movement, with the most common motor symptoms being tremors, stiffness or rigidity of muscles, and slowness of movement. According to the American Parkinson Disease Association, it is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease in the world, and the second most common after Alzheimer’s disease, with an estimated 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 10 million people worldwide living with Parkinson’s.
In addition to the well-known motor symptoms of tremors, rigidity and slowness, Parkinson’s disease also manifests in non-motor symptoms including sleep problems, constipation, anxiety, depression, and fatigue, among others, which can be present well before any visible motor symptoms.
Dr. Melita Petrossian is a movement neurologist and medical director of Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Movement Disorders Center. In today’s episode, Dr. Petrossian discusses these non-motor symptoms and explains the different types of testing that can lead to a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease—and what someone living with Parkinson’s may need to consider.
For more information, visit:
https://pacificneuro.org/
Two slender muscles carry out some of the most important—and taken-for-granted—tasks in our lives. These muscles make up what we have come to call our “voice box,” and they not only produce the sounds that we make—they also close on cue to protect our lungs as we swallow. In this Spotlight Replay, we revisit a conversation with Dr. Omid Mehdizadeh, who treats voice and swallow disorders, in which he helps us appreciate the vital role of this unsung hero, our voice box. Let’s listen in!
Survey after survey is telling us that Americans are increasingly feeling lonely. It’s a trend that’s been growing for years and, while it was exacerbated during the pandemic when we were instructed to socially isolate, it continues even as society has reopened. In this Spotlight Replay, we revisit a panel discussion in which three doctors at Pacific Neuroscience Institute tell how they help people deal with different causes of loneliness. Doctors at PNI discover loneliness in their patients, often for specific causes that can be treated. Dr. Courtney Voelker sees patients with hearing so compromised that they can’t follow conversations with loved ones. Dr. Amit Kochhar has patients who are unwilling to socialize because their facial paralysis prevents them from expressing emotions. And Dr. Shanthi Gowrinathan works with patients struggling with depression from a cancer diagnosis. Each doctor has tools to help ease the social impact of these neurological diseases. Let’s listen in!
Fellowship trained, Noa Tal, MD, is a devoted endocrinologist committed to delivering exceptional care and striving for excellence in her field. With a diverse background encompassing medicine, research, teaching, and wellness, she endeavors to make significant contributions to healthcare. At the Pituitary Disorders Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute®, Dr. Tal cares for patients with endocrine issues as a result of pituitary tumors.
Dr. Tal earned her medical degree from Tel Aviv University School of Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. Subsequently, she pursued further specialization through an endocrinology fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. Her research focuses on advancing understanding in areas such as microbiome, pituitary pathology, and endocrine pathways related to aging and age-related diseases.
Beyond her medical achievements, Dr. Tal is deeply passionate about promoting wellness. She has volunteered at “Plant Powered Metro New York,” sharing insights on plant-based nutrition, chronic disease management, and diabetes prevention. Dr. Tal has also undergone additional training in diet and lifestyle intervention and has served as a yoga instructor, integrating holistic approaches into her practice. She firmly believes in a comprehensive approach to patient care, encompassing research, quality improvement, and wellness promotion, with the ultimate aim of making a positive impact in medicine, academia, and wellness.
When someone is diagnosed with a brain tumor, their world can shift overnight, bringing challenges that reach far beyond the medical diagnosis. A tumor is, first and foremost and most obviously, a health challenge. Like any serious illness, however, it also taxes people mentally and psychologically. Patients and their families have to navigate a complex medical system, take in new and challenging information, and make large, potentially life-changing decisions. Because of this stressful environment, Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Dr. Shanthi Gowrinathan, a psychiatrist who specializes in treating people with cancer, is part of a team that helps people cope with the mental aspects of their illness. In today’s episode, Dr. Gowrinathan explains how she helps patients and their families maintain their sense of self in the face of tremendous challenges.
The doctors at Pacific Neuroscience Institute believe strongly in educating other neurosurgeons in the latest techniques for minimally invasive surgery. PNI’s Pacific Rim Master Class in Endoscopic Endonasal and Keyhole Surgery is right around the corner, coming up at the end of March. In this Spotlight Replay, we return to the episode in which Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian talks about his commitment to pay forward his own neurosurgery education. We also hear from medical illustrator and animator Josh Emerson, manager of PNI’s Neuroanatomy Lab, who tells us how people can learn about the fascinating inner anatomy of the brain through illustration. Let’s listen in!
March is Essential Tremor Awareness Month. Essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders, affecting millions of people around the world. In this Spotlight Replay, we return to the episode in which Dr. Melita Petrossian discusses the diagnosis and treatment of Essential Tremors, and explains how these tremors differ from those seen in people with Parkinson’s Disease. Keeping hope alive, the International Essential Tremor Foundation’s theme this year is, “Still Believing in Answers for ET.” While the exact cause of Essential Tremor remains unknown, Dr. Petrossian and the team at PNI work hard to help alleviate symptoms and provide patient support. Let’s listen in!
Spinal deformity refers to abnormal curvatures of the spine, such as scoliosis, lordosis, and kyphosis. These conditions can arise from genetic defects, injuries, diseases like osteoporosis or arthritis, neuromuscular disorders, or poor posture. Symptoms range from visible misalignment to pain, weakness, loss of sensation, and in severe cases, paralysis or organ compression. Treatment options vary from observation, bracing, medications, and physical therapy to complex surgeries, with early diagnosis offering the best outcomes.
Marcus D. Mazur, MD, FAANS, is a board-certified fellowship-trained spine neurosurgeon. His clinical practice focuses on adult spinal surgery for disorders on the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. He is a recognized expert in the treatment of adult spinal deformity, complex revision surgery, spinal oncology, and minimally invasive spine surgery. He also practices general neurosurgery.
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself needing head and neck cancer surgery and your surgeon has an unexpected assistant: a robot. But it won’t be R2D2 or C3P0 from Star Wars. Instead, the modern medical robot is a high-tech tool that surgeons use to perform sensitive tasks in hard-to-reach places. In this episode, Dr. Vivian Wu, a head and neck surgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, takes us into the new world of robotic surgeries. Dr. Wu also tells us about some new tests that can show how successful someone’s cancer treatment has been, without the need for invasive biopsies. She talks about how to prevent and treat Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, which has started showing up in people’s mouths in greater numbers. Dr. Wu also emphasizes the important role a care “village” plays in a patient's treatment and recovery.
Dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) is a rare vascular condition where abnormal connections (fistulas) form between branches of arteries and veins in the dura mater, the brain's covering. The dural arteries deliver high-pressure, oxygen-rich blood to the brain, while the dural veins return deoxygenated, low-pressure blood to the heart. DAVF causes high-pressure arterial blood to flow into veins or sinuses meant for low-pressure blood, which can lead to ruptures, brain hemorrhages, and other neurological issues.
Meet Dr. Aditya (Adi) Iyer, a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon specializing in vascular diseases of the brain and spine at Pacific Neuroscience Institute®. As one of California’s few dual-trained neurosurgeons, Dr. Iyer offers both minimally invasive open surgical techniques and incisionless catheter-based procedures to treat strokes, aneurysms, AVMs, tumors, and pain.
One in ten Americans who are 65 and older suffer from Alzheimer’s dementia. It’s the 6th leading cause of death in the country, and it is a scourge worldwide. But little is known about what causes Alzheimer’s, and cures have been elusive. Dr. Verna Porter specializes in treating people with Alzheimer’s, and she remains optimistic. Until we have a remedy, she advises people to eat well and get plenty of sleep. Patients with Alzheimer’s often have abnormal levels of a gummy plaque called amyloid protein crowded around the neurons of the brain. No one knows for sure what causes it to accumulate. What we know for sure is that sleep clears toxins from the brain, amyloid protein among them. Yet, so few of us get enough of it. Eating a diet that’s low in sugar, and intermittent fasting, also may clear toxins. Even when we do invent a cure for Alzheimer’s, prevention will still be the best medicine, Dr. Porter says. Listen now for more on the mysterious origins of Alzheimer’s and what you can do to live with it if it strikes you or a relative.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Ashkan Mowla, MD, FAHA, FAAN, is neuro-interventional surgeon at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute® (PNI). He specializes in minimally invasive endovascular procedures to treat conditions and diseases of the brain and spine, including stroke, brain aneurysm, brain and spine arteriovenous malformation and fistula and carotid and intracranial disease.
He is triple board-certified neurologist with fellowship training in stroke and cerebrovascular diseases and also interventional neuroradiology. Prior to joining PNI, he was an assistant professor of neurological surgery at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA for 5 years.
Ryan Glatt turned his recovery from a traumatic brain injury into a passion for helping others restore and preserve the health of their brains. He now runs the Fit Brain Program at PNI, where he oversees a marvelous room, the Brain Gym. He leads people through workouts in which they move their bodies while exercising their minds, and where specialized brain-body exercise machines flash and beep. In addition to being the Fit Brain director, Ryan is also a brain health coach, which means that, he works as a specialized personal trainer for people who want to stave off cognitive decline. Ryan works in tandem with doctors at the institute, helping people manage their conditions, recover from surgeries, and maybe even preventing the need for future treatment. In today’s episode, Ryan Glatt takes us through his journey and tells us what brain health coaching entails. He also tells us the six vital things you can work on to help keep your brain (and body!) healthy, now and in the future.
Spinal deformity refers to abnormal curvatures of the spine, such as scoliosis, lordosis, and kyphosis. These conditions can arise from genetic defects, injuries, diseases like osteoporosis or arthritis, neuromuscular disorders, or poor posture. Symptoms range from visible misalignment to pain, weakness, loss of sensation, and in severe cases, paralysis or organ compression. Treatment options vary from observation, bracing, medications, and physical therapy to complex surgeries, with early diagnosis offering the best outcomes.
Marcus D. Mazur, MD, FAANS, is a board-certified fellowship-trained spine neurosurgeon. His clinical practice focuses on adult spinal surgery for disorders on the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. He is a recognized expert in the treatment of adult spinal deformity, complex revision surgery, spinal oncology, and minimally invasive spine surgery. He also practices general neurosurgery.
Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC), also known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension, is a condition caused by elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the brain. The symptoms of this condition mimic those of a brain tumor, giving it the name pseudotumor cerebri, meaning "false brain tumor." The increased pressure can cause swelling of the optic nerve and can result in loss of vision. Medications can often reduce the pressure and headache, but surgery is necessary in some cases.
Alexander M. Solomon, MD, is a neuro-ophthalmologist and strabismus surgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica and Torrance, CA. Dr. Solomon’s personal philosophy is that each patient is individual and that diagnosis and optimal management of any disease is best carried out in conjunction with patient and family education, and understanding. His skillset includes visual field analysis and optical coherence tomography interpretation, as well as advanced adult strabismus diagnosis and treatment including thyroid eye disease, cranial nerve palsies, and orbital disease.
Marcus D. Mazur, MD, FAANS, is a board-certified fellowship-trained spine neurosurgeon. His clinical practice focuses on adult spinal surgery for disorders on the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. He is a recognized expert in the treatment of adult spinal deformity, complex revision surgery, spinal oncology, and minimally invasive spine surgery. He also practices general neurosurgery.
Dr. Mazur completed his neurosurgery residency at the University of Utah and a postgraduate spine fellowship at the University of Virginia. Prior to joining PNI, he was a tenured faculty member at the University of Utah, where he was the program director of the neurosurgery residency and the director of the neurosurgery spine fellowship.
Dr. Daniel Kelly joins Dr. Stephen Sideroff this week on the Quantum Leadership Podcast.
In this powerful episode of the Quantum Leadership Podcast, Dr. Stephen Sideroff sits down with Dr. Dan Kelly, one of the nation’s leading neurosurgeons and co-founder and director of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, for an illuminating look at the inner work, vision, and steady courage behind his remarkable leadership journey.
From leaving a secure tenured role at UCLA to create an entirely new model of neuroscience care, to performing high-stakes brain tumor surgeries where a millimeter can change a life, Dan shares what it truly takes to lead with clarity, presence, and heart. He reveals how risk-taking, disciplined innovation, and multidisciplinary collaboration helped him grow PNI from a small three-person nucleus into a nationally recognized institute with more than a dozen centers of excellence.
Dan also opens up about the personal side of leadership: coping with emotionally heavy diagnoses, maintaining balance through meditation and exercise, fostering trust in the operating room, and navigating the enormous pressures of a healthcare system while protecting what matters most: patient outcomes, team wellbeing, and integrity.
His story offers profound lessons for leaders facing uncertainty, complexity, or the need to build something groundbreaking from the ground up.
A meningioma is a type of tumor that arises from the meninges, which are the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. It is typically a slow-growing, usually benign tumor, derived from the cells of the arachnoid cap cells or the meningeal cells themselves. Meningiomas are the most common primary brain tumor. Fortunately, most are benign and slow-growing although up to 10% can grow rapidly. They are more common in women than men and can occur in all ages but are typically seen in middle-aged and older adults. Most meningiomas needing surgery can be removed through one of several minimally invasive keyhole approaches.
The Indomitable Dr. Howard Krauss
Guest podcast: Out of the Blindspot with Dr. Ore-ofe Adesina
Originally aired in 2 parts March 10 & April 21, 2025
Dr. Howard Krauss is a pioneering surgical Neuro-ophthalmologist specializing in minimally invasive orbital and oculoplastic surgery and adult strabismus. A leader in ophthalmology and medicine, he has blazed the trail for many who followed his footsteps into this specialty as surgeons. We’ll learn about his formative years including his journey from rocket scientist to neuro-ophthalmologist. We continue our conversation, learning about his experience training to become a surgical neuro-ophthalmologist, his experience as a co-founder of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, and Dr. Krauss offers some of his thoughts on the current state of our healthcare system, and sage advice to the next generation of aspiring physicians and neuro-ophthalmologists.
Thyroid nodules are growths on your thyroid. They are usually benign (not cancer). They may become overactive and make too much of the thyroid hormone.
All types of hyperthyroidism are due to an overproduction of thyroid hormones. Hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid) causes your thyroid to make more thyroid hormone than your body needs. Hyperthyroidism can accelerate your body functions such as your metabolism (can cause unintentional weight loss) or a rapid or irregular heart rate.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune neurological disorder that affects the central nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord. In multiple sclerosis, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering of nerve fibers, called myelin, in the central nervous system. This immune-mediated damage disrupts the normal flow of electrical impulses along the nerves, leading to a wide range of neurological symptoms.
For people with MS, exercise and physical activity can be variously challenging. However, being physically active is one of the most beneficial adaptations to a lifestyle with MS. The six pillars of brain health are nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, social connection and avoidance of risky substances. Advice and educational resources in these areas are part of our neurologic treatment plan.
Hemifacial Spasm is a potentially debilitating condition where the facial muscles of expression spasm uncontrollably. Botulinum toxin can control the spasm, but in severe cases, minimally invasive surgery for microvascular decompression of the facial nerve is more efficacious.
Listen to Chris B's story as he dealt with this issue and sought definitive care at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute with Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian and Dr. Melita Petrossian.
The Pacific Brain Tumor Center and Pacific Pituitary Disorders Center offers a 1-year neurosurgery fellowship in minimally invasive surgery for brain, pituitary and skull base tumors. Our clinical training program is focused on endoscopic endonasal and keyhole surgical approaches, neuro-endoscopy, pituitary tumor management and multimodality neuro-oncology treatments. The fellowship emphasizes operative and peri-operative patient management, outpatient evaluation of new patients and follow-up patients as well as clinical and anatomical laboratory research projects. The fellowship is integrated into the Saint John's Cancer Institute Surgical Oncology Fellowship.
Qualified applicants must have completed training in an ACGME-accredited neurosurgical residency program and be eligible for a California medical license.
Our memory isn't just a passive function. Just like our muscles, it's something that can be trained, optimized, and protected. Subtle changes in our memory can signal the earliest stages of cognitive decline, but preventative interventions can make a huge difference. That's exactly what Dr. Karen Miller, Senior Director of the Brain Wellness and Lifestyle Program at PNI, helps her patients achieve. Dr. Miller specializes in personalized approaches to improve brain health. One technique is the "memory palace," a method that links information to familiar places and strengthens one's ability to recall information. In this episode, learn how Dr. Miller combines cognitive training with lifestyle factors like exercise, nutrition, and social engagement to help patients preserve and improve their brain health.
Spinal disorders may be caused by spine trauma, genetic components or disease including cancer. As the backbone is made of bone, a misconception is that all spine issues are taken care of by orthopedic surgeons. In reality, neurosurgeons are integrally involved in spinal surgery due to the delicate nature and proximity of major nerves in these regions.
To meet the need for a specialty spine center in the South Bay area, in 2019, Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance opened its state-of-the-art Spine Institute, bringing together a multidisciplinary team of surgical experts of neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons, and capitalized on the hospital’s already nationally recognized rehabilitation centers.
The Spine Institute at Providence Little Company of Mary is now the only comprehensive spinal treatment center in the South Bay. The institute cares for all emergency and conventional neuro-spinal disorders, focusing on advanced minimally invasive spinal procedures.
A cochlear implant for hearing loss is an electronic device that is implanted into the inner ear (the cochlea) and is used to restore hearing in patients who no longer benefit from traditional hearing aids or have hearing loss in just one ear. While a cochlear implant does not re-create normal hearing, it allows individuals to understand speech and perceive sounds in a way that improves communication and quality of life.
Mathilde Tranberg is the dedicated Cochlear Implant Outreach Ambassador at Pacific Head & Neck, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Mathilde was born profoundly deaf and received Cochlear Implants when she was 2 and 6 years old. As a bilateral cochlear implant (CI) user and the 84th recipient of a CI in Denmark, she knows firsthand the transformative power of this technology.
Her goal is to share her personal journey and empower others with the knowledge and confidence to embrace improved quality of life through better hearing. Mathilde has always been very active and loves playing all kind of sports.
While traveling with her family, 17-year-old Malia experienced a grand mal seizure while she was sleeping. Her parents immediately brought her back to Los Angeles to the care of Dr. Walavan Sivakumar at Pacific Neuroscience Institute South Bay, in Torrance, Ca. An MRI showed that Malia had an Arteriovenous Malformation which likely had been growing for a few years. Learn more about the life-saving surgery and treatment that Dr. Sivakumar and the multi-specialty team at PNI-South Bay and Providence Little Company of Mary Torrance performed to put Malia back on course to live a long and full life.
Cochlear implants are leading a revolution in the treatment of hearing loss. According to a 2022 study, only about 10% of those who qualify for cochlear implants have received them. Cost, accessibility, and lack of awareness are only some roadblocks for potential patients. At Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Dr. Courtney Voelker and Dr. Chester Griffiths are working to change that. Dr. Voelker is recognized as one of the nation’s top cochlear implant surgeons, with patients as young as five months old. Dr. Griffiths is the founder of Pacific Head & Neck, a premier clinic in Los Angeles. Because hearing loss is the leading modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline, addressing it is vital. Tune in to hear how these two doctors are raising awareness about cochlear implants and making a difference in people’s lives.
Smell loss after viral infections can be difficult to manage. Dr. Yong uses various techniques to target smell recovery which is a complex process involving neurons in the nose and brain. Smell is intricately linked in both emotional and functional terms with quality of life. Learn more about smell dysfunction and treatment.
Having a healthy voice is important for everyone, whether you are a professional singer, teacher, salesperson or simply like to read aloud to your grandchildren. Similarly, our ability to swallow is an essential part of everyday life and when comprised can feel frustrating and even embarrassing in public settings. If you suffer from hoarseness or trouble with your voice or throat, our team of expert ENT providers can help. We provide comprehensive care for voice and swallowing disorders. Omid Mehdizadeh, MD is our fellowship trained laryngologist who specializes in voice and swallowing treatment and care.
Approximately every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. About 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes, which blocks blood flow to the brain. When it comes to treating strokes, knowing the signs and symptoms is important so you can act fast. Dr. José Morales is a vascular neurologist and neurointerventional surgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Dedicated to serving his patients, Dr. Morales specializes in minimally invasive endovascular procedures that treat conditions and diseases of the brain and spine, such as strokes. Listen to this episode and find out how Dr. Morales treats stroke, the importance of early detection, and how lifestyle changes can help prevent it.
Focused Ultrasound is an incisionless treatment for patients with Essential Tremor (ET) and Tremor Dominant Parkinson’s Disease (TDPD) who have not responded to medication. It uses high intensity ultrasound waves guided by MRI to treat deep areas in the brain associated with tremor, with no permanent implants or general anesthesia. There is little to no risk of infection and patients usually return home the same day with immediate tremor improvements.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States and involves abnormal growths of skin cells that can form anywhere on the body, but most frequently appear on skin that is exposed to the sun, such as the face.
Vivian F. Wu, MD, MPH, is a surgeon-scientist specializing in all cancers of the head and neck, including those of the tongue, throat, voice box, thyroid, skin, and salivary glands.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is revolutionizing perioperative care by shifting away from conventional methods toward a patient-centered, evidence-based approach. ERAS protocols focus on optimizing recovery across all surgical stages—before, during, and after the procedure—through personalized therapies. Key elements include nutritional support, patient education, minimally invasive techniques, and multimodal pain management, all designed to improve surgical outcomes.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a small DNA virus that infects skin and wet surfaces of the body. The virus is typically spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. There are over 100 different types of HPV. The most common types of HPV are found on the skin and appear as warts. It is one of the most common types of sexually transmitted infections worldwide. HPV is responsible for more than 90% of anal and cervical cancers. The high-risk types of HPV form in the back of the throat, also known as Oropharyngeal Cancer.
Vivian F. Wu, MD, MPH, is a surgeon-scientist specializing in all cancers of the head and neck, including those of the tongue, throat, voice box, thyroid, skin, and salivary glands. She is the Director of the Head and Neck Cancer Center of Excellence at Saint John’s Cancer Institute and Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI).
Tucked deep within the brain and no larger than a pea, the pituitary gland is often called the body’s “master gland.” It oversees the endocrine system—a network of glands and organs that produce hormones regulating everything from growth and metabolism to reproduction and mood. At Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Pituitary Disorders Center, endocrinologist Dr. Noa Tal specializes in identifying and treating hormone and endocrine imbalances. Patients may present with a wide range of symptoms—unexplained weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles, hot flashes, or mood changes—that often seem unrelated. In cases like Cushing’s disease, a pituitary tumor triggers excess cortisol production, resulting in a puzzling array of symptoms. Sometimes the cause is even more elusive, such as side effects from medications. That’s where careful clinical investigation comes in. Dr. Tal and her interdisciplinary team work closely to uncover the root of hormonal issues and guide patients toward not just better outcomes, but better quality of life. Listen in!
