Neurology & Neurosurgery Outcomes Report

NewYork-Presbyterian

2019 Innovations Reports for Neurology & Neurosurgery

Innovations at a Glance

Parallel programs in neurology and neurosurgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center strengthen and extend our ability to offer the most advanced technologies, newest therapies, and interdisciplinary approaches for the most challenging brain, neurological, and spinal disorders.

animal model
  • Demonstrated in an animal model that a pump implanted in the abdomen to deliver a chronic infusion of a drug was successful in killing glioma cells and is now being tested in humans
  • Participated in a multicenter clinical trial investigating a novel combination approach of an adenovirus plus an immune checkpoint inhibitor for treatment of recurrent glioblastoma or gliosarcoma
  • Isolated two specific proteins in the microglia implicated in Alzheimer’s disease and subsequently identified small molecules with therapeutic potential that would involve disrupting the binding of these proteins
  • Further advanced the application of high-intensity focused ultrasound for essential tremor and tremor-dominated Parkinson’s disease, with additional studies underway for non-invasively delivering gene therapies to the brain
  • Investigated new methods to treat refractory epilepsy, including MR-guided laser interstitial thermal ablation
  • Conducted a preliminary study indicating that close analysis of EEG data revealed that nearly 1 in 7 brain-injured ICU patients showed evidence of hidden consciousness just days after injury and may help predict recovery potential
  • Evaluated the capability of Gleolan to distinguish residual tumors from normal brain matter during surgery for high-grade glioma
  • Pioneered middle meningeal arterial embolization for symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma as upfront treatment in lieu of surgical evacuation when conservative management has failed
surgery
  • One of only four sites in the United States using the ROSA neurosurgical robot as part of a clinical trial to administer gene therapy to children with mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA, a rare congenital disorder