Our comprehensive center has been designated as a Center of Excellence by the Parkinson Foundation as well as for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Huntington’s Disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Multiple System Atrophy. The MUSC Movement Disorders Fellowship offers a comprehensive, well-balanced, individualized two-year fellowship program, with a specialized training in a variety of areas.
The first year will be spent primarily in the clinical study of movement disorders with direct patient care and clinic responsibilities, including: the assessment and medical management of movement disorders (Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonism, essential tremor, ataxia, dystonia, tic disorders, Huntington’s disease, among others); specialized training in the evaluation and management of deep brain stimulation and focused ultrasound patients including an introduction to intraoperative physiology, mapping and surgical planning. In addition, fellows will have an introduction to autonomic laboratory assessments, pump management and performance of EMG and ultrasound guided botulinum toxin injections. Fellows will participate in our Interdisciplinary clinic, as well as focused DBS, Aphasia, Dysautonomia, NPH and Botox clinics.
The second year will be tailored to the specific interests of the fellow. Given the broad range of learning opportunities, the fellows will have the opportunity to focus their training in the second year in one of the following concentrations:
- Neuromodulation: There are currently five faculty members participate in DBS evaluations and programming, with three faculty members participating in intraoperative microelectrode recording/mapping, FUS evaluations and surgical planning. There are established research laboratories currently using multiple non-invasive neuromodulation approaches including Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU), advanced transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocols, transauricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) protocols, and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), including intraoperative protocols utilizing electrocorticography (eCOG), and multiple protocols utilizing advanced neuroimaging including: advanced diffusion imaging, as well as combined/interleaved MRI with multiple brain stimulation modalities (e.g. DBS-BOLD, LIFU, taVNS, and interleaved TMS-BOLD). Opportunities to work with the Brain Stimulation Lab and clinical brain stimulation services will also be available. A stand-alone multidisciplinary Neuromodulation fellowship is also being developed and we will consider applications from both Neurology and Psychiatry trained candidates.
- Autonomic Dysfunction: Autonomic evaluations and full autonomic function testing laboratory is available under the direction of Dr. Lopez-Castellanos (dual movement and autonomic disorders trained). Fellows will learn how to conduct and perform interpretation of autonomic function testing and skin biopsies, as well as participating in the “dysautonomia in parkinsonism” clinic occurring twice a month.
- Cognitive training under the direction of Dr. Rodriguez-Porcel (dual movement and cognitive trained) and the division of Neuropsychology directed by Dr. Travis Turner. Fellows will participate in Aphasia Clinic and will gain exposure to atypical parkinsonism, HD, as well as gain experience in neuropsychological testing.
- Research training is available for those seeking a career in investigator-initiated research including NIH funded career, or more of a focus on Clinical Trials, and education. There are three NIH funded laboratories at our center focused on DBS, gait, cognition, language and other forms of non-invasive brain stimulation. Fellows may also choose to seek a Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) or a clinical research certificate in this time. Visit the MUSC Health Movement Disorders page and the MUSC Health Deep Brain Stimulation Program page to find out about these programs and centers.
Requirements:
Completion ACGME accredited Residency in Neurology, board eligible. For the Neuromodulation Fellowship, both Neurology and Psychiatry trained candidates will be considered.