Five days after the birth of her second son, Nicky developed Bell's palsy, a facial paralysis affecting one side of the face. In a majority of people symptoms resolve with steroids and anti-viral treatments. The symptoms lingered for a year despite treatment at which point she was diagnosed with synkinesis, or abnormal facial nerve movement, which occurs about 10% of patients. Nicky was relieved as the diagnosis represented a path forward. Dr. Amit Kochhar at Pacific Neuroscience Institute has been working with Nicky for 2 years and she feels very grateful his expertise in treating synkinesis.
Most people living with MS don't see their neurologist often. For many, it might be only once or twice a year. A lot of important things take place during that appointment. Symptoms are assessed. Decisions about disease-modifying therapies are made or, sometimes, changed. Questions get asked and, hopefully, answered. Dr. Barbara Giesser returns to the podcast, this time, to review the things that should be discussed and followed up on at your appointment with your neurologist or MS specialist. We're also sharing some good news about MS research funding from the National MS Society and the International Progressive MS Alliance. We'll tell you how you can catch the replay of the International Progressive MS Alliance's webcast focused on putting people with MS at the center of MS research. We're sharing the encouraging outcome of the Phase 2 clinical trial for vidofludimus calcium and progressive MS. We'll tell you how you or a family member can participate in the GEMS study. And we'll tell you about a new AI tool that can accurately diagnose a patient's transition from relapsing-remitting MS to secondary progressive MS, often before a clinician can!
Lumbar discectomy is a surgical procedure designed to relieve pressure on spinal nerves caused by a herniated disk. Unlike traditional open surgery, this technique uses small incisions and specialized tools to remove damaged disk material with minimal impact on surrounding tissue. Patients typically experience less pain and quicker recovery, making it a preferred option when conservative treatments fail.
Cochlear implants are neat little devices that drastically improve one's quality of life. However, only about 10% of those that qualify for cochlear implants have actually received one. When one thinks of cochlear implants, the first thing that might come to mind is surgery--invasive, lengthy, with a long time of recovery. However, at PNI, patients can expect a much faster, minimally invasive treatment option. Dr. Rebecca Lewis, the Audiology Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, highlights the importance of getting an evaluation done, and early. Studies have shown that the earlier one gets treatment for their hearing issues, the better the outcome. Mathilde Tranberg, an outreach and patient support specialist at PNI, is a cochlear implant recipient herself. As she was implanted as a child, she knows firsthand how helpful it can be. Her goal is to spread the word about cochlear implants through community outreach and education. Listen in and learn about how these innovative devices are changing lives.
Charles was living a full life when Parkinson's disease hit. Although a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting movement, there are many medical treatments available to help with symptom management. While Levadopa, the standard of care treatment helped Charles with his symptoms of tremor, he was unable to tolerate it due to the extreme Restless Legs Syndrome he developed. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery and treatment at the Movement Disorders Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, has saved his life and put him on a new trajectory full of movement and joy. Learn more.
Vivian F. Wu, MD, MPH, is a surgeon-scientist specializing in all cancers of the head and neck, including those of the tongue, throat, voice box, thyroid, skin, and salivary glands. She is the Director of the Head and Neck Cancer Center of Excellence at Saint John’s Cancer Institute and Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI).
Dr. Wu earned her medical degree from Howard University and completed her residency at Oregon Health & Science University. She pursued fellowship training at the University of Michigan. She also holds a Masters in Public Health from Yale University. With over a decade of experience, she provides advanced treatments such as minimally invasive thyroid surgery, transoral robotic surgery, and sentinel node biopsy skin and oral cavity cancers.
A believer in multidisciplinary care, Dr. Wu collaborates with experts in oncology, radiation, endocrinology, and dermatology. She is an advocate for HPV vaccination and a former Vice Chair of Research. Dr. Wu is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through innovative care and research, compassionately treating patients at Pacific Head & Neck, Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Southern California.
Located in Los Angeles, we are here for patients from around the globe.
If you are living outside the greater Los Angeles area, out-of-state, or abroad, and want a consultation for a newly diagnosed or recurrent pituitary tumor, brain tumor, skull base tumor, or orbital tumor, our physicians can promptly review your imaging studies and other tests, and provide a recommendation on treatment options, including possible clinical trial participation. We also help patients with spine and neck problems.
These preliminary reviews and recommendations can be done through email or online consultation technology. Based on our review of your records and imaging, we can typically provide a financial quote for all services recommended within 1-2 days.
More than 20% of adults over the age of 55 experience depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline as they age. Shannel Elhelou, PsyD and Ryan Glatt, MS, CPT, NBC-HWC, however, are firm believers in six core pillars for combating cognitive decline. They're called the Vital 6 and consist of stress management, sleep, nutrition, exercise, socialization, and cognitive training. By focusing on interventions that most people can do at home, Dr. Elhelou and Ryan are making cognitive wellness accessible. Ryan Glatt is even the Director of the FitBrain Program at PNI, which combines brain and body training with "exergaming." Tune in and discover how these Brain Wellness & Lifestyle Program experts are helping patients optimize their own Vital 6.
On New Year's Eve of 2017 Ashley had a seizure and passed out. She woke up in an ambulance, passed out again and woke up in an emergency room. An MRI revealed a glioma, a type of brain tumor. After surgery, recovery has been long, but in the hands of expert neuro-oncologist Dr. Naveed Wagle at Pacific Neuroscience Institute - South Bay, Ashley is hopeful, determined, and full of her original spirit. Watch this heartwarming and courageous story.
Tonsil stones are small, calcified formations that occur within the crevices of the tonsils. Composed of hardened minerals or food particles, these growths are generally harmless but can cause unpleasant symptoms such as bad breath or sore throat. Tonsil stones typically appear as small, white or yellowish pebbles on the tonsils. In most cases, they can be removed at home, although surgical intervention may be necessary if they persist or cause discomfort.
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL), or sudden deafness, is a rapid loss of hearing. SSHL can happen to a person all at once or over a period of up to 3 days. It should be considered a medical emergency. Hearing loss affects only one ear in 9 out of 10 people who experience SSHL. Many people notice it when they wake up in the morning. Others first notice it when they try to use the deafened ear, such as when they make a phone call. Still others notice a loud, alarming “pop” just before their hearing disappears. People with SSHL often experience dizziness or a ringing in their ears (tinnitus), or both.
Dr. Abbas Anwar, a native of Southern California, is a board certified otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeon, at the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. He specializes in all aspects of general and pediatric ENT and has special interests in sinonasal diseases and infections, head and neck surgery, otologic disorders, and throat complaints. He is well trained in the latest leading-edge innovations in otolaryngology including balloon sinuplasty, CT guided sinus surgery, and microlaryngeal laser surgery.
Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, is a virus that infects the skin and wet surfaces of the body. It's a disease that's commonly spread through sexual activity, and over 80% of people will get it at some point in their lifetime. HPV is an endemic disease, which, in epidemiology, means that it is constantly present in a particular population. While most people recover from HPV, there can be complications. It is responsible for more than 90% of anal and cervical cancers and can also cause oropharyngeal cancer. Dr. Wu, a board-certified otolaryngologist, specializes in head and neck surgical oncology. Diseases like HPV and cancers that affect the head and neck are what she sees most in her patients. Working closely with other multispecialty experts at PNI, Dr. Wu is committed to guiding her patients through their cancer journeys. Listen in.
The eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx (back of the nose). It helps aerate the middle ear as well as equalizing pressure such as when flying in an airplane. Sometimes the eustachian tube does not function as it is supposed to and sometimes this may be related to concurrent nasal and sinus issues. Learn more about what can go wrong and how to remedy it.
Michael Yong, MD, MPH, MBA, is board certified in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, and fellowship-trained in Neurorhinology – Advanced Sinus & Skull Base Surgery. At Pacific Neuroscience Institute®, Dr. Yong provides full-service general Otolaryngology care, with an expertise in sinonasal and skull base disorders. He specializes in using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques for the treatment of nasal obstruction, smell disorders, allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, facial pain, acute and chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps, and benign and malignant tumors of the sinonasal cavities, among others. In addition, he works closely with a multidisciplinary team including his Neurosurgery colleagues to perform endoscopic endonasal surgeries that address benign and malignant skull base disorders in a way that maximizes preservation of function and quality of life.
Dr. Daniel Kelly, Neurosurgeon, Director and Founder, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, presents a case study of a 52 year old woman from New York who was experiencing progressive vision loss. After an MRI, she traveled to Los Angeles to receive minimally invasive keyhole surgery for a meningioma (brain tumor). Using a endoscopic, endonasal approach, the patient's tumor was removed via the nostril.
Hearing loss affects millions of people worldwide, particularly older adults who can suffer age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Beyond the obvious impact on communication and quality of life, recent research studies show that hearing loss leads to a higher risk of developing the diseases of cognitive decline such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Hearing loss demands comprehensive understanding and professional care. It is more than a mere audiological condition; hearing loss is profoundly connected with cognition, communication, and emotional well-being. If you find yourself confronting hearing loss, do not hesitate to seek assistance at Pacific Eye, Ear, and Skull Base Center.
Essential tremor is the most common movement disorder in humans, and its causes are among the most mysterious. It’s a neurological condition that causes involuntary shaking. It can begin in one’s 20s or 30s, or much later in life. Dr. Natalie Diaz treats essential tremors. Its origins may be unknown, but there are treatments. The first step is to talk to your doctor to rule out other forms of tremor because there are many.
To say that the medical world’s view of psychedelics has changed would be a vast understatement. Until about two decades ago, drugs like LSD and psilocybin—the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms—were considered dangerous party drugs. Then, a small group of scientists began reconsidering the therapeutic value of the compounds, known for centuries in many non-industrial cultures. In 2000, doctors at Johns Hopkins got regulatory approval to study the drugs. Since then, doctors there and elsewhere have shown that psychedelics can help people quit smoking, quit drinking, ease anxiety, and lift depression. PNI started its Treatment & Research In Psychedelics (TRIP) program in 2019, under the direction of Dr. Keith Heinzerling. So far, TRIP has completed three studies of psychedelics which are difficult to do because the drugs are still illegal under federal law. More studies particularly focusing on depression are underway. Working on those trials has made Dr. Heinzerling one of the foremost experts on psychedelics. Listen to the episode to learn more about the “psychedelic renaissance,” now in its 25th year, from a practitioner who has a thoughtful take on the promise of these once-shunned compounds.
After a childhood disease that affected her hearing, Ayslyn has undergone multiple preventative surgeries for hearing loss each year of her life. At 27 years old, she was treated by Dr. Courtney Voelker and Dr. Rebecca Lewis at Pacific Neuroscience Institute to get a new hearing device. Through a Bone Bridge Surgery she is now able to hear through this innovative technology.
Did you know that some swallowing problems can be caused by a medical condition? Dr. Omid Mehdizadeh treats both voice and swallowing dysfunction. Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) can become a chronic issue that affects anyone, but is often experienced by older adults. A voice and swallow expert, Dr. Mehdizadeh’s background in Otolaryngology and Gastroenterology is a perfect blend of knowledge and experience. He treats patients with voice, airway, esophageal, and swallowing dysfunctions at PNI’s Pacific, Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center in Santa Monica, and Pacific Head & Neck Center in West Los Angeles, California.
A PNI Minute: Exercise is very important for brain health. A multimodal approach including aerobic exercise, resistance (strength) training, and neuro-motor (skill or motor) training is ideal. To help stave off cognitive decline, Ryan and his team work with clients in the FitBrain gym using dual tasking and clinical exergaming also called serious gaming that engages both body and brain simultaneously. Some people call this a clinical arcade. Whether individuals have mobility impairments, physical impairments, or cognitive impairments, there is always something that can be done to customize an exercise program for them.
Ryan Glatt is a Certified Personal Trainer and a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach with over a decade of experience. He focuses his exercise and health coaching strategies on brain health, personalizing lifestyle interventions for individuals with brain and cognitive health goals. Ryan is a Brain Health Coach and the Director of the FitBrain Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
Ryan has experience working with a wide variety of populations and currently focuses on individuals with cognitive concerns and neurological conditions, with an emphasis on preventing and slowing cognitive decline. He enjoys working in multidisciplinary teams and helping individuals to build their own team of allied health and medical professionals on their brain health journeys. Ryan specializes in constructing “brain healthy exercise programs” based on the most recent scientific literature while helping to address other important aspects of a brain healthy lifestyle, such as sleep and cognitive stimulation.
In this podcast, Dr. Kelly talks about how he was drawn to neurosurgery, his fascination with the pituitary gland, the nuances of minimally invasive pituitary and brain tumor surgery, as well as a brief history of PNI, its focus on innovation and clinical trials and its 8 centers of excellence.
For more information:
pacificneuro.org | pacificbraintumor.org | (310) 829-8265
As one of the most comprehensive pituitary disorder programs in the United States, the Pacific Pituitary Disorders Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI) offers world-class expert care. Among the top ranked neurology and neurosurgery programs in the nation, our center’s compassionate multidisciplinary specialists provide advanced, personalized treatment while focusing on our patients’ quality of life.
Affiliated with award-winning Providence hospitals Saint John’s Health Center and Little Company of Mary, PNI neurosurgeons lead the way in advancing safer, more effective keyhole and minimally invasive endoscopic pituitary tumor removal approaches.
If you, a family member, or friend have a new diagnosis, require a second opinion, or have a pituitary tumor or related hormonal disorders recurrence, our expert physicians can help you understand your condition and determine an optimal treatment plan.
Precision Brain Health at Pacific Neuroscience Institute is a program that utilizes a formalized system to comprehensively address neurodegenerative disease. It addresses at both clinical and lifestyle components impacting brain heath.Dr. David Merrill, director of the brain health center at PNI details the ReCODE Protocol (pioneered by Dr. Dale Bredesen) which has emerged as a viable attempt to prevent, arrest, and reverse symptoms of cognitive decline associated with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias, and mild cognitive impairment.More than six million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease—the most common type of dementia—suffering progressing symptoms of memory loss, confusion, behavioral change, and the loss of body control. Unfortunately, hundreds of clinical trials to develop drugs to help combat cognitive decline have resulted in disappointment. A reason is that cognitive decline is a complex and chronic process that develops silently over many years and often decades.Treatment requires a multimodal approach. At Precision Brain Health, expert providers can ‘prescribe’ lifestyle interventions such as exercise and nutrition recommendations, as well as other precision health interventions. So far, results from clinical trials, and evidence-based lifestyle practices suggest that with this multipronged approach, we may begin to see substantial numbers of dementia patients achieve a slowing and, in some cases, even a sustained reversal of cognitive and memory decline.Is Alzheimer’s disease is becoming optional? Dr. Merrill and his colleagues are optimistic outcomes will continue to improve.
This week on the Think Neuro podcast, we welcome Dr. Tessa Hadlock, a leading facial nerve surgeon, educator, and innovator. A Professor of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Hadlock shares her inspiring journey into facial nerve surgery and her commitment to helping patients regain facial control. Joining her is Dr. Amit Kochhar, Director of the Facial Nerve Disorders Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Together, they explore groundbreaking advancements in facial reanimation surgery for patients with facial paralysis. Dr. Hadlock is a strong advocate for "open-source" surgical techniques, emphasizing knowledge-sharing among surgeons to accelerate progress in the field—an ethos that resonates deeply with Dr. Kochhar at PNI. Tune in to discover how these two experts are transforming lives through innovation, collaboration, and a shared passion for restoring function and confidence in their patients.
Do you suffer from nose bleeds? Dr. Wong helps patients who have recurrent nose bleeds whether they are a few spots on a tissue to ones that may last for 20-30 minutes on most days. Learn about the causes of nose bleeds and effective methods for dealing with them.
Michael Yong, MD, MPH, MBA, is board certified in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, and fellowship-trained in Neurorhinology – Advanced Sinus & Skull Base Surgery. At Pacific Neuroscience Institute®, Dr. Yong provides full-service general Otolaryngology care, with an expertise in sinonasal and skull base disorders. He specializes in using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques for the treatment of nasal obstruction, smell disorders, allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, facial pain, acute and chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps, and benign and malignant tumors of the sinonasal cavities, among others. In addition, he works closely with a multidisciplinary team including his Neurosurgery colleagues to perform endoscopic endonasal surgeries that address benign and malignant skull base disorders in a way that maximizes preservation of function and quality of life.
We ask a lot of our spines. They keep us upright, they bend into myriad positions, and they protect our spinal cord, a huge job by itself. And they go the distance, doing all of those things, if we’re lucky, well into our 90s. But the longer we live, the more we wear out our spines. That’s where Dr. Jian Guan comes in. He handles complicated spinal issues that don’t get better with rest, exercise or physical therapy. After medical school and residency, he did a fellowship in complex spinal neurosurgery at the Lahey Clinic in Massachusetts, one of the top U.S. spine centers. Many of the patients that Dr. Guan sees have been in accidents or experienced other trauma. But many others are the victims of poor posture and inactivity, two things that are detrimental to spine health. In this episode, Dr. Guan talks about how important it is to get up and out of chairs in front of our computers and how to sit when we must. Hit play and learn how to keep an incredible structure healthy for the long run.
Having a healthy voice is important for everyone, whether you are a professional singer, teacher, salesperson or simply like to read aloud to your grandchildren. Similarly, our ability to swallow is an essential part of everyday life and when comprised can feel frustrating and even embarrassing in public settings. If you suffer from hoarseness or trouble with your voice or throat, our team of expert ENT providers can help. We provide comprehensive care for voice and swallowing disorders. Omid Mehdizadeh, MD is our fellowship trained laryngologist who specializes in voice and swallowing treatment and care.
Fellowship trained, Noa Tal, MD, is a devoted endocrinologist committed to delivering exceptional care and striving for excellence in her field. With a diverse background encompassing medicine, research, teaching, and wellness, she endeavors to make significant contributions to healthcare. At the Pituitary Disorders Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute®, Dr. Tal cares for patients with endocrine issues as a result of pituitary tumors.
Dr. Tal earned her medical degree from Tel Aviv University School of Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. Subsequently, she pursued further specialization through an endocrinology fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. Her research focuses on advancing understanding in areas such as microbiome, pituitary pathology, and endocrine pathways related to aging and age-related diseases.
Beyond her medical achievements, Dr. Tal is deeply passionate about promoting wellness. She has volunteered at “Plant Powered Metro New York,” sharing insights on plant-based nutrition, chronic disease management, and diabetes prevention. Dr. Tal has also undergone additional training in diet and lifestyle intervention and has served as a yoga instructor, integrating holistic approaches into her practice. She firmly believes in a comprehensive approach to patient care, encompassing research, quality improvement, and wellness promotion, with the ultimate aim of making a positive impact in medicine, academia, and wellness.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects the brain’s function and causes a gradual decline in cognitive function, including memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for approximately 70% of all cases of dementia.
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not fully understood, but it is believed to be a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. The disease is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain, which interfere with the communication between brain cells and cause their death over time.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there are medications available that can help manage the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. These medications work by increasing the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, which can improve communication between brain cells and delay the onset of more severe symptoms.
Lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, and cognitive stimulation, may also be helpful in managing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, it is essential to work closely with a healthcare professional experienced in treating Alzheimer’s disease to develop an appropriate treatment plan.
While Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating condition that affects millions of people worldwide, early detection and treatment can help individuals maintain their quality of life for as long as possible.
Dr. Scott Kaiser, a board-certified family physician and geriatrician, is the Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health and provides specialty geriatric medical consultations at the Pacific Brain Health Center. Focused on the needs of older patients, he works with his colleagues to provide an integrated and holistic approach to their cognitive challenges. With this “whole person” approach, Dr. Kaiser works to connect patients and their families with a broad range of resources to support their overall health and well being.
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL), or sudden deafness, is a rapid loss of hearing. SSHL can happen to a person all at once or over a period of up to 3 days. It should be considered a medical emergency. Hearing loss affects only one ear in 9 out of 10 people who experience SSHL. Many people notice it when they wake up in the morning. Others first notice it when they try to use the deafened ear, such as when they make a phone call. Still others notice a loud, alarming “pop” just before their hearing disappears. People with SSHL often experience dizziness or a ringing in their ears (tinnitus), or both.
Dr. Abbas Anwar, a native of Southern California, is a board certified otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeon, at the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. He specializes in all aspects of general and pediatric ENT and has special interests in sinonasal diseases and infections, head and neck surgery, otologic disorders, and throat complaints. He is well trained in the latest leading-edge innovations in otolaryngology including balloon sinuplasty, CT guided sinus surgery, and microlaryngeal laser surgery.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea, characterized by repeated episodes of partial or complete blockage of the airway during sleep. These blockages occur when the muscles at the back of the throat relax excessively, causing the airway to narrow or close, and momentarily stopping breathing. This condition contrasts with central sleep apnea, where the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. When the brain is deprived of oxygen during sleep, OSA can lead to a number of serious conditions affecting not only quality of life, but brain health and function. It is important to seek medical attention.
Omid B. Mehdizadeh, MD, is an otolaryngology-head & neck (ENT) surgeon with particular expertise in voice, swallowing and airway conditions at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI). A Los Angeles native, his career has spanned treating world-class opera and Broadway singers to surgical mission trips serving underprivileged and indigenous populations of Central America. Outside PNI, he has focused his time on educating medical and undergraduate students and providing medical care to disenfranchised populations through community clinics.
Sandra Narayanan, MD, Vascular Neurologist and Neurointerventional Surgeon at the Pacific Stroke and Neurovascular Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, explains the difference between hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke.
The main difference between the two types of stroke is the underlying cause of the brain damage. In ischemic stroke, the damage is caused by a lack of blood supply, while in hemorrhagic stroke, it is caused by bleeding into the brain tissue. Both types of stroke are medical emergencies and require immediate medical attention to prevent further damage and improve outcomes.
