University of Utah - CNC

GM | 2 William T. Couldwell, MD, PhD, FAANS, Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah Health Care, recently completed his term as 2013-2014 President of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). A member of the AANS since 1995, Dr. Couldwell served on the Board of Directors since 2006 and completed a fi ve-year term on the AANS Neurosurgeon editorial board in 2011. He was instrumental in the greatest expansion of the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) since its creation in 1980. "In addition to funding clinical fellowships, the Foundation has now increased the scope of its mission to include enhancing clinical research through clinical trials and registry data," says Dr. Couldwell. "The NREF has also expanded its online educational materials to teach state-of-the-art neurosurgical care in several subspecialty areas to residents and neurosurgeons throughout the world." In the future, Dr. Couldwell says, the NREF plans to expand its online offerings to include a formal education curriculum for residents, as well as lifelong education materials such as for Maintenance of Certifi cation (MOC) and Maintenance of Licensure (MOL). "We are a relatively small specialty but attract some of the absolute best medical students in the country to the fi eld," says Dr. Couldwell. "We need to continue to fi nd ways to enhance the growth of our fi eld to capitalize on the talented people who wish to contribute to the neurosciences." At the helm is Rodolfo Savica, MD, MSc, a neurologist specializing in Lewy body dementia and Director of the Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson's Disease Dementia clinic. "Dementia with Lewy bodies is a degenerative neurological disorder that shares symptoms with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease," says Dr. Savica. "Due to this relationship, it is possible for patients with Lewy body dementia to be inappropriately diagnosed. Compound complications mean these patients often require additional attention and management. We work with a broad range of specialists to make accurate diagnoses and address patient issues with motor skills, medication management, cognition, behavior, and social interactions." EXAMINING THE DISEASE Dr. Savica also spearheads research to improve our understanding of this disease, including potential disease biomarkers. Future research will examine genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to developing Lewy body dementia and ways to identify disease risk earlier for improved diagnosis and quality of life. The Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson's Disease Dementia clinic is an appropriate referral option for all patients with Lewy body dementia or Parkinson's disease. To learn more about dementia with Lewy bodies, visit http://bit.ly/lewybodies. Dr. Couldwell Completes Term as AANS PRESIDENT A NEW RESOURCE FOR The Clinical Neurosciences Center at University of Utah Health Care has one of a handful of programs in the nation uniquely equipped to manage patients with this complex and often-misdiagnosed disease. Lew Bod DEMENTIA

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