For decades, people thought physical exercise benefited only the body. But every year we learn how incorrect that was, and Dr. David Merrill, director of PNI’s brain health center, is one of the people pushing our knowledge forward. It turns out that exercise builds the brain by prompting the production of brain derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. “Trophic” compounds cause things to grow, and BDNF helps create new connections among neurons, which is how we learn. In short, BDNF is fertilizer for the brain, Dr. Merrill says. In a perfect world, we would be able to take BDNF in a pill, like a vitamin. But it’s a big, clunky molecule that doesn’t pass easily from blood to brain. Exercise gets the job done, boosting BDNF and keeping our brains nimble. That fact makes exercise crucial as we age. Pumping iron, and therefore pumping up BDNF, promotes brain plasticity: the ability to change, grow and adapt to the insults that come with growing older. Listen to this episode to hear how you can boost BDNF through exercise and stay sharp into your golden years.
There are no specific diets that have been shown to reduce the progression of PD. However, there is good reason to believe that a well-balanced, nutritious diet would be best. In those without other medical conditions, the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurogenerative Delay (MIND) diet may be of benefit in Parkinson’s as well since both are neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
In movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia, normal function can be restored to the circuitry of the brain, resulting in significant improvement in function and quality of life. The goal of deep brain stimulation surgery is to modulate the activity of a specific brain region.
In DBS, thin electrodes are placed in the disruptive areas of the brain and small electrical pulses normalize or eliminate the irregular signals. DBS is the non-permanent suppression of overactivity in the autopilot structure of the brain called the basal ganglia.
Like a pacemaker for the brain, the battery (pulse generator) is implanted under the skin of the chest, and leads (wires) are tunneled under the skin via the deep part of the brain through a quarter-sized opening in the skull. The system is fully implanted under the skin, so there are no external wires or devices. The stimulator is fully programmable and therefore adjustable over time, as the disease changes. Patients can use a simple hand-held device to turn the DBS on or off, and adjust various other parameters if needed.
You're probably hearing a lot more about the "human microbiome" these days. It's the collection of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that lives alongside us, inside and out. Some of these organisms are beneficial, and some are harmful. There is growing evidence that bad actors in our digestive tract may produce toxins that travel along the vagus nerve to the brain, where they clump and cause Parkinson's disease. Listen to this PNI Minute to understand this unexpected connection between gut health and the brain.
Dr. Akanksha Sharma is a neuro-oncologist and palliative medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Tumor Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA. To provide extra resources to brain cancer patients suffering from brain tumors such as glioblastoma and their care partners. Dr. Akanksha Sharma is a neuro-oncologist and palliative medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Tumor Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA. To provide extra resources to brain cancer patients suffering from brain tumors such as glioblastoma and their care partners, Dr. Sharma opened a Supportive Care Clinic in 2020. The clinic offers services to deal with symptoms, quality of life, care partner burden and distress, and help alleviate suffering.
PacificBrainTumor.org | 310-829-8265
Listen in as Dr. Santosh Kesari joins the Your Healthy Dose podcast with Kym Douglas.
We’re at the dawn of a new era in medical care, where the ability to predict, detect, and treat disease will be based on each individual’s genetics and the interaction of the genome with many lifestyle, environmental, and other factors. Join us for “Personalized Medicine” and hear podcast host Kym Douglas explore the possibilities with Dr. Santosh Kesari.
Stress can significantly impact the brain and body. Cortisol production in the brain increases. It is a stress hormone regulated by the hypothalamus which is responsible for our fight or flight response. This is your brain's response to danger. Chronic stress can lead to structural changes in the hippocampus, which is also our memory center. So those that experience chronic stress are more likely to experience changes in their memory abilities.
Learn how to manage stress using techniques like meditation, deep breathing and forest bathing, so that when you're stressed, you'll be more able to engage in these practices. If you're experiencing stress related to your daily life, cognitive changes or cognitive changes in a loved one, please reach out to the Brain Wellness & Lifestyle program.
Bell’s palsy is a paralysis or weakness of the muscles on one side of the face. The facial nerves control muscle activity so when damaged it can cause the face to droop.
Fortunately, for the majority of patients, normal to near-normal facial nerve function can be restored within 1-2 months with medications alone, especially in those who can still partly move their facial muscles.
Bell’s palsy-related facial paralysis is sudden, often occurring overnight. The diagnosis of Bell’s palsy is typically made after a thorough evaluation of the entire body that may include a laboratory workup and possibly neuroimaging (MRI). As Bell’s palsy is a diagnosis of exclusion, other causes of facial weakness such as stroke, brain tumor, trauma, etc., should be ruled out. When treated within 72 hours of onset, symptoms usually improve within a few weeks.
Michelle Holmes, OD, is a full-scope optometrist at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute®. She sees patients at both the Eye, Ear and Skull Base Center as well as at the Brain Health Center. She is board certified and TLG licensed to treat and manage ocular disease. She prides herself in practicing evidence-based medicine with a genuine enthusiasm for human connection.
Strange though it may seem, our vocal cords are among our most vital organs. Not only do they allow us to communicate, but they make it possible to swallow without letting food or fluids into our lungs, a dangerous phenomenon that can cause pneumonia. It’s a complex action, requiring the work of 48 different muscles. Dr. Omid Mehdizadeh is an otolaryngologist—a surgeon who specializes in the head and neck. His specialty is laryngology—complex voice and swallowing disorders. Many patients come to him when they age, or after they have a stroke, both of which can impair the vocal cords. Dr. Mehdizadeh has lots of techniques to help them, some of which you wouldn’t suspect. As vocal cords age, they lose some of their mass, making it harder for them to close. In those cases, Dr. Mehdizadeh often turns to the same stuff that plastic surgeons use to plump up lips: a filler called Juvederm, or one like it. He injects the cords, giving them new life. In that sense, Dr. Mehdizadeh is a plastic surgeon for the vocal cords. Listen to this episode to learn more about this crucial organ, how to keep it healthy as you age, and what can be done to repair it, if necessary.
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus is one of a few reversible causes of dementia. Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian, director of the Pacific Adult Hydrocephalus Center, briefly describes the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this condition.
Cervical dystonia (sometimes called neck dystonia) is the abnormal position of the muscles of the neck, causing a twisted, turned, flexed or extended neck position. Abnormal signals coming from the deep parts of the brain cause this condition and therefore it is not muscular in nature and will not resolve with muscle massage or stretching.
The mainstay of treatment of cervical dystonia is with injection of botulinum toxin, such as Botox or Xeomin. Botulinum toxin injections work by causing a disruption between the nerve and the muscle, thereby weakening the muscle that it is injected into. For cervical dystonia, because the muscles that are pulling or twisting the neck to one side are overactive, Botox works to calm those specific muscles down and allows for a more natural and neutral head position.
The Pacific Treatment & Research In Psychedelics (TRIP) program is dedicated to the development of psychedelic-assisted therapies and the scientific exploration of how altered states of consciousness can be harnessed to change behavior and improve brain health and quality of life.
Behavioral health issues are a leading cause of disability and they remain inadequately treated worldwide. The modest effectiveness of existing treatments such as antidepressants and traditional psychotherapy approaches show us that there is an urgent need for more effective treatments for conditions such as depression, alcoholism, smoking cessation, and end of life suffering.
Early studies of psychedelic-assisted therapies for these conditions have demonstrated much larger and durable effects compared to existing therapies suggesting that there is great potential for psychedelic-assisted treatments to revolutionize the treatment of mental health and behavioral disorders.
One thing that makes Pacific Neuroscience Institute an institute is research, and Jennifer Bramen spends all of her time doing just that. Dr. Bramen earned her PhD in neuroscience from UCLA. These days, she is particularly interested in the “gut biome”: all the organisms that live in our digestive system. Strange though it may seem, those bacteria have a lot to do with our brains. That’s because the gut has its own nervous system, and it produces many of the neurotransmitters that regulate our stress levels and mood. But we can’t produce those compounds alone. We need a population of good bacteria to help. Sadly our modern diet of processed foods and cured meats, often consumed quickly at our desks, fosters bad bugs, which can push out the good ones. The key, Dr. Bramen says, is to eat foods that aren’t over-processed, like fruits and vegetables, and to eat them slowly. We should also favor foods that the good bugs like to eat, too: kiwis, bananas and avocado, among them. Dr. Bramen takes two minutes before every meal to slow down her breath, activating the part of her nervous system that helps us digest food. The bottom line: It takes a village (of bugs) to keep our guts and brains healthy. Dr. Bramen’s research is showing just how true that is.
Dr. Courtney Voelker explains about acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor that affects the nerve for hearing and balance. Find out about signs and symptoms, and the three treatment options that are available.
Cushing's disease is a pituitary adenoma that causes the production of too much adrenocorticotropic hormone resulting in excess cortisol levels in the body. Listen to Dr. Daniel Kelly, MD, founder & director of Pacific Neuroscience Institute and one of the most experienced pituitary neurosurgeons in the world talk about Cushing's disease symptoms, diagnosis, optimal treatment, minimally invasive keyhole brain surgery and how this tiny tumor can lead to significant impairment of health.
It’s important to understand the connection between carbohydrates and Alzheimer's disease. Brain cells depend on insulin to use glucose effectively. When insulin resistance sets in, as it often does with older age and AD, it can lead to cognitive decline. Both AD and type 2 diabetes share common mechanisms, including impaired insulin signaling. Lowering blood sugar and insulin levels could also help clear harmful Aβ peptides (amyloid buildup) that contribute to AD. Eating fewer carbohydrates results in lower overall blood sugar.
From Episode 350 of the RealTalkMS podcast with John Strum from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. May 2024
There are more than 20 disease-modifying therapies available to treat MS today. Some are considered high-efficacy, some are considered moderately effective, and each has its own risk profile and side effects to consider. So, how do you choose?
How much homework should someone living with MS do? Where should you look for reliable information? And what if you and your neurologist don't necessarily agree?
Dr. Barbara Giesser joins John Strum of the RealTalkMS podcast from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to talk about your role when it comes to choosing the right DMT through shared decision-making with your neurologist. An internationally recognized clinician and award-winning educator, Dr. Giesser has specialized in the care of people with multiple sclerosis since 1982, a full decade before there was even a single disease-modifying therapy available to treat MS.
Listen to learn more.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-health/conditions-treatment/multiple-sclerosis/
Consultation: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-health/schedule-a-consultation-multiple-sclerosis/
Clinic: 310-582-7613
Ryan Glatt is a certified personal trainer, a national board-certified health and wellness coach, and director of FItBrain at PNI. He’s also a big believer in the idea that just getting on a treadmill isn’t enough to keep our brains and bodies in top condition as we age. We must “dual task,” Glatt says. That means finding activities that challenge our minds and bodies at the same time, like dance or pickleball. Glatt, whose own energy and enthusiasm is infectious, is a big fan of video games that make you move. He got fit (and came out of his shell) years ago by playing Dance Dance Revolution, which requires both deft movement and undivided attention. Dual tasking is crucial as we age because it can slow dementia. Glatt has pored over the research and is convinced of that. It can also help us retain our balance, thereby preventing falls, one of the biggest causes of injury in older adults. This high-energy conversation with Ryan will show you how important dual tasking is, and we bet it will get you up and moving by the end.
For malignant brain cancers, such as glioblastoma, treatment options have not significantly improved. The current standard of care involves surgery followed by radiation or chemotherapy.
Dr. Kesari and his team are exploring a new approach. The PNI (Precision Immunotherapy in the Neoadjuvant setting) method uses targeted treatments based on the patient's tumor genetics before administering chemotherapy and radiation, when the immune system is stronger.
The goal is to prime the body to recognize and target the cancer as a foreign entity, enabling the body's own immune system to combat the disease before it is weakened by chemotherapy and radiation.
Learn more: 310-829-8265
Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD, is a world-renowned neuro-oncologist at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA. He treats patients with brain tumors including glioblastoma, glioma, meningioma, metastatic brain tumors, chordoma, and many more difficult brain cancers.
He believes that in order to cure patients with brain tumors we first need to gain a better molecular and biological understanding of the disease. A physician/scientist, Kesari harnesses his experience in surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and novel devices to help develop Precision Therapeutic Strategies that will advance medicine to a new stage in the battle against brain tumors and eradicate the disease.
Dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) is a rare vascular condition where abnormal connections (fistulas) form between branches of arteries and veins in the dura mater, the brain's covering. The dural arteries deliver high-pressure, oxygen-rich blood to the brain, while the dural veins return deoxygenated, low-pressure blood to the heart. DAVF causes high-pressure arterial blood to flow into veins or sinuses meant for low-pressure blood, which can lead to ruptures, brain hemorrhages, and other neurological issues.
Meet Dr. Aditya (Adi) Iyer, a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon specializing in vascular diseases of the brain and spine at Pacific Neuroscience Institute®. As one of California’s few dual-trained neurosurgeons, Dr. Iyer offers both minimally invasive open surgical techniques and incisionless catheter-based procedures to treat strokes, aneurysms, AVMs, tumors, and pain.
Discover expert care and advanced treatment options with Dr. Iyer, dedicated to ensuring the best outcomes for your vascular health.
Congestion. Sneezing. Runny nose. Stuffy nose. These symptoms may be all too familiar to those with allergic rhinitis – sometimes called seasonal allergies or hay fever. An incredibly common condition, allergic rhinitis, affects about 1 in 5 people and is triggered by exposure to allergens, like pollen or pet dander. Dr. Michael Yong is a board certified otolaryngologist PNI. He provides full-service general otolaryngology care, specializing in nose, sinus and skull base disorders. Using minimally invasive techniques, Dr. Yong treats all manner of related issues including allergic and non-allergic rhinitis. Over-the-counter medications can usually treat allergic rhinitis symptoms, Dr. Yong says, but if that's not enough, minimally invasive procedures are available. Listen to this episode and learn how Dr. Yong helps patients find solutions to their rhinitis that may be right under their noses.
Meet Dr. Christopher M. Putman, a board-certified interventional neuroradiologist with over 20 years of experience. He treats a variety of complex intracranial, head and neck, and spine vascular conditions including acute stroke, cervical and intracranial stenosis, vascular malformations, cerebral aneurysm, and venous occlusive diseases.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/stroke-neurovascular/our-center/
A brain aneurysm is also called a cerebral aneurysm or an intracranial aneurysm and refers to the same diagnosis. Muscular-walled tubes blood vessels called arteries are part of our circulation system. These tubes are how blood is conveyed from the heart to the brain, carrying oxygen and nutrients to support the brain and its functions. A diagnosis of a brain aneurysm means that a bulging, weak area exists in the wall of one of the arteries that supplies blood to the brain. The most common location for brain aneurysms is in the network of arteries at the base of the brain called the Circle of Willis.
Meet Dr. Christopher M. Putman, a board-certified interventional neuroradiologist with over 20 years of experience. He treats a variety of complex intracranial, head and neck, and spine vascular conditions including acute stroke, cervical and intracranial stenosis, vascular malformations, cerebral aneurysm and venous occlusive diseases.
Allergic rhinitis is a chronic condition, characterized by inflammation of the nasal passages and is usually triggered by exposure to allergens such as pollen or pet dander. An incredibly common condition, allergic rhinitis affects about 1 in 5 people. Symptoms include sneezing, nasal congestion, a runny nose, and allergic conjunctivitis. Over-the-counter medications like antihistamines and nasal sprays are a common treatment to alleviating symptoms.
Michael Yong, MD, MPH, MBA, is board certified in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, and fellowship-trained in Neurorhinology – Advanced Sinus & Skull Base Surgery. At Pacific Neuroscience Institute®, Dr. Yong provides full-service general Otolaryngology care, with an expertise in sinonasal and skull base disorders. He specializes in using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques for the treatment of nasal obstruction, smell disorders, allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, facial pain, acute and chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps, and benign and malignant tumors of the sinonasal cavities, among others. In addition, he works closely with a multidisciplinary team including his Neurosurgery colleagues to perform endoscopic endonasal surgeries that address benign and malignant skull base disorders in a way that maximizes preservation of function and quality of life.
Ryan Glatt is a Certified Personal Trainer and a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach with over a decade of experience. He focuses his exercise and health coaching strategies on brain health, personalizing lifestyle interventions for individuals with brain and cognitive health goals. Ryan is a Brain Health Coach and the Director of the FitBrain Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
Ryan developed and currently directs the FitBrainSM program with an expertise in combining brain and body training (also called dual-tasking) through “serious exergaming” (purposeful, goal-oriented games that involve physical movement), which utilizes innovative technologies to train cognitive and physical skills simultaneously. After losing weight and rehabilitating from a concussion at a younger age through the popular game Dance Dance Revolution, Ryan’s passion for “games for good” has continued into the realm of brain health, and he actively consults for several technology companies in clinical exergaming, gamified rehabilitation, and dual-task training. Ryan has a specialized interest in research in this area, and regularly collaborates with other researchers.
Join us as Dr. Jason Tarpley joins the Your Healthy Dose podcast with Kym Douglas.
A stroke can be debilitating and even deadly. Join us for “What You Need to Know About Strokes,” when podcast host Kym Douglas talks with physician Dr. Jason Tarpley about the various kinds of strokes, the need for speed in assessing someone who may be having a stroke, what BEFAST stands for, the latest options for treatment, and the best opportunities for prevention.
José M. Morales, MD, MSc, is a vascular neurologist and neurointerventional surgeon, who specializes in minimally invasive endovascular procedures to treat conditions and diseases of the brain and spine.
Dr. Morales completed his Master’s degree in Integrative Neuroscience at Imperial College London. He graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, where he served as the President of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Student Interest Group in Neurology and participated in an extended curriculum program under the Scholarship and Discovery track to conduct research in Computational Neuroscience, which was funded by the AAN Medical Student Research Scholarship.
Dr. Morales completed his Neurology Residency at Northwestern University, and Vascular Neurology and Interventional Neuroradiology Fellowships at the University of California Los Angeles.
As a clinician-scientist and innovator, Dr. Morales has several medical device patents and has been awarded multiple grants for his innovative concepts, and is co-founder of the medical device company, Vonova, Inc.. He has published in prestigious journals, such as Neuron, Nature, and Stroke. Dr. Morales is dedicated to serving patients afflicted by neurologic disease and conditions with skill, expertise, and compassion.
Intracranial meningiomas are the most common benign brain tumor that develop or arise from any meningeal surface of the brain, and are typically attached to the dura (outer layer of the meninges) but can also occur in the cerebral ventricles.
Listen to Dr. Daniel Kelly, MD, PNI founder & director, and neurosurgeon, talk about intracranial meningioma symptoms, treatment and minimally invasive keyhole brain surgery.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-tumor/conditions/meningioma/.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-tumor/treatment/minimally-invasive-brain-surgery/
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-tumor/people/daniel-kelly/
Pacific Brain Tumor Center
Ph: 310-582-7450
April 2024 | Dale Bredesen, MD, is an internationally recognized neurologist with specialty expertise in the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. He is the senior director of Precision Brain Health at Pacific Neuroscience Institute®. His expertise in neurodegenerative diseases drives groundbreaking advancements in personalized treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. From decoding unique biomarkers to cognitive testing, Dr. Bredesen's work provides hope in tackling diseases of cognitive decline.
pacificneuro.org/precision
Use the term “vocal cords” and most people think of the structure that lets us talk, sing and yell. But these folds of throat tissue do much more. Among their most important functions is sealing off the trachea, or windpipe, when we eat or drink, to keep foods and liquids from getting into our lungs. Romina Huerta, a speech-language pathologist at PNI, knows all about the vocal cords. Long before her medical career began, she learned the violin and became a singer. These days, she’s a member of the Grammy-nominated band Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles. That experience helps her understand what ails other professional singers who come to her for help with overworked vocal cords. She’s been there and done that. She also treats people who have swallowing disorders, which are often caused by dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Strokes and brain injuries also bring patients into PNI, where Romina works with our otolaryngologists—surgeons and doctors who treat the ear, nose and throat. Listen to this episode to learn how Romina helps singers and others care for their vocal cords.
Michael Yong, MD, MPH, MBA, is board certified in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, and fellowship-trained in Neurorhinology – Advanced Sinus & Skull Base Surgery. At Pacific Neuroscience Institute®, Dr. Yong provides full-service general Otolaryngology care, with an expertise in sinonasal and skull base disorders. He specializes in using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques for the treatment of nasal obstruction, smell disorders, allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, facial pain, acute and chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps, and benign and malignant tumors of the sinonasal cavities, among others. In addition, he works closely with a multidisciplinary team including his Neurosurgery colleagues to perform endoscopic endonasal surgeries that address benign and malignant skull base disorders in a way that maximizes preservation of function and quality of life.
Michelle Holmes, OD, is a full-scope optometrist at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute®. She sees patients at both the Eye, Ear and Skull Base Center as well as at the Brain Health Center. She is board certified and TLG licensed to treat and manage ocular disease. She prides herself in practicing evidence-based medicine with a genuine enthusiasm for human connection.
She earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental biology from the University of Washington, Seattle. After her mother was diagnosed with a rare eye disease, she was inspired to pursue her Doctor of Optometry. She went on to complete her degree at the University of California, Berkeley. Her strong interest in ocular disease led her to successfully complete clinical externships at Omni Eye Services in the greater New York City area, the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, and the Miami VA Hospital. She graduated with the distinction of Honors in Research and Clinical Science for her thesis on the efficacy of orthokeratology lenses for myopia control. This work was accepted for publication in Optometry and Vision Science (OVS), Journal of the American Academy of Optometry. Dr. Holmes is a current member of the American Optometric Association (AOA), the California Optometric Association (COA), and the Los Angeles County Optometric Association (LACOS).
Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC), also known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension, is a condition caused by elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the brain. The symptoms of this condition mimic those of a brain tumor, giving it the name pseudotumor cerebri, meaning "false brain tumor." The increased pressure can cause swelling of the optic nerve and can result in loss of vision. Medications can often reduce the pressure and headache, but surgery is necessary in some cases.
Alexander M. Solomon, MD, is a neuro-ophthalmologist and strabismus surgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica and Torrance, CA. Dr. Solomon’s personal philosophy is that each patient is individual and that diagnosis and optimal management of any disease is best carried out in conjunction with patient and family education, and understanding. His skillset includes visual field analysis and optical coherence tomography interpretation, as well as advanced adult strabismus diagnosis and treatment including thyroid eye disease, cranial nerve palsies, and orbital disease.
Clinic: 310-829-8701
Dr. Solomon: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/alexander-solomon/
Consultation: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/eye-ent/our-center/schedule-a-consultation/
Website: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/eye-ent/vision/
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that damages the nerves. It affects about a million people in the U.S., primarily women. Join us for “Multiple Sclerosis Explained” where podcast host Kym Douglas talks with Pacific Neuroscience Institute physician Dr. Barbara Giesser about MS symptoms, the importance of early diagnosis, and the medication, symptom management, and lifestyle options now available for controlling the disease.
Dr. Akanksha Sharma is a neuro-oncologist and palliative medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Tumor Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA. To provide extra resources to brain cancer patients suffering from brain tumors such as glioblastoma and their care partners. Dr. Akanksha Sharma is a neuro-oncologist and palliative medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Tumor Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA. To provide extra resources to brain cancer patients suffering from brain tumors such as glioblastoma and their care partners, Dr. Sharma opened a Supportive Care Clinic in 2020. The clinic offers services to deal with symptoms, quality of life, care partner burden and distress, and help alleviate suffering.
PacificBrainTumor.org | 310-829-8265
You're probably hearing a lot more about the "human microbiome" these days. It's the collection of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that lives alongside us, inside and out. Some of these organisms are beneficial, and some are harmful. There is growing evidence that bad actors in our digestive tract may produce toxins that travel along the vagus nerve to the brain, where they clump and cause Parkinson's disease. Listen to this PNI Minute to understand this unexpected connection between gut health and the brain.
Strabismus, commonly referred to as “crossed eyes” or “lazy eye,” is a visual condition characterized by an improper alignment of the eyes. In individuals with strabismus, the eyes do not work together as a coordinated pair, causing one eye to be misaligned relative to the other. This misalignment can be constant or intermittent and can affect one eye or both eyes.
Alexander M. Solomon, MD, is a neuro-ophthalmologist and strabismus surgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica and Torrance, CA. Dr. Solomon’s personal philosophy is that each patient is an individual and that diagnosis and optimal management of any disease is best carried out in conjunction with patient and family education, and understanding.
In the complex landscape of mental health, a revolution is underway: psychedelic-assisted therapy. At the forefront of this movement is the TRIP Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. The Treatment & Research In Psychedelics Center is breaking new ground, treating patients with ketamine-assisted therapy as well as conducting rigorous clinical trials to understand the potential of psychedelics in tackling mental health issues and enhancing quality of life. Dr. Micah Linton is a seasoned licensed clinical psychologist at PNI, and Juliana Hudson is a visionary licensed clinical social worker. Both are fervent believers in the transformative power of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Micah’s interest was kindled at consciousness conferences. Juliana's journey was sparked by the profound impact these compounds can have in therapy, unlocking deeply buried emotions and facilitating profound experiences. Join us as we delve into this paradigm shift, uncovering how PNI is blazing a trail in the realm of psychedelic-assisted therapies.
Dr. Jian Guan is a fellowship trained neurosurgeon with a special focus on complex spine surgery at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Dedicated to the care of patients with spine and neck conditions, he practices at PNI-South Bay / Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary in Torrance, California. With over 75 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Guan has a particular clinical and research interest in ways of maximizing benefit to patients following neurosurgical procedures.
Essential tremor is the most common movement disorder in humans, and its causes are among the most mysterious. It’s a neurological condition that causes involuntary shaking. It can begin in one’s 20s or 30s, or much later in life. Dr. Natalie Diaz treats essential tremors. Its origins may be unknown, but there are treatments. The first step is to talk to your doctor to rule out other forms of tremor because there are many.
Sometimes the best surgery is no surgery. That's what Howard R. Krauss, MD believes. Dr. Krauss is one of the four founders of Pacific Neuroscience Institute, and Director of the Pacific Eye, Ear and Skull Base Center. He is a surgical neuro-ophthalmologist specializing in diagnostic neuro-ophthalmology, including visual field analysis and optical coherence tomography, as well as strabismus, orbital and anterior skull base surgery.
If surgery is necessary, Dr. Krauss has the experience to provide minimally invasive treatments. He was a cofounder of the UCLA Skull Base Surgery and Orbitocranial Tumor Programs, and is presently active in skull base and orbital disease, and tumor care at PNI.
In 2001, Dr. Krauss and fellow PNI founder Dr. Chester Griffiths were the first in the world to devise and carry out Transnasal Image-Guided Endoscopic Orbital Tumor Surgery, a safer, less invasive and more efficacious approach to the management of orbital apex tumors.
Moyamoya disease is a rare neurovascular condition that can affect both children and adults and is caused by progressive narrowing or blockage of the major blood vessels supplying the brain.
The result is a lack of necessary blood flow to the brain, which can cause stroke, mini-stroke (TIA – transient ischemic attack) or bleeding into the brain. Numerous tiny vessels develop around the blockage in an attempt to compensate for the lowered blood flow, leading to a smoky appearance of these vessels on imaging. This smoky appearance is what gives the disease its name, as “moyamoya” means puff of smoke in Japanese.
Aditya (Adi) Iyer MD, MS, is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a focus on vascular diseases of the brain and spine at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. As one of California’s few dual-trained neurosurgeons, Dr. Iyer is able to offer both minimally invasive open surgical techniques as well as incisionless catheter based procedures to treat patients with strokes, aneurysms, AVMs, tumors and pain.
For people with hearing loss, properly-fitted hearing aids can be a miracle, restoring sounds of life that have been lost to aging or disease. But sometimes hearing aids aren’t enough, or a patient’s hearing deteriorates beyond the devices’ capabilities. Then, it’s time to consider cochlear implants—small electronic devices that go beyond hearing aids. They bypass damaged hair cells in the ear and send electronic signals straight to the auditory nerve. Dr. Rebecca Lewis is an audiologist who specializes in evaluating patients who might be eligible for cochlear implants. Until recently, doctors installed the devices only after people had lost almost all of their hearing. But because hearing is crucial to social connection, and social connection is key to staving off dementia, the bar for cochlear implants is coming down. Anyone who has tried a few sets of hearing aids and still can’t understand conversation should consider cochlear implants, Dr. Lewis says. Listen to this episode to learn some fascinating things about how our ears and nerves allow us to hear the world, and whether you or a family member should consider cochlear implants.
Our multidisciplinary team is here to help you and your loved ones understand your condition and determine an optimal treatment plan. Because of our expertise, we treat many patients with the most challenging of pituitary and skull base tumors, including many with prior treatments (recurrent or residual tumors) and patients who have been deemed “non-operative."
Chordomas are rare tumors of the brain and spine that have limited surgical and neuro-oncological treatments. Learn about potential new treatment from a clinical trial published in 2023.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) represents an exciting non-medication and noninvasive option for treatment of some brain health conditions, specifically TMS for depression. TMS works by using magnetic therapy in the form of magnetic field pulses to stimulate the brain’s nerve cells to alleviate the symptoms associated with depression. In addition, there is growing research exploring the effectiveness of TMS in other neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders.
At Pacific Brain Health Center, Dr. David Merrill offers TMS for depression using a MagVenture device. It offers a unique, short, 3 minute TBS (theta burst) protocol for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in adult patients who have failed to receive satisfactory improvements from prior antidepressant medication in the current episode.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s another scourge raging in the U.S: loneliness. About 17% of Americans reported feeling lonely “a lot of the day yesterday,” when polled by Gallup earlier this year, and a staggering 41% of single people said they did. Doctors at PNI discover loneliness in their patients, often for specific causes that can be treated. Dr. Courtney Voelker, director of PNI’s Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, sees patients with hearing so compromised that they can’t follow conversations with loved ones. Dr. Amit Kochhar, director of the Facial Nerve Disorders Program at PNI, has patients who are unwilling to socialize because their facial paralysis prevents them from smiling or expressing other emotions. And Dr. Shanthi Gowrinathan, Director of Psycho-Oncology at the Pacific Brain Health Center, works with patients struggling with depression from a cancer diagnosis. Each of them has tools to help. Dr. Voelker restores hearing with cochlear implants. Dr. Kochhar repairs facial nerves to restore facial function. Dr. Gowrinathan offers cognitive therapy, writing groups, and even horse therapy. Horses have some of the highest emotional intelligence in the animal world, and cancer patients often find relief from just being around them. Listen to this podcast to learn more about how PNI doctors are fighting the loneliness epidemic.
Jason W. Tarpley, MD, PhD is a board-certified neurologist with fellowship training in vascular and interventional neurology. He specializes in the clinical care of patients with neurovascular disorders and has specific interest in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, cerebral aneurysms, and carotid artery stenosis.
He is an investigator in many phase 2 and phase 3 clinical studies examining the safety and effectiveness of innovative therapies in stroke patients. He has published several papers and presented his research at domestic and international conferences. Dr. Tarpley serves as the Stroke Medical Director for Pacific Stroke and Neurovascular Center. He is also the clinical lead for Providence’s system-wide Clinical Stroke Research.
There are no specific diets that have been shown to reduce the progression of PD. However, there is good reason to believe that a well-balanced, nutritious diet would be best. In those without other medical conditions, the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurogenerative Delay (MIND) diet may be of benefit in Parkinson’s as well since both are neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
A brain aneurysm is also called a cerebral aneurysm or an intracranial aneurysm and refers to the same diagnosis. Muscular-walled tubes blood vessels called arteries are part of our circulation system. These tubes are how blood is conveyed from the heart to the brain, carrying oxygen and nutrients to support the brain and its functions. A diagnosis of a brain aneurysm means that a bulging, weak area exists in the wall of one of the arteries that supplies blood to the brain.
Sandra Narayanan, MD, FAHA, FANA, FSVIN, FAAN, is board-certified in neurology and vascular neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and CAST (Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training)-certified in neuroendovascular surgery. She is a vascular neurologist and neurointerventional surgeon at Pacific Stroke & Neurovascular Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She is director of the neurointerventional program and co-director of the stroke program at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.
Thyroid eye disease, also known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy or Graves’ orbitopathy, is an autoimmune condition that primarily affects the tissues and muscles around the eyes. It is most commonly associated with an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), particularly in individuals with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid.
Alexander M. Solomon, MD, is a neuro-ophthalmologist and strabismus surgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica and Torrance, CA. Dr. Solomon’s personal philosophy is that each patient is an individual and that diagnosis and optimal management of any disease is best carried out in conjunction with patient and family education, and understanding.
For decades, people thought physical exercise benefited only the body. But every year we learn how incorrect that was, and Dr. David Merrill, director of PNI’s brain health center, is one of the people pushing our knowledge forward. It turns out that exercise builds the brain by prompting the production of brain derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. “Trophic” compounds cause things to grow, and BDNF helps create new connections among neurons, which is how we learn. In short, BDNF is fertilizer for the brain, Dr. Merrill says. In a perfect world, we would be able to take BDNF in a pill, like a vitamin. But it’s a big, clunky molecule that doesn’t pass easily from blood to brain. Exercise gets the job done, boosting BDNF and keeping our brains nimble. That fact makes exercise crucial as we age. Pumping iron, and therefore pumping up BDNF, promotes brain plasticity: the ability to change, grow and adapt to the insults that come with growing older. Listen to this episode to hear how you can boost BDNF through exercise and stay sharp into your golden years.
Dr. Akanksha Sharma is a neuro-oncologist and palliative medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Tumor Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA. To provide extra resources to brain cancer patients suffering from brain tumors such as glioblastoma and their caregivers. Dr. Akanksha Sharma is a neuro-oncologist and palliative medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Tumor Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA. To provide extra resources to brain cancer patients suffering from brain tumors such as glioblastoma and their cargivers, Dr. Sharma opened a Supportive Care Clinic in 2020. The clinic offers services to deal with symptoms, quality of life, caregiver burden and distress, and help alleviate suffering.
PacificBrainTumor.org | 310-829-8265
In movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia, normal function can be restored to the circuitry of the brain, resulting in significant improvement in function and quality of life. The goal of deep brain stimulation surgery is to modulate the activity of a specific brain region.
In DBS, thin electrodes are placed in the disruptive areas of the brain and small electrical pulses normalize or eliminate the irregular signals. DBS is the non-permanent suppression of overactivity in the autopilot structure of the brain called the basal ganglia.
Like a pacemaker for the brain, the battery (pulse generator) is implanted under the skin of the chest, and leads (wires) are tunneled under the skin via the deep part of the brain through a quarter-sized opening in the skull. The system is fully implanted under the skin, so there are no external wires or devices. The stimulator is fully programmable and therefore adjustable over time, as the disease changes. Patients can use a simple hand-held device to turn the DBS on or off, and adjust various other parameters if needed.
Neuro-oncologist and palliative care specialist, Dr. Akansksha Sharma, talks about radiation treatment for brain tumors. Radiation oncology includes techniques such as external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and brachytherapy. External beam radiation therapy involves the use of a machine, such as a linear accelerator, to deliver radiation beams from outside the body to the tumor site. The treatment is carefully planned and delivered over a series of sessions, usually on a daily basis. Brachytherapy, on the other hand, involves the placement of a radiation source directly into or near the tumor, allowing for a higher dose of radiation to be delivered locally while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.
When he’s not being a world-class neurosurgeon caring for patients with brain or pituitary tumors, Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian trains younger surgeons on the science and art of neurosurgery. As director of the Neuroanatomical Skills / Microdissection Anatomy Lab, he advances the procedures and technology used for minimally invasive surgery. Neurosurgeons can enter PNI’s fellowship program, and research fellows from around the world can learn these advanced techniques taking them into their practices and back to their home countries. In college, Josh Emerson wanted to study the neuroanatomy of whales and dolphins, but when he realized he’d have to spend time on boats he switched to human neuroanatomy instead. A talented artist, he often doodled the things he studied. One day, he drew a human spinal cord, complete with a herniated disk. A visiting surgeon looked over his shoulder, took out a $100 bill, handed it to him and told him to see a colleague about doing more medical illustrations. Emerson has never looked back. A medical illustrator for over two decades he is the Microdissection Lab Manager at PNI, where he works closely with Dr. Barkhoudarian. Josh has moved on from pen and ink to computer-aided animation. Listen to this podcast to learn how this pair works together to map some of the smallest, most important structures in the human body.
Dr. Amit Kochhar talks about symptoms, and diagnosis of paralysis due to facial nerve syndromes. Facial paralysis is devastating to one’s identity. Patients with facial paralysis experience physical, social, and emotional changes. At PNI, our specialists treat all types of facial paralysis and related conditions. Every face is unique and our team takes a compassionate, patient-centric approach to designing a unique facial paralysis treatment for each individual.
For more information: 310-829-8701
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/eye-ent/facial-nerve-disorders/
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/eye-ent/people/amit-kochhar/
Barbara S. Giesser, MD, FAAN, FANA, is an internationally recognized clinician and award-winning educator who has specialized in the care of persons with Multiple Sclerosis since 1982. Her approach to the diagnosis and management of persons with MS combines advanced diagnostics and a personalized medication plan for each patient with an emphasis on integrating lifestyle and wellness strategies into the neurologic treatment plan.
Learn about disease modifying therapies for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis in this PNI Minute.
For more information: 310-582-7613 | pacificbrainhealth.org
Sandra Narayanan, MD, Vascular Neurologist and Neurointerventional Surgeon at the Pacific Stroke and Neurovascular Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, explains the difference between hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke.
The main difference between the two types of stroke is the underlying cause of the brain damage. In ischemic stroke, the damage is caused by a lack of blood supply, while in hemorrhagic stroke, it is caused by bleeding into the brain tissue. Both types of stroke are medical emergencies and require immediate medical attention to prevent further damage and improve outcomes.
Dr. David Merrill is a psychiatrist who specializes in older adults. He has a PhD in the neurobiology of aging, and he directs PNI’s Brain Health Center. His colleague Dr. Karen Miller, has a PhD in geropsychology–the psychology of older people. She is the senior director of PNI’s Brain Wellness and Lifestyle Program. Molly Rapozo is a registered dietician nutritionist. They work as a trio to help older people stave off the ravages of dementia through diet, exercise, and cognitive training.
Their work is crucial because, despite some recent, modest advances on a drug to treat Alzheimer’s, there just isn’t a pill that can keep our brains in tip-top shape as we age. What we have are some behaviors that are proven to protect the brain from premature dysfunction. Listen to this podcast to learn what our all-star team knows about the best strategies.
Dystonia is a mysterious condition that causes muscles to contract involuntarily. It can strike many parts of the body, making the head turn, the eyelids close, or the hand twist. We don’t know what causes dystonia. It can arise after head trauma or a stroke, and it often appears in conjunction with Parkinson’s disease. There is no cure, but experts like Dr. Natalie Diaz, a neurologist at PNI, can ease the symptoms with medication. A treatment you may not expect: Botox. A natural toxin, Botox prevents the release of a neurotransmitter that causes the muscles to contract. After an injection, dystonia sufferers very often find that their symptoms dissipate, and that is a welcome relief from this strange, discomforting disease.
In a study published on August 31, 2023, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, psilocybin showed promise as a treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). JAMA Associate Editor Dr. Donald C. Goff, speaks with publication author Dr. Charles L. Raison, from the Usona Institute, about the study, as well as Dr. Rachel Yehuda from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, who wrote an accompanying editorial about the potential benefits of psychedelic therapies. Pacific Neuroscience Institute's director of Treatment & Research In Psychedelics Center, Dr. Keith Heinzerling, was a co-investigator in this clinical trial.
At PNI’s Treatment & Research In Psychedelics (TRIP) Program, we conduct clinical trails at the forefront of innovative and transformative medicine. TRIP, spearheaded by Daniel Kelly, MD and Keith Heinzerling, MD, explores the effect of psychedelic-assisted therapy in treating conditions such as anxiety, depression, and addiction. Our wraparound program includes preparation and integration talk therapy along with one or a few doses of medicine in a safe, nurturing, clinical setting. We are finding that people experience epiphanies and long-lasting breakthroughs, which could otherwise have taken years to achieve through conventional talk therapy and daily medicine. Our larger medical community still does not understand the mechanisms of why this methodology is so sustainable.
Our aim is to bring these powerful treatments into mainstream medicine by achieving FDA approval.
Clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Barreto explains how attention is essential to our understanding. Learn about the difference between attentional issues can manifest as memory problems.
For more information: 424-212-5361
When people notice their vision blurring, they will frequently dash off to the eye doctor. Not so with hearing loss. It often goes ignored and undiagnosed until it becomes unbearable. Dr. Courtney Voelker is trying to change that. She’s a neurotologist, a head and neck surgeon who specializes in diseases of the ear and related structures. She spends much of her time giving the gift of hearing to her patients using cochlear implants. These near-magical devices restore hearing after an intricate two-hour, outpatient surgery. They help newborns get on the path to mainstream development and cognition. Dr. Voelker has watched many toddlers light up when they hear the world for the first time. Cochlear implants help older adults avoid the isolation and cognitive decline that comes with hearing loss. With Bluetooth technology, cochlear implants are becoming almost bionic in their capabilities. They can connect to sound systems in music venues or classrooms. Listen to this episode to find out how Dr. Voelker is opening up access to the world of sound for all.
Howard R. Krauss, MD, is one of the four founders of Pacific Neuroscience Institute, and a Director of the Pacific Eye, Ear and Skull Base Center. He is a surgical neuro-ophthalmologist specializing in diagnostic neuro-ophthalmology, including visual field analysis and optical coherence tomography, as well as strabismus, orbital and anterior skull base surgery. He cares for patients with problems including eyelid disorders, ocular and orbital pain, double vision, neurologic or brain disorders, circulatory disorders and inflammation, injury and tumors of the eye socket (orbit), face, head, or brain. He offers complex specialty procedures including oculoplastic surgery, adult strabismus surgery and orbital and anterior skull base surgery. Dr. Krauss’ philosophy is to deliver the best eye care and vision solutions while considering the needs and preferences of his patients.
Dr. Natalie Diaz is a movement disorders specialist. In this PNI Minute, she reviews the importance of sleep in a two part series.
Dr. Natalie Diaz is a movement disorders specialist. In this PNI Minute, she reviews the importance of sleep in a two part series.
Cavernomas are a vascular mass made up of abnormal dilated blood vessels characterized by distended blood-filled “caverns.” Vessels of a cavernoma mass have a tendency to leak and bleed because they lack the proper junctions between neighboring cells as well as the necessary structural support from smooth muscle and the stretchable material (elastin) that normally supports regular blood vessels. While a new diagnosis of brain cavernoma can produce natural anxious responses in many patients, the most important thing to remember is that you are not alone — cavernomas can occur in as many as 1 out of every 200 people – and our team of experts is here to help you understand your condition and determine an optimal, personalized treatment plan for your needs.
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. That adds up to about 800,000 Americans a year. Yet, not everyone knows what a stroke is, or what the symptoms are. Very simply, a stroke is either a blockage or a rupture in a blood vessel that deprives the brain of blood. Blockages are most common, and the symptoms include difficulty with speaking or walking, paralysis in the face, arms of legs, and headache. Dr. Sandra Narayan is a surgeon who treats strokes. The good news, she says, is that a healthy lifestyle can help most people avoid stroke. Listen to this podcast to find out about those healthy habits, and to learn why it’s best to call 911 when symptoms appear instead of having a friend or family member drive you to the hospital. Hint: Artificial intelligence is getting involved, in a very helpful way.
Alexander M. Solomon, MD, is a neuro-ophthalmologist and strabismus surgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica and Torrance, CA. Dr. Solomon’s personal philosophy is that each patient is an individual and that diagnosis and optimal management of any disease is best carried out in conjunction with patient and family education, and understanding.
His skillset includes visual field analysis and optical coherence tomography interpretation, as well as advanced adult strabismus diagnosis and treatment including thyroid eye disease, cranial nerve palsies, and orbital disease.
Jesús O. Barreto Abrams, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist at the Pacific Brain Health Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. He evaluates patients in American Sign Language (ASL), Spanish, or English. He mainly works with adult and older adults with cognitive concerns consulting with physician and other allied health professionals in the diagnosis and treatment of neurocognitive disorders due to neurological conditions (e.g., dementias, strokes, traumatic brain injuries) and other medical illnesses (e.g., COVID-19, cancer). Dr. Barreto Abrams also occasionally holds a pediatric neuropsychological clinic specialized in working with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children with neuropsychological concerns. Further, he serves as a neuropsychologist liaison to the cochlear implant (CI) team at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute assisting with candidacy evaluations for children and adults who may have neuropsychological concerns.
Dr. Jian Guan is a fellowship trained neurosurgeon with a special focus on complex spine surgery at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Dedicated to the care of patients with spine and neck conditions, he practices at PNI-South Bay / Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary in Torrance, California. With over 75 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Guan has a particular clinical and research interest in ways of maximizing benefit to patients following neurosurgical procedures.
This episode comes from the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation’s podcast, Your Daily Dose with Kym Douglas. Pacific Neuroscience Institute experts, Dr. Keith Heinzerling and Dr. Daniel Kelly discuss the Treatment & Research in Psychedelics (TRIP) program at PNI. Dr. Heinzerling, an addiction medicine specialist and TRIP director, and Dr. Kelly, director and one of the four founders of PNI describe how psychedelic-assisted therapy with compounds such as psilocybin from “magic mushrooms” in clinical trials can help treat conditions such as alcohol use disorder, anxiety, and depression. Listen to this episode to learn how these doctors envision psychedelic-assisted therapy transforming the current model of mental health care.
Dr. Lewis is a board certified audiologist focusing on adult and pediatric patients. An avid clinician, educator, and advocate, she is dedicated to serving the community using a whole patient approach with evidenced-based and compassionate care.
Sandra Narayanan, MD, FAHA, FANA, FSVIN, FAAN, is board-certified in neurology and vascular neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and CAST (Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training)-certified in neuroendovascular surgery. She is a vascular neurologist and neurointerventional surgeon at Pacific Stroke & Neurovascular Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She is director of the neurointerventional program and co-director of the stroke program at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.
Treating Brain Tumors with Dr. Daniel F. Kelly On "From Cancer A to Z" with Dr. Rosalyn Morrell | Guest Podcast
Brain tumors don't get the same amount of attention as the other types of cancers. But they are still very important to talk about. Dr. Daniel F. Kelly is a neurosurgeon and founder of Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
Listen in to learn about Daniel's non-linear path to becoming a neurosurgeon. You'll also hear how the Pacific Neuroscience Institute uses keyhole surgery to reduce the amount of time patients need to stay in the hospital.
Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian, Neurosurgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute and Assistant Professor of Neuroscience & Neurosurgery at the Saint John's Cancer institute, discusses his perspectives of the future of brain tumor surgery in this episode.
Tatiana lives with a brain tumor that causes pain like the very worst migraine. Van Nessa had a sarcoma in her cheekbone and has had eight surgeries. Ben has an inoperable brainstem glioma that is kept in check with a new drug. Do you have someone in your life who is living with cancer? Tatiana, Van Nessa and Ben have some thoughts on how to help them. For Ben, the best thing was when a friend just left dinner on the porch and didn’t even ring the doorbell. Tatiana likes it when friends check in, if not with her, with her mother, who is “in it with her everyday.” Dr. Akanksha Sharma, a neuro-oncologist at Pacific Neuroscience Institute has helped hundreds of patients who live with brain cancer. She joins me in moderating this discussion on what helps and what doesn’t when someone is facing the toughest diagnoses.
When it comes to cancer, the focus is most often on the patient. But the best treatment happens when their care partners are cared for, too. The first step is knowing what it’s like to be the partner, son, daughter or friend of a cancer sufferer. Elaine Lipworth is a writer who lost her husband Stephen to a brain stem tumor. Ari Nowain, MD, is a gastroenterologist whose father is living with a glioblastoma. Emmaline Mauritson is a physician’s assistant at the Pacific Brain Tumor Center who works with patients and their families in the neuro-oncology clinic and infusion center on their cancer journey. We talked about what’s hard, what’s surprising, and what’s rewarding about being a cancer care partner. Listen to this podcast to learn about one of the toughest roles we’re called upon to play in this life, and what we might learn from it.
Courtney Voelker, MD, PhD (DPhil Oxon), is a Rhodes Scholar and board certified neurotologist. She is Director of Otology/Neurotology-Lateral Skull Base Surgery; and Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She is an otolaryngology – head & neck surgeon who takes care of adult and pediatric patients seeing a wide range of inner ear and skull base conditions. A Super Doctor Rising Star award recipient, she is committed to offering top quality, compassionate care to all her patients.
Prior to joining PNI, Dr. Voelker was at USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC as Division Chief of Otology, Neurotology and Lateral Skull Base Surgery, and the Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). She has conducted leading-edge research on the physiology and diseases of the inner ear at Brown University, the University of Oxford, Washington University in St. Louis, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Voelker has authored numerous research publications and textbook chapters in her field. She is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the American Neurotologic Society.
Dr. Voelker graduated with Honors from Brown University and earned her medical degree from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. As a Rhodes Scholar she earned her PhD from the University of Oxford in developmental neurobiology. She completed her residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the Washington University (Barnes-Jewish Hospital) in St. Louis and her fellowship at the world-renowned House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles.
Learn more about Dr. Voelker and other PNI Doctors
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/courtney-voelker/
Evan Walgama, MD is a board-certified Otolaryngologist – Head & Neck / ENT Surgeon at the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica. His particular area of expertise is in the treatment of patients with benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck.
Dr. Walgama is a dual-fellowship trained surgeon. He completed his Sinus and Skull Base fellowship at Stanford, followed by a Head and Neck Surgical Oncology fellowship at MD Anderson. He brings together both skillsets to treat challenging cancers of the ear, nose and throat, with a priority focus on preservation of quality of life for patients and their families.
Vikki was walking her dog and listening to NPR in Santa Monica one day, when she heard an advertisement for an unusual medical trial. Pacific Neuroscience Institute was studying whether psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, could help alcoholics kick their habit. Vikki, 60, was a steady drinker and had been since she was 18. She never got terribly drunk, but nor did cocktail hour ever come and go for her without drinking wine. She liked to socialize because socializing meant drinking, and she began to wonder if the wine meant more to her than her friends did. So, she called PNI and enrolled in the study. Listen to this podcast to learn how two psychedelic trips, guided by doctors and trained medical staff at PNI after comprehensive medical exams and extensive preparation, changed Vikki’s life, beyond just the wine.
As a note, this clinical trial is closed but other psychedelic-assisted treatments are available for qualified patients with alcohol use disorder.
Dr. Sehati is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes the treatment of a wide variety of brain, spine and spinal cord disorders at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. His expertise is in surgical and nonsurgical management of degenerative, traumatic and neoplastic (tumor) diseases of the brain and spine with a focus on minimally invasive techniques. His practice is based primarily at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. Dr. Sehati believes in clinical excellence and comprehensive care for all of his patients. His compassionate approach involves working as a partner with his patients, honoring patient individuality and dignity, understanding the patient’s needs and preferences, discussing all aspects and options of treatment available, and implementing advanced, state-of-the art techniques for optimal outcomes.
Meet Dr. Christopher M. Putman, a board-certified interventional neuroradiologist with over 20 years of experience. He treats a variety of complex intracranial, head and neck, and spine vascular conditions including acute stroke, cervical and intracranial stenosis, vascular malformations, cerebral aneurysm, and venous occlusive diseases.
Dr. Nouzhan Sehati is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes in the treatment of brain, spine, and spinal cord disorders at Pacific Neuroscience Institute with a focus on minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Sehati emphasizes the importance of clinical excellence and comprehensive care for his patients. In this video, Dr. Sehati shares a patient story that reaffirmed his passion for his work and how he finds great joy in helping others.
The Pacific Brain Tumor Center and Pacific Pituitary Disorders Center offers a 1-year neurosurgery fellowship in minimally invasive surgery for brain, pituitary and skull base tumors. Our clinical training program is focused on endoscopic endonasal and keyhole surgical approaches, neuro-endoscopy, pituitary tumor management and multimodality neuro-oncology treatments. The fellowship emphasizes operative and peri-operative patient management, outpatient evaluation of new patients and follow-up patients as well as clinical and anatomical laboratory research projects. The fellowship is integrated into the Saint John's Cancer Institute Surgical Oncology Fellowship.
Qualified applicants must have completed training in an ACGME-accredited neurosurgical residency program and be eligible for a California medical license.
Dr. Amit Kochhar is an otolaryngologist. That means he specializes in surgery in the head and neck. Among the conditions that he treats is something called synkinesis: unintentional contractions of the face muscles. A patient’s eye may close when smiling. The corner of their mouth might pull when they blink. There are many causes, including onset due to Bell’s palsy and Lyme disease. Most cases resolve within weeks. For the ones that don’t after other remedies fail, Dr. Kochhar maps the nerves in the face and figures out which ones are functioning properly by stimulating them and observing the results. Because the face has so many nerves that can do the same thing, Dr. Kochhar can remove a malfunctioning one without compromising function. Listen to this podcast to learn how he corrects function in the face and relieves synkinesis.
Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a special interest in the surgical treatment of complex spine conditions and movement disorders. Selected as a multiple year recipient of the SuperDoctor Rising Stars Edition, he has extensive experience using advanced surgical techniques to treat his patients with compassion and care. He practices at PNI-South Bay / Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary in Torrance, California.
Akanksha Sharma, MD, is board certified in neurology, neuro-oncology and palliative medicine. She is experienced in and provides unique perspective on the treatment of primary/metastatic brain tumors, neurological complications of cancer, and disease-related burden and symptoms. Her clinical and research interests lie in helping patients maximize their time and quality of life. She aims to align treatment with patient goals and to provide holistic care that includes careful symptom assessment and management, as well as support for the patient’s loved ones.
To learn more about Dr. Sharma and her treatment, visit:
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/sharma/
Hearing loss can have a profound impact on brain health. Studies have shown that when the brain is deprived of auditory input, it can lead to changes that may increase the risk of cognitive decline.
Courtney Voelker, MD, PhD is a Rhodes Scholar and board certified neurotologist. She is Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She is also an otolaryngology – head & neck surgeon who takes care of adult and pediatric patients seeing a wide range of inner ear and skull base conditions.
Dr. Melita Petrossian is a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders. When most people hear that term, they think of Parkinson’s disease. But Dr. Petrossian sees a number of patients with what’s known as essential tremor, a condition that’s often mistaken for Parkinson’s. It affects eight million Americans, far more than suffer from Parkinson’s. The brain has “tremor generators” that help us move. The tremor is natural, but the cerebellum smooths it out, like the steady cam features on our phones, so we don’t shake. Babies often jerk their limbs because the cerebellum hasn’t mastered the task. In cases of essential tremor, the cerebellum loses the ability to do that work. Listen to this episode to find out why the condition is called “essential” and how Dr. Petrossian helps alleviate the symptoms for people who have it.
Dr. Barbara Giesser is the Multiple Sclerosis Neurologist at the Pacific Brain Health Center. Dr. Giesser’s approach to the diagnosis and management of persons with MS combines state-of-the-art diagnostics and a personalized medication plan for each patient with an emphasis on integrating lifestyle and wellness strategies into the neurologic treatment plan.
For more information:
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/barbara-giesser/ | (310) 582-7640
Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD, is a neurosurgeon specializing in the surgical treatment of movement disorders, epilepsy, and psychiatric conditions. Dr. Langevin is the Director of the Restorative Neurosurgery and Deep Brain Stimulation Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica and Torrance.
He is also Director of Neuro-Spine Surgery at the Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary, where he sees patients with a wide array of spine disorders including tumors, back pain, or other trauma.
With almost thirty years of experience in memory education, Dr. Karen Miller joined PNI in August 2022 as Senior Director, Brain Wellness & Lifestyle at the Pacific Brain Health Center.
The Lifestyle Program is an innovative mix of memory training, exercise and nutrition-based curricula focused on improving short-term memory, attention, and executive skills in older adults. Karen Miller, PhD, a leading national expert in the areas of memory and cognitive training heads up the program as the Senior Director, Brain Wellness & Lifestyle.
Learn more at https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-health/lifestyle/#register
Claudia Wong is a family nurse practitioner specializing in memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. A few years ago, she trained to teach restorative yoga. After that, she went traveling, and the trip turned into a two-year journey into the contemplative arts. She did more yoga training in Bali, learned about healing with Tibetan singing bowls in India, and practiced meditation in Thailand. When she returned, she brought all those things back to use in her practice. Dementia and memory loss cause anxiety. Sufferers are often nervous about missing appointments and other events. That stress can compound their illness. A mindfulness practice like meditation or yoga can calm the aging brain and reduce the symptoms of memory loss, she finds. Listen to this episode to learn more about how Claudia’s journey to the East helps her get the most out of her practice in Western medicine.
Dr. Walavan Sivakumar is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a focus on skull base and minimally invasive and endoscopic neurosurgery.
Selected as a multiple year recipient of the SuperDoctor Rising Stars Edition, Dr. Sivakumar has a particular interest and expertise in brain tumors, skull base tumors, pituitary/parasellar tumors, and intraventricular brain tumors, and he applies the keyhole concept, utilizing advanced neuroimaging and microsurgical techniques to minimize collateral damage to the brain.
Dr. Sivakumar practices at PNI-South Bay located at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, California. In addition, he treats patients at the Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary to help relieve and cure back conditions due to spine involvement.
You can read more about Dr. Sivakumar at the link below https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/walavan-sivakumar/
Shanthi Gowrinathan, MD, is an accomplished inpatient and outpatient psychiatrist, specializing in both Women’s Psychiatry and Psycho-oncology (Cancer Psychiatry) who works collaboratively in the care of her patients.
Dr. Gowrinathan integrates her recommendations with the patient’s medical teams to ensure a whole person, interdisciplinary and cohesive treatment approach.
Gifted with the strong ability to empathetically connect with her patients quickly, Dr. Gowrinathan is proficient at diagnosing and treating psychiatric disease in the context of complex medical issues such as cancer diagnosis.
Kirsty E. Bortnik, PhD, ABPP-CN, is a clinical neuropsychologist who focuses on adult and geriatric neuropsychological assessment. She has an extensive clinical background in the neuropsychology of various neurological conditions, with specialty training in epilepsy, movement disorders, and aging and dementia.
Dr. Bortnik is board-certified in clinical neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). She has authored several publications in the areas of language functioning and epilepsy, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, and performance validity in dementia and other neurological conditions. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, and the American Psychological Association.
In this episode of the High-Tech And Neuro Disorders (HAND) podcast from undergrad students at UCLA, hosts Jacob and Hugo interview world-renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Daniel Kelly, director and one of the founders of Pacific Neuroscience Institute. They run the gamut of topics from tips and tricks of being a doctor and neurosurgeon, to brain and pituitary surgery, to the expansion of PNI into the study of psychedelic-assisted clinical trials for many kinds of mental health and behavioral disorders.
Dr. Porter is the Director of Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Neurocognitive Disorders at the Pacific Brain Health Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI) located at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. In addition, she is a Professor of Neurosciences, Department of Translational Neurosciences and Neurotherapeutics at John Wayne Cancer Institute.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Think Neuro Mini: Meet Dr. Scott Kaiser
Dr. Scott Kaiser, a board-certified family physician, and geriatrician is the Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health and provides specialty geriatric medical consultations at the Pacific Brain Health Center. Focused on the needs of older patients, he works with his colleagues to provide an integrated and holistic approach to their cognitive challenges. With this “whole person” approach, Dr. Kaiser works to connect patients and their families with a broad range of resources to support their overall health and well being.
Dr. Kaiser completed his undergraduate studies at Vassar College with a degree in Science, Technology, and Society. He received his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and went on to train within the Lawrence Family Medicine Residency, a program dedicated to community health and the care of underserved populations.
You can read more about Dr. Kaiser at the link below https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/scott-kaiser/
Evan Walgama, MD is a board-certified Otolaryngologist – Head & Neck / ENT Surgeon at the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica. His particular area of expertise is in the treatment of patients with benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck.
Dr. Walgama is a dual-fellowship trained surgeon. He completed his Sinus and Skull Base fellowship at Stanford, followed by a Head and Neck Surgical Oncology fellowship at MD Anderson. He brings together both skillsets to treat challenging cancers of the ear, nose and throat, with a priority focus on preservation of quality of life for patients and their families.
As a leader of a multidisciplinary team, Dr. Walgama addresses a wide array of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, including thyroid, oral cavity, throat, HPV-related, and sinus/skull base. He is a champion of multidisciplinary care and patient-centered decision making, seeing patients at award-winning Providence hospitals – Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, and Little Company of Mary Medical Center, Torrance, California.
At Saint John’s Cancer Institute, Dr. Walgama’s research and academic interests include cost-effectiveness, clinical outcomes research, and clinical trials in head and neck oncology.
Dr. Walgama is a member of the American Head & Neck Society, the North American Skull Base Society, and the American Academy Otolaryngology.
To learn more about Dr. Walgama please visit https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/evan-walgama/
Though cochlear implants are incredibly useful in improving patients hearing, there are still many misconceptions and myths that surround them. For example, it's a common misconception that deafness is a requirement for cochlear implant eligibility. Another myth is that the implant requires intensive and invasive surgery. Dr. Rebecca Lewis tackles a few of the most common myths and sheds light on the truth behind them.
Rebecca (Becky) Lewis, AuD, is an audiologist and the Audiology Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She also holds the position of Adjunct Professor at Mount Saint Mary University / John Tracey Deaf and Hard of Hearing program. She has provided rehabilitative services including hearing aids, hearing protection, Osseo integrated devices, auditory brainstem implant and cochlear implant (CI) services to adults and children.
For more information: 310-477-5558
The cochlear implant is an electronic device that is implanted into the inner ear (the cochlea) to restore hearing in patients for whom hearing aids are no longer effective or for those with hearing loss in just one ear.
There is strong evidence supporting improvements in cognition and dementia prevention when hearing loss is treated with appropriate intervention (hearing aids or cochlear implants).
Rebecca (Becky) Lewis, AuD, is an audiologist and the Audiology Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She also holds the position of Adjunct Professor at Mount Saint Mary University / John Tracey Deaf and Hard of Hearing program. She has provided rehabilitative services including hearing aids, hearing protection, Osseo integrated devices, auditory brainstem implant and cochlear implant (CI) services to adults and children.
For more information: 310-477-5558
“Voice box” might be the most misleading term in all of human anatomy. It makes a very complex organ sound terribly simple. In truth, the voice box is a set of paired muscles no thicker than a fingernail that do double duty. The delicate muscles produce sound, and they close on cue to protect our lungs as we swallow. ‘It’s one of the most intricate and beautiful structures in the human body,” says Dr. Omid Mehdizadeh. He’s an otolaryngologist, which means he specializes in surgeries in the sinuses, ears and neck. But it’s the voice box that lured him into his specialty where he treats voice and swallow disorders. He did his residency at New York University, where he treated a number of opera singers. They use their voice boxes the way athletes use their arms and legs, and, often, injuries result. Singing several times a week, they develop nodules, cysts and even bruises. Listen to this episode to learn how Dr. Mehdizadeh treats this remarkable structure: the simple-sounding voice box.
Dr. Amit Kochhar, MD, is double board-certified in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He is the director of the Facial Nerve Disorders Program at Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. Dr. Kochhar specializes in facial nerve disorders, complex reconstruction of the head and neck, disorders of the nose and sinuses, endoscopic nasal-sinus surgery and facial plastic surgery.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/amit-kochhar/
https://www.pacificneuro.org/facialnerve 310-477-5558
At the Pacific Brain Health Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, CA, patients consult with one of our highly-trained neuropsychology experts. Our team conducts adult and geriatric neuropsychological assessments. In addition, our specialists care for patients with neurobehavioral health symptoms related to various neurological illnesses, or age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Conditions include: Aging and dementia, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Parkinson’s disease, Other movement disorders, HIV, Traumatic brain injury, Brain tumor, and Epilepsy.
ThinkNeuro Mini: What Are Meningiomas? with Dr. Nouhzan Sehati
Dr. Sehati is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes the treatment of a wide variety of brain, spine and spinal cord disorders at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. His expertise is in surgical and nonsurgical management of degenerative, traumatic and neoplastic (tumor) diseases of the brain and spine with a focus on minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Sehati believes in clinical excellence and comprehensive care for all of his patients. His compassionate approach involves working as a partner with his patients, honoring patient individuality and dignity, understanding the patient’s needs and preferences, discussing all aspects and options of treatment available, and implementing advanced, state-of-the art techniques for optimal outcomes.
To learn more about Dr. Sehati and other PNI Doctors, please visit pacificneuro.org
When he got out of medical school Dr. Jian Guan wanted to do pediatric neurosurgery, and he found a top-flight residency at the University of Utah. While there, though, his career took a turn, thanks to the Cheyenne Frontier Days, the world’s largest outdoor rodeo. Cheyenne is a small city, and Salt Lake City is the nearest center of excellence for spine surgery, so every summer, Dr. Guan, sadly, would see a surge in back injuries from rodeo accidents. He became interested in helping patients recover with the least invasive procedures possible. Historically, surgeons have been too quick to fuse patients’ vertebra, Dr. Guan says. It’s a major operation, and it’s not always necessary. Treating so many rodeo patients, Dr. Guan learned when surgery was necessary and when it wasn’t. Eager to hone his skills, Dr. Guan completed a fellowship in complex neurosurgical spinal surgery at the renowned Lahey Clinic in Massachusetts. Listen to this podcast to learn how he treats the toughest spine cases at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
Dr. Melita Petrossian is a fellowship-trained neurologist and movement disorders specialist and is the Director of the Pacific Movement Disorders Center located at Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance. Dr. Petrossian’s clinical interests and expertise are in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, tremors including essential tremors, dystonia, gait disorders, ataxia, myoclonus, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, Meige syndrome, spasticity, tics, and Tourette’s syndrome. She also specializes in Parkinson’s-related conditions such as Dementia with Lewy Bodies, progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration, primary freezing of gait, and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Naveed Wagle, MD, has specialized training and research experience in the treatment of cancer of the central and peripheral nervous system. Dr. Wagle treats patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors as well as neurologic complications of cancer at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. As an expert resource to Pacific Neuroscience Institute and the community, Dr. Wagle brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in neuro-oncology clinical trials design and implementation.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Cervical dystonia (sometimes called neck dystonia) is the abnormal position of the muscles of the neck, causing a twisted, turned, flexed or extended neck position. Abnormal signals coming from the deep parts of the brain cause this condition and therefore it is not muscular in nature and will not resolve with muscle massage or stretching.
Join us in raising awareness to dystonia with Natalie Diaz, MD, board-certified neurologist with fellowship training in movement disorders at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
Strange though it may seem, we can tone our brain tissue the same way we tone our muscles. The fitness of our gray matter depends on how well we take care of ourselves. If we exercise, manage our stress, get plenty of sleep, and eat right, our brain function improves. We add more, better brain tissue. Dr. Jennifer Bramen and Dr. Karen Miller work as a team at the Pacific Brain Health Center to help people keep their brains fit, especially as we age. Dr. Bramen is a neuroscientist who specializes in brain imaging. Dr. Karen Miller is a geropsychologist and clinical neuropsychologist with three decades of experience dealing with aging brains. They work together to develop brain health lifestyle programs that combine physical exercise and brain training to stave of neurological decline in older adults and help people with healthy brains keep them that way. Listen to this podcast to learn how they combine their specialties to get results.
Dr. Omid B. Mehdizadeh, MD, is an Otolaryngology, and Head & Neck (ENT) surgeon. Working with colleagues in the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, his particular expertise is in voice, swallowing and throat conditions (laryngology).
Visit Dr. Mehdizadeh's profile: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/omid-mehdizadeh/
PacificNeuro.org
310-582-7450
Dr. Barkhoudarian is the Co-Director Pituitary Disorders Center, Neurosurgery; Director, Adult Hydrocephalus Center; Director, Facial Pain Center; Chief, Radiosurgery Program; Director, Saint Johns Cancer Institute / PNI Microdissection Anatomy Laboratory. He is a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a focus on skull base and minimally invasive endoscopic surgery. Dr. Barkhoudarian has particular interest and expertise in pituitary and parasellar tumors, brain tumors, skull-base tumors (including meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas, chordomas and schwannomas), intra-ventricular brain tumors, colloid cysts, trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm, and other vascular compression syndromes.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/garni-barkhoudarian/ | (310) 582-7640
The network of vessels that transport blood to your brain looks like two trees. The trunks are the carotid arteries, which run up through the neck and branch into the brain, getting smaller and smaller as they ascend. Sometimes, those branches develop a dangerous malformation called an aneurysm. It happens when the artery wall weakens and begins to bulge. An aneurysm often looks like a berry hanging from a branch. About one in 50 Americans will develop an aneurysm in their lifetime. The lucky ones will never know it. But in some patients, the aneurysm bursts like a balloon, and blood pours into the brain, damaging tissue, in an event commonly called a hemorrhagic stroke. Neurosurgeon Dr. Adi Iyer, knows his way around the branching arteries that feed our brains. He treats a variety of diseases there. When a hemorrhagic stroke patient comes into the hospital, he treats the ruptured artery as fast as he can because time lost is brain lost. Listen to this episode to learn how Dr. Iyer does it, and how he he can treat aneurysms before they burst.
Evan Walgama, MD is a board-certified Otolaryngologist – Head & Neck / ENT Surgeon at the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica. His particular area of expertise is in the treatment of patients with benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck.
Dr. Walgama is a dual-fellowship trained surgeon. He completed his Sinus and Skull Base fellowship at Stanford, followed by a Head and Neck Surgical Oncology fellowship at MD Anderson. He brings together both skillsets to treat challenging cancers of the ear, nose and throat, with a priority focus on preservation of quality of life for patients and their families.
As a leader of a multidisciplinary team, Dr. Walgama addresses a wide array of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, including thyroid, oral cavity, throat, HPV-related, and sinus/skull base. He is a champion of multidisciplinary care and patient-centered decision making, seeing patients at award-winning Providence hospitals – Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, and Little Company of Mary Medical Center, Torrance, California.
At Saint John’s Cancer Institute, Dr. Walgama’s research and academic interests include cost-effectiveness, clinical outcomes research, and clinical trials in head and neck oncology.
Dr. Walgama is a member of the American Head & Neck Society, the North American Skull Base Society, and the American Academy Otolaryngology.
Karina Sergi is a licensed therapist, trained the old-fashioned way, but she is exploring a new tool that has been proven to help people who are struggling with persistent depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder: magic mushrooms. PNI is studying psilocybin, the active ingredient in mushrooms, as a treatment for alcohol use disorder, and Karina is a facilitator for the trial. She meets with patients before their psilocybin journeys, sits with them during the experience, then meets with them afterward to integrate the event into their daily lives. PNI founder Dr. Dan Kelly has said that psilocybin might be the most important compound for brain health that’s currently under study, and Karina agrees. She points out that magic mushrooms have been used by indigenous populations in Mexico for centuries, and she feels fortunate that the modern world has rediscovered them. Listen to this podcast to learn what a classically-trained therapist thinks about what has become a cutting-edge compound.
Dr. Natalie Diaz is a board-certified neurologist with fellowship training in movement disorders. Her clinical practice focuses on the evaluation and management of patients with Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonian disorders, Huntington’s disease and other choreiform disorders, dystonia, and ataxia.
She also has specialized training in the evaluation and programming of deep brain stimulation as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and dystonia as well as the therapeutic administration of botulinum toxin injections for non-cosmetic indications such as focal dystonia, hemifacial spasm and limb spasticity. Her research focuses on industry-sponsored clinical trials in Parkinson’s disease and other collaborative clinical projects in the field of neurodegenerative disorders.
Dr. Abbas Anwar, a native of Southern California, is a board certified otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeon, at the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. He specializes in all aspects of general and pediatric ENT and has special interests in sinonasal diseases and infections, head and neck surgery, otologic disorders, and throat complaints. He is well trained in the latest leading-edge innovations in otolaryngology including balloon sinuplasty, CT guided sinus surgery, and microlaryngeal laser surgery.
Dr. Courtney Voelker explains about acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor that affects the nerve for hearing and balance. Find out about signs and symptoms, and the three treatment options that are available.
Dr. Evan Walgama is a Head & Neck Oncology Surgeon, which means that he specializes in treating any cancer affecting areas from the collar bone to the base of the brain. While in the past, head and neck cancer surgeons tended to see older patients in poorer health who were often smokers coming in for treatment, the demographics have shifted. Dr. Walgama’s practice is following this national trend, where younger, healthier, non-smokers, and often male patients are filling his waiting room.
The culprit is HPV – human papillomavirus. Patients may develop tumors in the mouth, tongue, throat, or skull base for other reasons as well. Surgery is sometimes a good option, and in other cases, chemotherapy and radiation might be considered better. Shared decision making with his patients is something Dr. Walgama advocates for. “I'm a surgeon, but not everybody needs surgery,” Dr. Walgama says. Listen to this podcast to learn how Dr. Walgama deals with tricky tumors in a delicate region of the body
Jason W. Tarpley, MD, Ph.D. is a board-certified neurologist with fellowship training in vascular and interventional neurology. He specializes in the clinical care of patients with neurovascular disorders and has a specific interest in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, cerebral aneurysms, and carotid artery stenosis.
He is an investigator in many phase 2 and phase 3 clinical studies examining the safety and effectiveness of innovative therapies in stroke patients. He has published many papers and presented his research at domestic and international conferences. Dr. Tarpley serves as the Stroke Medical Director for Pacific Stroke and Neurovascular Center. He is also the clinical lead for Providence’s system-wide Clinical Stroke Research.
To learn more visit https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/jason-tarpley/ or call (310) 582-7640
Dr. Jian Guan is a fellowship trained neurosurgeon with a special focus on complex spine surgery at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Dedicated to the care of patients with spine and neck conditions, he practices at PNI-South Bay / Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary in Torrance, California. With over 75 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Guan has a particular clinical and research interest in ways of maximizing benefit to patients following neurosurgical procedures.
Born in Beijing, China, Dr. Guan spent the majority of his childhood in southeast Michigan. He obtained his undergraduate education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and went on to receive his medical degree at Columbia University in New York City. His residency was completed at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, during which time he finished a fellowship in complex neurosurgical spine at the Lahey Clinic in Massachusetts. National award highlights include the Julius Goodman Resident Award presented by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Charles Kuntz Scholar Award presented by the Joint Neurosurgical Spine Section.
Jose Carrillo, MD, is a board-certified neurologist and neuro-oncologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of primary and secondary brain tumors, including glioblastoma multiforme, primary CNS lymphoma, meningioma, and brain metastases, as well as the neurologic complications of cancer. In addition, Dr. Carrillo is involved in the enrollment of patients into several clinical trials.
Dedicated to advancing medicine, Dr. Carrillo is a strong proponent of leading-edge research in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of all types of CNS tumors, including metastatic brain and spine tumors, primary malignant brain and spinal cord tumors, primary benign or low‐grade brain or spine tumors, and skull base and pituitary tumors. His particular research interests involve neuroimaging brain tumor features and molecular markers pertaining to treatment and survival.
Dr. Carrillo is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center and has been recognized by Coast magazine as a Physician of Excellence, and by L.A. Magazine as a Southern California Super Doctor.
To learn about Dr. Carrillo and other PNI doctors visit pacificneuro.org
Meet Dr. Christopher M. Putman, a board-certified interventional neuroradiologist with over 20 years of experience. He treats a variety of complex intracranial, head and neck, and spine vascular conditions including acute stroke, cervical and intracranial stenosis, vascular malformations, cerebral aneurysm, and venous occlusive diseases.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/stroke-neurovascular/our-center/
Eight years ago, at age 23, Tatiana Sarkisian was waiting to meet with a professor in her architecture program at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. She remembers her right hand moving across her body on its own, then her body slumping down onto the floor. The next thing she remembers is waking up in an ambulance. She’d had a seizure. Soon after, Tatiana learned that she had brain cancer. More specifically, she had a grade III Anaplastic Astrocytoma, a tumor of the glial cells. That first seizure started her on a cancer Odyssey, with four surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, treatments that have extended her life. The rollercoaster of emotions left her feeling isolated and alone. She sought out deeper support and community and she's learned that she wants to tell her story to help others who are specifically dealing with brain cancer. She has found her voice. Listen to this episode to learn how Tatiana is living with her disease and helping others live with theirs.
Rebecca (Becky) Lewis, AuD, is an audiologist and the Audiology Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She also holds the position of Adjunct Professor at Mount Saint Mary University / John Tracey Deaf and Hard of Hearing program. She has provided rehabilitative services, including hearing aids, hearing protection, Osseo integrates devices, auditory brainstem implant, and cochlear implant (CI) services to adults and children.
She serves on the California Newborn Hearing Screening Learning Committee to improve outcomes for children with hearing loss across the state. She is also a State Champion for the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, aiming to improve access to CIs nationwide. She is dedicated to serving the community using a whole patient approach with evidence-based and compassionate care.
Before joining PNI, Dr. Lewis held a range of positions at the USC Caruso Family Center for Childhood Communication, UCLA Medical Center, The Learning Center School for the Deaf, and the world-renowned House Clinic. She developed a hearing wellness program for the USC Thornton School of Music and has published in the field of cochlear implantation.
Dr. Lewis received her Doctorate in Audiology from Vanderbilt University. She completed externships at the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration and at the Care Center at the House Ear Institute.
To learn more about Dr. Lewis and other PNI Doctors please visit: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/
Courtney Voelker, MD, PhD (DPhil Oxon), is a Rhodes Scholar and board certified neurotologist. She is Director of Otology/Neurotology-Lateral Skull Base Surgery; and Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She is an otolaryngology – head & neck surgeon who takes care of adult and pediatric patients seeing a wide range of inner ear and skull base conditions. A Super Doctor Rising Star award recipient, she is committed to offering top quality, compassionate care to all her patients.
Prior to joining PNI, Dr. Voelker was at USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC as Division Chief of Otology, Neurotology and Lateral Skull Base Surgery, and the Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). She has conducted leading-edge research on the physiology and diseases of the inner ear at Brown University, the University of Oxford, Washington University in St. Louis, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Voelker has authored numerous research publications and textbook chapters in her field. She is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the American Neurotologic Society.
Dr. Voelker graduated with Honors from Brown University and earned her medical degree from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. As a Rhodes Scholar she earned her PhD from the University of Oxford in developmental neurobiology. She completed her residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the Washington University (Barnes-Jewish Hospital) in St. Louis and her fellowship at the world-renowned House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles.
Learn more about Dr. Voelker and other PNI Doctors https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/courtney-voelker/
We provide comprehensive care for patients with all types of brain tumors including benign and malignant brain tumors, skull base tumors, and metastatic brain tumors that arise from cancers elsewhere in the body.
Contact us: Pacific Brain Tumor Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica, CA 310-582-7450 | pacificbraintumor.org | pacificneuro.org
The network of vessels that transport blood to your brain looks like two trees. The trunks are the carotid arteries, which run up through the neck and branch into the brain, getting smaller and smaller as they ascend. Sometimes, those branches develop a dangerous malformation called an aneurysm. It happens when the artery wall weakens and begins to bulge. An aneurysm often looks like a berry hanging from a branch. About one in 50 Americans will develop an aneurysm in their lifetime. The lucky ones will never know it. But in some patients, the aneurysm bursts like a balloon, and blood pours into the brain, damaging tissue, in an event commonly called a hemorrhagic stroke. Neurosurgeon Dr. Adi Iyer, knows his way around the branching arteries that feed our brains. He treats a variety of diseases there. When a hemorrhagic stroke patient comes into the hospital, he treats the ruptured artery as fast as he can because time lost is brain lost. Listen to this episode to learn how Dr. Iyer does it, and how he can treat aneurysms before they burst.
Dr. Sehati, is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes the treatment of a wide variety of brain, spine and spinal cord disorders at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. His expertise is in surgical and nonsurgical management of degenerative, traumatic and neoplastic (tumor) diseases of the brain and spine with a focus on minimally invasive techniques. His practice is based primarily at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.
Dr. Sehati believes in clinical excellence and comprehensive care for all of his patients. His compassionate approach involves working as a partner with his patients, honoring patient individuality and dignity, understanding the patient’s needs and preferences, discussing all aspects and options of treatment available, and implementing advanced, state-of-the art techniques for optimal outcomes.
Benjamin Pulli, MD, is a fellowship trained interventional neuroradiologist with a focus on vascular disorders of the brain, head/neck, and spine. He employs state-of-the-art minimally invasive endovascular and percutaneous surgical techniques to treat patients with intracranial aneurysms, acute stroke, brain arteriovenous malformations, dural arteriovenous fistulas, tumors, and chronic back pain.
Having grown up in Austria, Dr. Pulli moved to the US after completing medical school in Innsbruck, Austria. He completed post-doctoral research training in Neuroradiology and Molecular Imaging at Harvard Medical School, followed by a Radiology residency and Neuroradiology fellowship training at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He then completed a second fellowship in Interventional Neuroradiology/Endovascular Neurosurgery at Stanford University.
Dr. Pulli has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and received prestigious scientific grants from institutions such as the Radiological Society of North America and Ernst Schering Foundation.
To learn more about Dr. Pulli and other PNI Doctors please visit https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/
Our multidisciplinary team is here to help you and your loved ones understand your condition and determine an optimal treatment plan. Because of our expertise, we treat many patients with the most challenging of pituitary and skull base tumors, including many with prior treatments (recurrent or residual tumors) and patients who have been deemed “non-operative”.
Pacificpituitary.org 310-582-7450
Sharmyn McGraw knows as much about pituitary disease as some doctors. She learned about it after struggling for years with a medical mystery that began in 1993. First, she began to feel anxious. Then, she began to gain weight, and she developed a rash. Much of her hair fell out. Her eyes began to yellow and her face puffed up. Different doctors gave her different explanations. They told her she was allergic to caffeine. That she was just retaining water. That she was beginning menopause. In the end, none of those things turned out to be true. She finally figured out that she had Cushing’s Disease, which is caused by excess production of the hormone cortisol, which, in her case, was caused by a tumor on her pituitary gland. Listen to this episode to find out how Sharmyn got to the bottom of her medical mystery with the help of Dr. Dan Kelly, and how she uses years of knowledge to help others suffering from pituitary diseases through the support group she founded at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
Dr. Walavan Sivakumar is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a focus on skull base and minimally invasive and endoscopic neurosurgery. Selected as a multiple-year recipient of the SuperDoctor Rising Stars Edition, Dr. Sivakumar has a particular interest and expertise in brain tumors, skull base tumors, pituitary/ parasellar tumors, and intraventricular brain tumors, and he applies the keyhole concept, utilizing advanced neuroimaging and microsurgical techniques to minimize collateral damage to the brain. He practices at PNI-South Bay located at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, California. In addition, he treats patients at the Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary to help relieve and cure back conditions due to spine involvement.
Visit Dr. Sivakumar's profile: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/walavan-sivakumar/
Samuel Hou, MD, Ph.D., is a neuro-interventional surgeon (interventional neuroradiologist) at the Pacific Stroke and Neurovascular Center, serving the Providence Health System in Southern California. Dr. Hou’s surgical techniques specialize in the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke, brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and arteriovenous fistulas of the brain and spine. He is board certified by the American Board of Radiology with a specific sub-specialization in diagnostic neuroradiology.
As both a clinician and scientist devoted to the well-being of his patients, Dr. Hou’s interests are focused on how to advance and optimize patient care and management in the treatment of complex neurovascular diseases through techniques that are minimally invasive.
For more information: pacificstroke.org | 818-847-6049
Employing state-of-the-art, minimally invasive techniques, Daniel Kelly, MD, Neurosurgeon, Director and Co-Founder at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, describes how the pandemic has accelerated brain tumor treatment, streamlined care, and reduced hospital and ICU stays for all brain tumor types at PNI.
Meet Dr. Christopher M. Putman, a board-certified interventional neuroradiologist with over 20 years of experience. He treats a variety of complex intracranial, head and neck, and spine vascular conditions including acute stroke, cervical and intracranial stenosis, vascular malformations, cerebral aneurysm and venous occlusive diseases.
To learn more about Dr. Putman and his expertise, visit: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/christopher-putman/
When you’re a doctor treating Parkinson’s disease, it’s a matter of picking the most appropriate arrow from your quiver. There is no cure for the disease yet, but there are more than 20 different medications that can improve a patient’s wellbeing. Dr. Natalie Diaz, a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders, is familiar with all of them. Some 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s every year, and more than 10 million people worldwide are living with the disease. The risk of Parkinson’s increases with age, and that’s one of the factors Dr. Diaz considers when recommending treatment. Among the others are symptoms and side effects. In some cases, she may recommend a surgical treatment called deep brain stimulation. Her goal is to keep Parkinson’s and its symptoms at bay for as long as possible, and with so many options, patients can live quite well achieving good quality of life. Listen to this podcast to hear Dr. Diaz talk about how she helps them do it.
Dr. William Buxton is Director, Neuromuscular & Neurodiagnostic Medicine, and Fall Prevention, Brain Health Center; Adult Neurology. He is a board-certified in Adult Neurology with Subspecialty Certification in Clinical Neurophysiology through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with additional certification in Electrodiagnostic Medicine through the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine.
For more information, contact the clinic at 310-582-7641.
pacificbrianhealth.org | pacificneuro.org
Visit Dr. Buxton's profile: pacificneuro.org/buxton
Think Neuro Mini: Meer Dr David Butler
Dr. David M. Butler is board certified both by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. Affiliated with Providence Saint John's Health Center throughout his career, Dr. Butler has been providing compassionate, expert care to his patients since 1988. In 2019, he transitioned over to Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
Visit Dr. Butler's profile: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstit... For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call: 310-829-7792
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-tumor/ Dr. Akanksha Sharma is a neuro-oncologist and palliative medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Tumor Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA. To provide extra resources to brain cancer patients suffering from brain tumors such as glioblastoma and their caregivers. Dr. Akanksha Sharma is a neuro-oncologist and palliative medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Tumor Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA. To provide extra resources to brain cancer patients suffering from brain tumors such as glioblastoma and their cargivers, Dr. Sharma opened a Supportive Care Clinic in 2020. The clinic offers services to deal with symptoms, quality of life, caregiver burden and distress, and help alleviate suffering.
PacificBrainTumor.org | 310-829-8265
Judy Davidson is a retired teacher, librarian, and therapist. A few years ago, she began to feel more forgetful. Names of movies she’d just seen escaped her. She became quieter in groups, afraid that she would forget a friend’s name. She recalled her mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. Her grandmother had suffered dementia, too. Seeing a bleak future, she took action. She read a book called The End of Alzheimer's by Dr. Dale Bredesen, which recommends a routine of diet, exercise, and sleep to keep the brain healthy as we age. That, in turn, led her to Molly Rapozo, a dietician and brain health coach at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She helped her put Bredesen’s prescriptions into practice. Now, under Rapozo’s care, she exercises regularly, eats fewer carbohydrates, and prioritizes sleep. The results thrill her. A computer-based program shows that her brain function has improved by 22 percent. She can recall names of friends—and movies—more quickly. Best of all, she feels like she has a future. Listen to this episode of Think Neuro to hear Judy Davidson and Molly Rapozo talk about strategies for beating the odds on Alzheimer's.
Read Judy's story here:
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/blog/alzheimers-disease/a-caregivers-story-the-fight-against-alzheimers/
Dr. Chester Griffiths, MD, FACS, is board certified in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He has extensive 25 years of experience in endoscopic endonasal sinus surgery for skull base tumors and pituitary tumors, sinonasal cancers including mucosal melanomas, and in the treatment of facial and nasal trauma, cosmetic deformities, sinus infections, and disorders of smell and taste. His practice also includes treatment of sleep apnea, snoring, difficulty breathing, disorders of the larynx, thyroid tumors and other head and neck cancers with an emphasis on viral HPV related cancers.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/pituitary-disorders/people/chester-griffiths/
David A. Merrill, MD, PhD, is an adult and geriatric psychiatrist with double-board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is director of the Pacific Brain Health Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Merrill has worked for several decades with patients suffering the behavioral health sequelae of age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disorder. His more recent clinical and research work have expanded to include patients with a history of head trauma, tumor, and stroke.
Visit Dr. Merrill's profile: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/david-merrill/
Your brain is an energy hog. It accounts for just one percent of your body weight, but it consumes about 20 percent of your total energy. The blood carries oxygen and 20 percent of blood flow goes to the brain, because all that work requires oxygen. Large arteries are constantly rushing blood to your brain, where it filters into smaller and smaller vessels. All that pressure can cause problems. If one of those tiny vessels is weak, it can bulge like a balloon. Dr. Walavan Sivakumar, a neurosurgeon, takes a special interest in these balloon-like malformations, called aneurysms, because when they burst, they fill the brain with blood, and can be fatal in about half of all cases —unless they get immediate care from a neurovascular surgeon like him. Studies suggest that at least 3 percent of people are walking around with a vascular malformation like an aneurysm. Most are not a problem and are found incidentally because of other reasons. We can protect ourselves by controlling our blood pressure and avoiding smoking, which weakens artery walls. Listen to this episode to hear more about how to care for the intricate system that supplies blood to your energy-hungry brain and what to do if something goes wrong.
Dr. Heinzerling is the Director, Pacific Treatment & Research In Psychedelics Program; Internal Medicine – Addiction Medicine, Brain Health Center. He practices internal medicine and is an addiction medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Health Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. His research and clinical focuses are on the discovery, development, and dissemination of anti-addiction medications. He is the director of the Pacific Treatment & Research In Psychedelics (TRIP) Program.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 310-582-7612. Clinic location: 2125 Arizona Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404 https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/keith-heinzerling/
Dr. Daniel Kelly, a board certified neurosurgeon, is Director of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute and Professor of Neurosurgery at the John Wayne Cancer Institute. Considered to be one of the best neurosurgeons in the US and multiple recipients of the Patients' Choice Award, Dr. Kelly is internationally recognized in the field of minimally invasive keyhole surgery for brain, pituitary, and skull base tumors. He has one of the world's largest series in endonasal surgery with over 2000 procedures performed including over 800 endonasal endoscopic surgeries, and over 2000 craniotomies for brain and skull base tumors. His current surgical practice encompasses the full spectrum of brain and skull base tumors, both benign and malignant, treated with minimally invasive and conventional approaches.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | pacificbraintumor.org | (310) 829-8265
Neurosurgeon Dr. Daniel Kelly had lots of interests in college, ranging from neuroscience to marine biology. He jokes that he went to medical school to delay making a decision. But, once there, his future became clear. Learn how he found his way down a rigorous path and became one of the top brain surgeons in the world -- founding Pacific Neuroscience Institute and staying humble all the way.
When people think about multiple sclerosis, they don’t often think about the eye, but vision problems are often the first signs of MS. The disease is caused by an aberrant immune response that attacks the central nervous system, which includes the brain, the spinal cord, and the optic nerve. And the optic nerve is where MS often reveals itself. Dr. Barbara Giesser specializes in the treatment of MS patients. She turns to her colleague, neuro-ophthalmologist Dr. Howard Krauss, for confirmation of early suspected MS diagnosis.
Using a powerful imaging technology called optical coherence tomography, Krauss can see changes in the optic nerve long before an MRI scan would pick up evidence of MS in nerves elsewhere in the body. Monitoring the optic nerve after a diagnosis gives valuable clues as to whether MS treatments are working. Listen to this discussion to learn more about how this unlikely partnership is changing lives, and how, when it comes to MS, the eye truly is a window onto the body.
For more information please visit our website: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/
Evan Walgama, MD is a board-certified Otolaryngologist – Head & Neck / ENT Surgeon at the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica. His particular area of expertise is in the treatment of patients with benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck.
Dr. Walgama is a dual-fellowship trained surgeon. He completed his Sinus and Skull Base fellowship at Stanford, followed by a Head and Neck Surgical Oncology fellowship at MD Anderson. He brings together both skillsets to treat challenging cancers of the ear, nose and throat, with a priority focus on preservation of quality of life for patients and their families.
As a leader of a multidisciplinary team, Dr. Walgama addresses a wide array of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, including thyroid, oral cavity, throat, HPV-related, and sinus/skull base. He is a champion of multidisciplinary care and patient-centered decision making, seeing patients at award-winning Providence hospitals – Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, and Little Company of Mary Medical Center, Torrance, California.
At Saint John’s Cancer Institute, Dr. Walgama’s research and academic interests include cost-effectiveness, clinical outcomes research, and clinical trials in head and neck oncology.
Dr. Walgama is a member of the American Head & Neck Society, the North American Skull Base Society, and the American Academy Otolaryngology.
To learn more about Dr. Walgama please visit https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/evan-walgama/
Meet Dr. Christopher M. Putman, a board-certified interventional neuroradiologist with over 20 years of experience. He treats a variety of complex intracranial, head and neck, and spine vascular conditions including acute stroke, cervical and intracranial stenosis, vascular malformations, cerebral aneurysm and venous occlusive diseases.
To learn more about Dr. Putman and his expertise, visit: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/christopher-putman/
Barbara S. Giesser, MD, FAAN, FANA, is an internationally recognized clinician and award-winning educator who has specialized in the care of persons with Multiple Sclerosis since 1982. Her approach to the diagnosis and management of persons with MS combines advanced diagnostics and a personalized medication plan for each patient with an emphasis on integrating lifestyle and wellness strategies into the neurologic treatment plan.
Learn about disease modifying therapies for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis in this PNI Minute.
For more information: 310-582-7613 | pacificbrainhealth.org
There are few cancers more challenging than glioblastomas. While there is currently no cure for these brain tumors, patients and their caregivers can take steps to maximize their quality of life once they learn their diagnosis. Dr. Akanksha Sharma and TV meteorologist and author Maria Quiban Whitesell both know a lot about doing just that. Dr. Sharma is a neuro-oncologist at PNI, where she treats patients with brain cancer. She says that what makes glioblastomas so difficult is that they spread throughout glial cells in the brain like flakes of pepper in a pile of salt.
Glial cells support and protect neurons in the brain, and surgery can only remove so many of the malignant ones. As a palliative medicine specialist, her aim is to open and hold space for patients to have meaningful conversations and honest dialog with their nearest and dearest, for them to savor and create new cherished memories, and to make the most of their time. Maria lost her husband to glioblastoma and wrote a book about her loss called You Can’t Do It Alone: A Widow’s Journey Through Loss, Grief and Life After. This conversation shows how caregivers can muster the strength to do some of the hardest work there is and keep going—for their patients and their families—in the face of one of life’s most difficult challenges.
For more information please visit https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/sharma/
Dr. Amit Kochhar, MD, is double board-certified in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He is the director of the Facial Nerve Disorders Program at Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. Dr. Kochhar specializes in facial nerve disorders, complex reconstruction of the head and neck, disorders of the nose and sinuses, endoscopic nasal-sinus surgery and facial plastic surgery.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/amit-kochhar/ https://www.pacificneuro.org/facialnerve 310-477-5558
Did you know that 40% of our brain is involved with vision? Learn about how Pacific Neuro treats visual problems relating to the brain and nervous system with Dr. Howard R. Krauss, Surgical Neuro-Ophthalmologist and Director of the Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at PNI.
For more information please visit: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/
If you’ve never had a migraine headache, you are lucky. Sufferers say the pain alone is wretched, and there are a host of other awful symptoms. A migraine can garble a person’s speech, paralyze parts of the body, cause the sensation of a room spinning, and make any motion feel like moving through molasses.
Dr. Dorothy Dada, a neurologist at Providence Saint John's Medical Center, a hospital partner of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, specializes in migraines and in helping people get relief from them. Migraines are among the top five causes of disability in women, who are more prone to migraines than men. Their cause remains a mystery. Evidence points to heredity, but not every migraine sufferer appears to have a genetic history.
Fortunately, there are treatments beyond painkillers like ibuprofen. Antidepressants that bolster the neurotransmitter Serotonin help in many cases. Listen to this episode of Think Neuro to learn how experts like Dr. Dorothy Dada are tackling this debilitating—and all too common—ailment.
pacificneuro.org 310-582-7641
Facial paralysis is devastating to one’s identity.
Patients with facial paralysis experience physical, social, and emotional changes. Facial synkinesis refers to abnormal regrowth of facial nerve fibers, which may result in involuntary (unwanted) contraction of certain muscles during other intended facial movements.
At PNI, our specialists treat all types of facial paralysis and related conditions.
For more information please visit our website: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/
Dr. Melita Petrossian, neurologist, and director at Pacific Movement Disorders Center talks about brain neuroplasticity as it relates to Parkinson's disease. For more information or a consultation.
Visit pacificmovement.org or contact us at 310-582-7433.
Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a special interest in the surgical treatment of complex spine conditions and movement disorders. Selected as a multiple year recipient of the SuperDoctor Rising Stars Edition, he has extensive experience using advanced surgical techniques to treat his patients with compassion and care. He practices at PNI-South Bay / Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary in Torrance, California.
You can read more about Dr. Langevin at the link below: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/jean-philippe-langevin/
You're probably hearing a lot more about the "human microbiome" these days. It's the collection of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that lives alongside us, inside and out. Some of these organisms are beneficial, and some are harmful. There is growing evidence that bad actors in our digestive tract may produce toxins that travel along the vagus nerve to the brain, where they clump and cause Parkinson's disease. Listen to this PNI Minute to understand this unexpected connection between gut health and the brain.
To learn more visit pacificneuro.org 310-582-7450
When Dr. Daniel Kelly and his three colleagues founded the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in 2015, they knew it would be much more than a medical practice. It would be an institute in the true sense of the word, with a mission to heal patients, do research, and educate new doctors. Dr. Kelly and his team didn’t let up on that three-pronged mission during the pandemic. To the contrary, they doubled down, publishing 8 big papers in top-flight medical journals, all of them centered on the minimally-invasive brain surgery that PNI specializes in. One paper focused on complication avoidance analyzed the ten-year track record of PNI doctors using endoscopes to go through the nasal cavity and remove non-cancerous tumors called adenomas from the pituitary gland. It’s a tricky operation because the pituitary sits among very delicate structures, including the carotid artery and the optic nerve. The results: Out of 514 patients, only four had permanent complications, and three of those occurred before 2016. In another paper, PNI doctors described what they’d learned about how to get brain surgery patients out of the hospital more quickly to make room for COVID-19 patients. The PNI team used anesthesia with fewer side effects, cut down on narcotics, and did immediate postoperative CT scans. The result: ICU use fell to 29% from 54%, and 41.4 percent of patients went home on day one, up from 12.2 percent before the pandemic. Best of all, there was no change in complications or readmissions. Dr. Kelly quoted Winston Churchill in the paper: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” PNI made the most of the pandemic, for its patients, and for science. Learn more by listening to this episode.
pacificneuro.org 310-582-7641
Experienced neurosurgeon Dr. Neil A. Martin talks about Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM) in the brain and how they are treated.
pacificneuro.org 310-582-7450
Dr. Amit Kochhar talks about the treatment of Facial Paralysis. Facial paralysis is devastating to one’s identity.
Patients with facial paralysis experience physical, social, and emotional changes. At PNI, our specialists treat all types of facial paralysis and related conditions. Every face is unique and our team takes a compassionate, patient-centric approach to designing a unique facial paralysis treatment for each individual.
What is Bell's Palsy? Dr. Amit Kochhar talks about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Bell's Palsy.
Bell’s palsy is a paralysis or weakness of the muscles on one side of the face. The facial nerves control muscle activity so when damaged it can cause the face to droop.
Fortunately, for the majority of patients, normal to near-normal facial nerve function can be restored within 1-2 months with medications alone, especially in those who can still partly move their facial muscles.
Bell’s palsy-related facial paralysis is sudden, often occurring overnight. The diagnosis of Bell’s palsy is typically made after a thorough evaluation of the entire body that may include a laboratory workup and possibly neuroimaging (MRI). As Bell’s palsy is a diagnosis of exclusion, other causes of facial weakness such as stroke, brain tumor, trauma, etc., should be ruled out. When treated within 72 hours of onset, symptoms usually improve within a few weeks.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/eye-ent/facial-nerve-disorders/facial-paralysis-conditions/bells-palsy/ https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/eye-ent/people/amit-kochhar/
The Covid-19 virus is a shape-shifter. Two years into the pandemic, we’re still learning about the damage it can cause. One thing for sure: It causes more strokes, says Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian, a neurosurgeon at PNI. The virus invades the blood vessels and pushes certain cells into a “hypercoagulable state,” meaning that they gum up our arteries. Patients that are already prone to strokes are at the greatest risk, Dr. Barkhoudarian says. They may recover from Covid but have a devastating stroke in the meantime, risking grave injury or death. Less clear about Covid is the damage it appears to do to the brain. Covid survivors have arrived at PNI with headaches and “brain fog,” and their MRI scans show strange abnormalities, Dr. Barkhoudarian says. It’s unclear if those changes are lasting. One easy step to take: Get a vaccine. They are very safe and more effective than seasonal flu shots. “It's amazing that we have these vaccines,” Dr. Barkhoudarian says. He compares their development to landing on the moon, developing the Internet, and mapping the human genome. Listen to this episode to find out more about Covid and the brain, and why Dr. Barkhoudarian has such confidence in vaccines.
Dr. Martin’s neurosurgical practice at PNI focuses on patients with facial pain syndromes such as trigeminal neuralgia, skull base tumors, aneurysms, and arteriovenous malformations.
At PNI Foundation, he serves as Director of Innovation and Quality and focuses his efforts on programmatic development, particularly in the Pacific Facial Pain, Brain Tumor, Brain Health, and Stroke & Neurovascular Centers. He is a neurosurgical fellowship training mentor. Dr. Martin aids with the recruitment of new PNI faculty and assists in PNI Foundation fundraising efforts.
You can read more about Dr. Martin at the link below: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/neil-martin/
Howard R. Krauss, MD, is a co-founder of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
He is an ophthalmologist and a surgical neuro-ophthalmologist at the Pacific Eye, Ear, and Skull Base Center at PNI. He fiercely pursues the best treatments and outcomes for his patients. Dr. Krauss and his PNI colleagues have been innovators; developing, practicing, and teaching dramatic new surgeries, including eye- and vision-preserving techniques for the treatment of orbital cancer.
They have pioneered Transnasal Image-Guided Endoscopic Orbital Tumor Surgery for safer, less invasive, and more effective management of orbital apex tumors and Transorbital Craniotomy for brain tumors. Dr. Krauss is a recognized expert in his field, has published numerous papers, book chapters, and served as a reviewer for numerous peer-reviewed journals.
He is a founding member of the Board of the North American Skull Base Society. Governor Brown appointed him to the Medical Board of California, and he serves as a Mentor Examiner of the American Board of Ophthalmology.
To read more about Dr. Krauss please visit the link below: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/howard-krauss
pacificneuro.org 310-582-7450
Essential tremor is the most common movement disorder in humans, and its causes are among the most mysterious. It’s a neurological condition that causes involuntary shaking. It can begin in one’s 20s or 30s, or much later in life. Dr. Natalie Diaz treats essential tremors. Its origins may be unknown, but there are treatments. The first step is to talk to your doctor to rule out other forms of tremor because there are many.
pacificneuro.org 310-582-7450
“I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.” That line is the source of countless jokes on late night television, but in real life, it’s anything but funny. One in three people over 65 fall each year. Those falls often lead to broken hips, and a quarter of elderly people who suffer a hip fracture die within a year, says Dr. William Buxton, a neurologist at PNI who specializes in preventing falls in people who are prone to them. There are many causes. Sedating medications have been linked to falls. Damage to nerves in the legs and feet from diabetes or excessive alcohol use can impair balance. A weak cardiovascular system can cause dizziness when standing up, too. There are so many causes, but there is one very good solution: exercise. Simple movement classes are great, says Dr. Buxton, and so is targeted physical therapy. Working with his colleague Dr. Verna Porter, Dr. Buxton has designed programs that have helped reduce falls among people with dementia, for whom fall prevention was considered impractical. Listen to this episode to learn why falls are no laughing matter, and how to prevent them.
pacificneuro.org 310-582-7641
Dr. Omid B. Mehdizadeh, MD, is an Otolaryngology, and Head & Neck (ENT) surgeon. Working with colleagues in the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, his particular expertise is in voice, swallowing and throat conditions (laryngology).
Visit Dr. Mehdizadeh's profile https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/omid-mehdizadeh/
pacificneuro.org 310-582-7450
Dr. Jason Tarpley, MD, Ph.D. is the Director of the Stroke Center at Providence Saint John's Health Center and directs the Pacific Stroke and Neurovascular Center.
His focus is treating patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and intracranial vascular lesions such as aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations. He is also trained in neuroendovascular therapy to treat these patients.
You can read more about Dr. Kaiser at the link below https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/jason-tarpley/
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus is one of a few reversible causes of dementia. Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian, director of the Pacific Adult Hydrocephalus Center, briefly describes the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this condition.
pacifichydrocephalus.org 310-582-7450
Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that arises when white blood cells make their way into the central nervous system and attack the fatty covering that protects neurons, which disrupts their ability to effectively conduct electrical and chemical signals. Many people with MS report that their symptoms get temporarily worse in the heat. This is because neurons, especially damaged ones, conduct electricity less efficiently at higher temperatures. Decades ago, before the advent of magnetic resonance imaging, doctors would diagnose multiple sclerosis by putting patients in a hot bath. If their neurologic symptoms worsened, it was taken as evidence that they had MS. Dr. Barbara Giesser has been caring for people with MS since 1982, and she’s seen the field evolve. The disease isn’t curable, but thanks to new medications and new knowledge about lifestyle, it’s much easier to live with MS than ever. Listen to this episode of the Think Neuro podcast to hear one of the most experienced MS doctors in the world describe the mechanics of the disease and what patients can do to minimize its effects.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Walavan Sivakumar is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a focus on skull base and minimally invasive and endoscopic neurosurgery.
Selected as a multiple year recipient of the SuperDoctor Rising Stars Edition, Dr. Sivakumar has a particular interest and expertise in brain tumors, skull base tumors, pituitary/parasellar tumors, and intraventricular brain tumors, and he applies the keyhole concept, utilizing advanced neuroimaging and microsurgical techniques to minimize collateral damage to the brain.
Dr. Sivakumar practices at PNI-South Bay located at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, California. In addition, he treats patients at the Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary to help relieve and cure back conditions due to spine involvement.
You can read more about Dr. Sivakumar at the link below https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/walavan-sivakumar/
Dr. Scott Kaiser, a board-certified family physician, and geriatrician is the Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health and provides specialty geriatric medical consultations at the Pacific Brain Health Center. Focused on the needs of older patients, he works with his colleagues to provide an integrated and holistic approach to their cognitive challenges. With this “whole person” approach, Dr. Kaiser works to connect patients and their families with a broad range of resources to support their overall health and well being.
Dr. Kaiser completed his undergraduate studies at Vassar College with a degree in Science, Technology, and Society. He received his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and went on to train within the Lawrence Family Medicine Residency, a program dedicated to community health and the care of underserved populations.
You can read more about Dr. Kaiser at the link below https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/scott-kaiser/
Intracranial meningiomas are the most common benign brain tumor that develop or arise from any meningeal surface of the brain, and are typically attached to the dura (outer layer of the meninges) but can also occur in the cerebral ventricles.
Listen to Dr. Daniel Kelly, MD, PNI founder & director, and neurosurgeon, talk about intracranial meningioma symptoms, treatment and minimally invasive keyhole brain surgery.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-tumor/conditions/meningioma/. https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-tumor/treatment/minimally-invasive-brain-surgery/ https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/brain-tumor/people/daniel-kelly/
Pacific Brain Tumor Center Ph: 310-582-7450
Dr. Sarah McEwen has wanted to be a brain scientist since she was a kid. At an early age, she realized that exercise made her feel good. Later, she learned why: Physical activity can change the brain because of something called neuroplasticity. The brain isn’t static. It changes and adapts. And that’s one of the most amazing things about an already amazing organ. Strangely enough, doing a Zumba class may strengthen your brain more than six hours of Sudoku. Not only does exercise create new neurons, it also creates new blood vessels to feed them, and it washes away inflammatory compounds called cytokines. McEwen, a PhD in Cognitive Psychology, studies all the ways exercise contributes to brain health. She created PNI’s FitBrain group exercise program, aimed at protecting participants from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia as they age. It’s potent medicine. In one study, people who were active during midlife were 70 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s in old age than their sedentary counterparts. All of this excites Dr. McEwen, an avid exerciser herself. Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can tone your brain by toning your body.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Porter is the Director of Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Neurocognitive Disorders at the Pacific Brain Health Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI) located at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. In addition, she is a Professor of Neurosciences, Department of Translational Neurosciences and Neurotherapeutics at John Wayne Cancer Institute.
https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Jeremy E. Levenson received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology (with Highest Honors) from UCLA. Dr. Levenson graduated AOA Medical Honorary Society from the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco.
This was followed by postgraduate medical training at the Veterans Administration Hospital (UCLA affiliated hospital), United States Public Health Service in Boston (Commissioned Officer, Surgical Staff), and the Jules Stein Eye Institute.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Stella Panos, PhD, is a neuropsychologist who focuses on adult and geriatric neuropsychological assessment.
As the Director of Neuropsychology at Pacific Brain Health Center, she works with patients who present with an array of medical/neurological illnesses (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Parkinson’s disease, HIV, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, etc.) in various medical settings (acute inpatient, residential rehabilitation and outpatient).
With several years of experience, Dr. Panos helps patients suffering from the neurobehavioral health sequelae of various neurological illnesses, many of whom suffer from age-related neurodegenerative disorders.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Imagine a twitch that won’t go away. Worse yet, imagine that twitch is in your face. That’s what sufferers of hemifacial spasms experience, day in and day out. The spasms originate deep in the brain, where it connects with the spinal cord. In this crowded channel, the nerves that control facial muscles ride close by blood vessels. As those vessels age, they can sag and come into contact with one of the facial nerves. The pulsing of blood compresses the nerve, 70 times a minute, 24-hours a day, eventually wearing down the insulation on the nerve, causing it to misfire and creating uncontrollable contractions in the face. Dr. Neil Martin, a neurosurgeon, treats hemifacial spasm by creating a nickel-sized opening in the back of the skull and separating the nerve and the intruding vessel. The procedure takes about 90 minutes, and many patients get immediate relief. Listen to this episode to learn how the procedure works and how Dr. Martin uses minimally invasive techniques at PNI to treat other, related conditions.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Chipp Miller is a board-certified otolaryngologist with over 30 years of experience treating patients with the utmost quality of care.
Affiliated with Providence Saint John’s Health Center and highly esteemed in his field, Dr. Miller's care thrives on patient understanding and participation. He takes pride in spending the time to discuss diagnosis and treatment options with each individual patient. In 2019, he transitioned over to Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
The pituitary gland is called the “master gland” because it regulates all the hormones of the body. It doesn’t take much to disturb its function. A tiny tumor on the pituitary gland can cause the release of excess cortisol into the blood, which in turn causes Cushing’s disease, a far-reaching, often misdiagnosed disorder, that causes weight gain, high blood pressure, bone thinning, and even diabetes. The cure is to remove the tumor, which is no easy feat because the pituitary is located deep beneath the brain. Dr. Daniel Kelly and his team remove these cancers routinely, going through the nose and sinuses with specialized micro-cameras and instruments. Cortisol levels usually drop a day after surgery helping the patient get back to restored quality of life.
For more information: pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Chester Griffiths, MD, FACS, is board certified in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He has an extensive 25 years of experience in endoscopic endonasal sinus surgery for skull base tumors and pituitary tumors, sinonasal cancers including mucosal melanomas, and in the treatment of facial and nasal trauma, cosmetic deformities, sinus infections, and disorders of smell and taste. His practice also includes treatment of sleep apnea, snoring, difficulty breathing, disorders of the larynx, thyroid tumors, and other head and neck cancers with an emphasis on viral HPV related cancers.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Barbara S. Giesser, MD, FAAN, FANA, is an internationally recognized clinician and award-winning educator who has specialized in the care of persons with Multiple Sclerosis since 1982. Her approach to the diagnosis and management of persons with MS combines advanced diagnostics and a personalized medication plan for each patient with an emphasis on integrating lifestyle and wellness strategies into the neurologic treatment plan.
For more information: pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org | (310) 582-7640
Treating cancer involves more than treating the body. The disease takes a toll on the mind, too, no matter what organ system it affects. Cancer and treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy come with mental costs as well. Depression, anxiety, cognitive symptoms, and insomnia are common after cancer treatment. There is also a syndrome that patients call “chemo brain” and doctors call “frontal lobe dysfunction.” It’s not an official diagnosis, but patients who suffer from it say they are more irritable, they can’t tolerate loud noises or crowded spaces. Dr. Shanthi Gowrinathan has seen all of these things. She’s the Director of Psycho-Oncology at PNI, and she specializes in the mental health of cancer patients. She uses a combination of talk therapy and medication to help people recover their mental and spiritual bearings while coping with the disease. She is excited about PNI’s new Treatment & Research in Psychedelics (TRIP) program because studies have shown great potential for substances like psilocybin in treating depression. Research in the area is key to finding more options for rebooting the brain after cancer.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Melita Petrossian is a fellowship-trained neurologist and movement disorders specialist and is the Director of the Pacific Movement Disorders Center located at Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance. Dr. Petrossian’s clinical interests and expertise are in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, tremors including essential tremors, dystonia, gait disorders, ataxia, myoclonus, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, Meige syndrome, spasticity, tics, and Tourette’s syndrome.
She also specializes in Parkinson’s-related conditions such as Dementia with Lewy Bodies, progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration, primary freezing of gait, and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Naveed Wagle, MD, has specialized training and research experience in the treatment of cancer of the central and peripheral nervous system. Dr. Wagle treats patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors as well as neurologic complications of cancer at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. As an expert resource to Pacific Neuroscience Institute and the community, Dr. Wagle brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in neuro-oncology clinical trials design and implementation.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Amit Kochhar talks about the treatment of Facial Paralysis. Facial paralysis is devastating to one’s identity. Patients with facial paralysis experience physical, social, and emotional changes. At PNI, our specialists treat all types of facial paralysis and related conditions. Every face is unique and our team takes a compassionate, patient-centric approach to designing a unique treatment for each individual.
For more information: pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org | (310) 582-7640
Unfortunately, a brain cancer called glioblastoma has a very poor prognosis but there is still a lot that can be done.
Unlike other cancers that often develop as lumps with defined margins in the breast, say, glioblastomas not only present with a central mass but also send out microscopic tendrils into the brain, making them difficult to remove completely without damaging our most critical organ. There are powerful cancer drugs available but it can be challenging to get a full dose past the blood-brain barrier to attack glioblastoma.
Dr. Santosh Kesari, MD, Ph.D., is more optimistic now about treating glioblastoma than he has been at any time in his career. Neurosurgeons have better technologies allowing them to better remove what they can, and neuro-oncologists like Dr. Kesari have promising new therapies available like immunotherapies and targeted treatment protocols.
Listen to our conversation with Dr. Kesari to find out what treatments make him believe that big breakthroughs are on the horizon for treating this difficult disease.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Barbara Giesser is the Multiple Sclerosis Neurologist at the Pacific Brain Health Center. Dr. Giesser’s approach to the diagnosis and management of persons with MS combines state-of-the-art diagnostics and a personalized medication plan for each patient with an emphasis on integrating lifestyle and wellness strategies into the neurologic treatment plan.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/barbara-giesser/| (310) 582-7640
Dr. Barkhoudarian is the Co-Director Pituitary Disorders Center, Neurosurgery; Director, Adult Hydrocephalus Center; Director, Facial Pain Center; Chief, Radiosurgery Program; Director, Saint Johns Cancer Institute / PNI Microdissection Anatomy Laboratory. He is a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a focus on skull base and minimally invasive endoscopic surgery. Dr. Barkhoudarian has particular interest and expertise in pituitary and parasellar tumors, brain tumors, skull-base tumors (including meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas, chordomas and schwannomas), intra-ventricular brain tumors, colloid cysts, trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm, and other vascular compression syndromes.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/garni-barkhoudarian/ | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian, Neurosurgeon at Pacific Neuroscience Institute and Assistant Professor of Neuroscience & Neurosurgery at the John Wayne Cancer Institute, discusses his perspectives of the future of brain tumor surgery in this brief video.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
One in ten Americans who are 65 and older suffer from Alzheimer’s dementia. It’s the 6th leading cause of death in the country, and it is a scourge worldwide. But little is known about what causes Alzheimer’s, and cures have been elusive. Dr. Verna Porter specializes in treating people with Alzheimer’s, and she remains optimistic. Until we have a remedy, she advises people to eat well and get plenty of sleep. Patients with Alzheimer’s often have abnormal levels of a gummy plaque called amyloid protein crowded around the neurons of the brain. No one knows for sure what causes it to accumulate. What we know for sure is that sleep clears toxins from the brain, amyloid protein among them. Yet, so few of us get enough of it. Eating a diet that’s low in sugar, and intermittent fasting, also may clear toxins. Even when we do invent a cure for Alzheimer’s, prevention will still be the best medicine, Dr. Porter says. Listen now for more on the mysterious origins of Alzheimer’s and what you can do to live with it if it strikes you or a relative.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Natalie Diaz is a board-certified neurologist with fellowship training in movement disorders. Her clinical practice focuses on the evaluation and management of patients with Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonian disorders, Huntington’s disease, and other choreiform disorders, dystonia, and ataxia. She also has specialized training in the evaluation and programming of deep brain stimulation as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia as well as the therapeutic administration of botulinum toxin injections for non-cosmetic indications such as focal dystonia, hemifacial spasm, and limb spasticity. Her research focuses on industry-sponsored clinical trials in Parkinson’s disease and other collaborative clinical projects in the field of neurodegenerative disorders.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Abbas Anwar, a native of Southern California, is a board-certified otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeon, at the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. He specializes in all aspects of general and pediatric ENT and has special interests in sinonasal diseases and infections, head and neck surgery, otologic disorders, and throat complaints. He is well trained in the latest leading-edge innovations in otolaryngology including balloon sinuplasty, CT guided sinus surgery, and microlaryngeal laser surgery.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
There are no specific diets that have been shown to reduce the progression of PD. However, there is good reason to believe that a well-balanced, nutritious diet would be best. In those without other medical conditions, the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurogenerative Delay (MIND) diet may be of benefit in Parkinson’s as well since both are neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
Learn more | 319-582-7433 or visit PacificMovement.org
Dr. George Teitelbaum is the director of the Pacific Stroke & Neurovascular Center. He has decades of experience treating aneurysms and cerebrovascular disease using neurointerventional procedures.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Jian Guan is a fellowship trained neurosurgeon with a special focus on complex spine surgery at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Dedicated to the care of patients with spine and neck conditions, he practices at PNI-South Bay / Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary in Torrance, California. With over 75 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Guan has a particular clinical and research interest in ways of maximizing benefit to patients following neurosurgical procedures.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a special interest in the surgical treatment of complex spine conditions and movement disorders. Selected as a multiple year recipient of the SuperDoctor Rising Stars Edition, he has extensive experience using advanced surgical techniques to treat his patients with compassion and care. He practices at PNI-South Bay / Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary in Torrance, California.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Addiction and depression are two of the most widespread conditions in all of medicine. After decades of research, doctors are still looking for alternatives for when medication and cognitive training don’t work, which is all too often. Dr. Dan Kelly, one of the founders of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, thinks there is a game-changer in our midst: psilocybin. Better known as the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, psilocybin has demonstrated staggering results for people trying to kick alcoholism, relieve depression and PTSD, and master the existential dread that comes at the end of life. Addiction medicine specialist Dr. Keith Heinzerling runs PNI’s new Treatment & Research in Psychedelics program (TRIP). Starting in December 2020, consented and eligible patients will be given psilocybin for Alcohol Use Disorder in a controlled, clinical trials setting, and integrate the experience through talk therapy sessions afterward. National Geographic film-maker and psychedelic expert Louie Schwartzberg consults with TRIP at PNI, to offer patients the option of viewing his time-lapse cinematography during their treatment to augment the experience. Schwartzberg introduced many people to the new thinking about psilocybin in his acclaimed 2019 film Fantastic Fungi. Think Neuro sat down with Heinzerling and Schwartzberg to talk about the promise of psychedelic treatments and how they are likely to change the lives of people struggling with intractable addiction, depression, and PTSD.
For more information: PacificTRIP.org
Dr. Daniel F. Kelly, neurosurgeon, director, and founder at Pacific Neuroscience Institute explains the concept of keyhole surgery for the treatment of brain, skull base, and pituitary tumors.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Samuel Hou, MD, Ph.D., is a neuro-interventional surgeon (interventional neuroradiologist) at the Pacific Stroke and Neurovascular Center, serving the Providence Health System in Southern California. Dr. Hou’s surgical techniques specialize in the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke, brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and arteriovenous fistulas of the brain and spine. He is board certified from the American Board of Radiology with a specific sub-specialization in diagnostic neuroradiology.
As both a clinician and scientist devoted to the well being of his patients, Dr. Hou’s interests are focused on how to advance and optimize patient care and management in the treatment of complex neurovascular diseases through techniques that are minimally invasive.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Barbara S. Giesser, MD, FAAN, FANA, is an internationally recognized clinician and award-winning educator who has specialized in the care of persons with Multiple Sclerosis since 1982. Her approach to the diagnosis and management of persons with MS combines advanced diagnostics and a personalized medication plan for each patient with an emphasis on integrating lifestyle and wellness strategies into the neurologic treatment plan.
Learn about disease modifying therapies for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis in this PNI Minute.
For more information: (310) 582-7613 | pacificbrainhealth.org
Ever heard of a disease called Trigeminal Neuralgia? It's called the "Suicide Disease" because it causes unbearable pain in the face and temples. It's often triggered by everyday things like brushing teeth, shaving, or putting on makeup. In many cases, the culprit is an out-of-place blood vessel that rubs against the trigeminal nerve in the side of the face. Other causes include tumors, infections, inflammatory conditions, or traumatic injury. Whatever the reason, the nerve short-circuits, bringing on stabbing, searing pain. Dr. Barkhoudarian and the Pacific Facial Pain Center team offer a comprehensive approach to treatment. They try medication first and move on to surgery if the condition persists. That may mean a minimally invasive surgery, working close to the nerves by the brain. It takes a light touch, and Dr. Barkhoudarian, an expert in keyhole neurosurgery, has one. Often, the pain is gone as soon as a patient wakes from anesthesia. To a sufferer of Trigeminal Neuralgia, Dr. Barkhoudarian is a miracle worker. To him, it’s another wonder of his profession, and one that can make a huge difference in his patients’ lives.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Walavan Sivakumar is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a focus on skull base and minimally invasive and endoscopic neurosurgery. Selected as a multiple-year recipient of the SuperDoctor Rising Stars Edition, Dr. Sivakumar has a particular interest and expertise in brain tumors, skull base tumors, pituitary/parasellar tumors, and intraventricular brain tumors, and he applies the keyhole concept, utilizing advanced neuroimaging and microsurgical techniques to minimize collateral damage to the brain. He practices at PNI-South Bay located at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, California. In addition, he treats patients at the Spine Institute at Little Company of Mary to help relieve and cure back conditions due to spine involvement.
Dr. David M. Butler is board certified both by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. Affiliated with Providence Saint John's Health Center throughout his career, Dr. Butler has been providing compassionate, expert care to his patients since 1988. In 2019, he transitioned over to Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Dr. David M. Butler is board certified both by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. Affiliated with Providence Saint John's Health Center throughout his career, Dr. Butler has been providing compassionate, expert care to his patients since 1988. In 2019, he transitioned over to Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Carrillo is a board-certified neurologist and neuro-oncologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of primary and secondary brain tumors, including glioblastoma multiforme, primary CNS lymphoma, meningioma, and brain metastases, as well as the neurologic complications of cancer. In addition, Dr. Carrillo is involved in the enrollment of patients into several clinical trials.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
Dystonia is a mysterious condition that causes muscles to contract involuntarily. It can strike many parts of the body, making the head turn, the eyelids close, or the hand twist. We don’t know what causes dystonia. It can arise after head trauma or a stroke, and it often appears in conjunction with Parkinson’s disease. There is no cure, but experts like Dr. Natalie Diaz, a neurologist at PNI, can ease the symptoms with medication. A treatment you may not expect: Botox. A natural toxin, Botox prevents the release of a neurotransmitter that causes the muscles to contract. After an injection, dystonia sufferers very often find that their symptoms dissipate, and that is a welcome relief from this strange, discomforting disease.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Scott Kaiser is a rare breed, and he shouldn’t be. He’s a geriatrician. There are only 7,000 of them in the U.S., even though 10,000 Americans are turning 65 every day. Part of the reason: Gerontology typically doesn’t pay as well as other specialties, so it often attracts people who are purely committed to the practice, like Dr. Kaiser. He loves his work because there is so much he can do for his patients, and so much they can do for themselves. Want to remain healthy in brain and body for years to come? Here are the truly magic bullets: sleep, exercise, a good diet, an active social life, creativity, a strong sense of purpose, and good primary care. Take diet: “When you're in your produce aisle, you're basically hunting for your medicine,” Dr. Kaiser says. Green leafy vegetables have compounds that protect them from sun damage as they grow. They protect us as we age, too. Exercise? The only thing better than a kale salad for aging might be a vigorous dance class, he says. It challenges us mentally and physically. “Exercise is the closest thing we have to a miracle drug for brain health,” Dr. Kaiser says. “It's unbelievable.” Have a listen to Dr. Kaiser, and you might just get excited about aging, rather than dreading it. That’s the last magic bullet: A positive attitude about getting older. Our episode with Dr. Kaiser will almost certainly help with that.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. William Buxton is Director, Neuromuscular & Neurodiagnostic Medicine, and Fall Prevention, Brain Health Center; Adult Neurology. He is a board certified in Adult Neurology with Subspecialty Certification in Clinical Neurophysiology through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with additional certification in Electrodiagnostic Medicine through the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
David A. Merrill, MD, Ph.D., is an adult and geriatric psychiatrist with double-board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is the director of the Pacific Brain Health Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Merrill has worked for several decades with patients suffering from the behavioral health sequelae of age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disorder. His more recent clinical and research work have expanded to include patients with a history of head trauma, tumor, and stroke
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 582-7640
In 1993, the rock band Bon Jovi recorded a song called I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead. We’ve learned a lot since then, namely, that sleep is just as important as food and water. Sleep is like a shower for the brain, according to PNI neurologist Dr. Natalie Diaz. It washes away toxic compounds, some of which may be associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. It also helps us preserve important memories and purge the neural connections we don’t need. In this Think Neuro Mini, Dr. Diaz tells us how to sleep like rockstars, but not like Bon Jovi, who got it all wrong back in 1993.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
When patients ask him what he does in brain and pituitary surgeries, Dr. Chester Griffiths tells them that he “opens the curtains for the main event.” Dr. Griffiths is a head and neck surgeon, and it’s his job to get brain surgeons where they need to go. For the minimally invasive brain and pituitary surgery done at PNI, that means creating the pathway through the nose and sinuses and into the base of the brain, so his colleagues can remove tumors without making large holes in the skull. Thanks to Dr. Griffiths’ surgical expertise, many patients are out of the hospital in just two to three days, instead of six or seven, and they feel better, sooner, thereafter. Better yet, creating that corridor is a twofer. It can correct many preexisting breathing problems, including chronic sinus infections. It’s intense work. Dr. Griffiths uses micro-instruments to delve deep inside the head. He peers through tiny cameras to avoid crucial nerves and listens with highly sensitive ultrasound microphones for the sound of life-giving arteries that must not be touched. Once the tumor comes into view, he assists his neurosurgical colleagues in removing the disease. Then, Dr. Griffiths guides them out again. He is a pathfinder in a tiny, hidden, and critical land, and he loves leading his colleagues to where their work is required.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640
Dr. Heinzerling is the Director, Pacific Treatment & Research In Psychedelics Program; Internal Medicine – Addiction Medicine, Brain Health Center. He practices internal medicine and is an addiction medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Health Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. His research and clinical focuses are on the discovery, development, and dissemination of anti-addiction medications. He is the director of the Pacific Treatment & Research In Psychedelics (TRIP) Program.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 829-8265
Kian Karimi, MD, FACS, is a double-board certified facial plastic surgeon/head and neck surgeon at the Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. He has a particular interest in rhinoplasty, minimally invasive facial rejuvenation, and ethics. At Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Providence Saint John’s Health Center, Dr. Karimi specializes in surgical treatments of nasal airway obstruction, sinus disease, skin cancer reconstruction, and endonasal endoscopic removal of pituitary tumors.
Originally from Indiana, Dr. Karimi graduated top of his class at Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed his head and neck surgery residency at the University of Florida, and fellowship in facial plastic surgery at the University of Toronto. Dr. Karimi has a strong commitment to training physicians and aesthetic professionals in the latest, minimally invasive facial aesthetics techniques.
He is a nationally recognized educator and is featured regularly in shows such as EXTRA!, and he is a recurring guest on CBS 'The Doctors'.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 829-8265
Santosh Kesari, MD, Ph.D., is a world-renowned neuro-oncologist at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA. He treats patients with brain tumors including glioblastoma, glioma, meningioma, metastatic brain tumors, chordoma, and many more difficult brain cancers.
He believes that in order to cure patients with brain tumors we first need to gain a better molecular and biological understanding of the disease. A physician/scientist, Kesari harnesses his experience in surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and novel devices to help develop Precision Therapeutic Strategies that will advance medicine to a new stage in the battle against brain tumors and eradicate the disease.
For more information: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/about-us/our-team/ | (310) 829-8265
Dr. Katherine Araque is a board-certified endocrinologist at Pacific Pituitary Disorders Center. As Director of Endocrinology at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, she oversees clinical trials and the clinical care of patients with endocrine conditions. Dr. Araque provides special expertise in clinical and research projects in the diagnosis and treatment of pituitary hormone deficiency in adults, Cushing’s disease, prolactinomas, acromegaly, sellar masses and other pituitary tumors. She is a member of the pituitary and endocrinology society.
Visit Dr. Araque's profile: https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/katherine-araque/
For more information: pacificneuro.org | pacificbraintumor.org | (310) 829-8265
Exercise doesn’t just give you bigger muscles. It gives you a bigger brain. Scientists have measured brain volume in people who exercise and those who don’t. The exercisers had more. Why? Because movement challenges our minds. It keeps us sharp, especially as we age. And different activities strengthen different parts of our grey matter. Just like a healthy diet, a healthy exercise regimen is varied: some strength training, some resistance training, some aerobics. Don’t worry, you don’t have to work a Sudoku puzzle on an exercise bike to get the maximum benefit. Ryan Glatt, PNI’s Brain Health Coach, is a big fan of dance because it challenges cognition. It’s also how Ryan first got fit himself. A pudgy kid and avid video gamer, things completely changed when he discovered Dance Dance Revolution, a video game that made him move. Now, he’s an advocate for exercise. He gets a workout just talking about it. Give him a listen, and you’ll want to get up and dance, we promise
For more information: pacificneuro.org | pacificbraintumor.org | (310) 829-8265
Dr. Daniel Kelly, a board certified neurosurgeon, is Director of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute and Professor of Neurosurgery at the John Wayne Cancer Institute. Considered to be one of the best neurosurgeons in the US and a multiple recipients of the Patients' Choice Award, Dr. Kelly is internationally recognized in the field of minimally invasive keyhole surgery for brain, pituitary, and skull base tumors. He has one of the world's largest series in endonasal surgery with over 2000 procedures performed including over 800 endonasal endoscopic surgeries, and over 2000 craniotomies for brain and skull base tumors. His current surgical practice encompasses the full spectrum of brain and skull base tumors, both benign and malignant, treated with minimally invasive and conventional approaches.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | pacificbraintumor.org | (310) 829-8265
Before he became a surgeon in Santa Monica, Dr. Howard Krauss worked as an aerospace engineer for Hughes Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. In making the switch, he traded one kind of orbit for another. He came out of earth’s orbit and into the human ones: the two sockets in the skull that hold the eyes and all their accompanying structures. He is one of a few surgical neuro-ophthalmologists on the planet who specializes in surgery within the orbit. He and his colleagues at PNI have pioneered minimally invasive techniques for treating diseases that threaten vision, and for using the orbit as an entry point for removing tumors in the brain. Dr. Krauss works on the forefront of “retinal analysis,” looking for microscopic changes in structures there that signal underlying diseases including Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. New research there, he says, could show that the eye really is a window into the human body and mind.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | pacificbraintumor.org | (310) 829-8265
A diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease today doesn’t mean the same as it did even just a few years ago. There have been nine new medications for Parkinson’s disease and its related symptoms in the past five years, and we are understanding the importance of lifestyle now more than ever. People with Parkinson’s disease can make lifestyle changes that can slow the disease, and even improve their condition. Chief among them is exercise. Not just hitting the treadmill but doing new things that challenge both the brain and body at the same time. Movement disorders specialist Dr. Melita Petrossian is a big fan of boxing. Not getting in the ring, but working out with gloves and a bag, or with a partner wearing mitts. It’s an energizing dynamic activity that requires work with both the hands and the feet. Don’t care to box? Try dance. It, too, might form new neural connections in the brain and help keep Parkinson’s progression at bay.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | pacificbraintumor.org | (310) 829-8265
Related Links:
A PNI Minute: Parkinson’s disease and neuroplasticity
APDA (https://www.apdaparkinson.org)
In this podcast, Dr. Kelly talks about how he was drawn to neurosurgery, his fascination with the pituitary gland, the nuances of minimally invasive pituitary and brain tumor surgery, as well as a brief history of PNI, its focus on innovation and clinical trials and its 8 centers of excellence.
For more information: pacificneuro.org | pacificbraintumor.org | (310) 829-8265