Publications by authors named "Douglas Merkitch"
Use of telehealth has grown substantially in recent times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote care services may greatly benefit patients with disabilities; chronic conditions; and neurological, musculoskeletal, and pain disorders, thereby allowing continuity of rehabilitation care, reducing barriers such as transportation, and minimizing COVID-19 exposure. In March 2020, our rehabilitation hospital, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, launched a HIPAA-compliant telemedicine program for outpatient and day rehabilitation clinics and telerehabilitation therapy programs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground Motor symptoms in Parkinson disease (PD) have exhibited lateral asymmetry, suggesting asymmetric neuronal loss in the substantia nigra (SN). Diffusion MRI may be able to help confirm tissue microstructural alterations in the substantia nigra to probe for the presence of asymmetry. Purpose To investigate lateral asymmetry in the SN of patients with PD by using diffusion MRI with both Gaussian and non-Gaussian models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate how gender, age, and race/ethnicity might influence the scoring of items on the MDS-UPDRS (a Parkinson's disease assessment tool), focusing on identifying differential item functioning.
- Using a large database of over 5,000 Parkinson's patients from various backgrounds, the research found that most items did not show any significant differential item functioning, with any identified issues being negligible in impact.
- The results suggest that the MDS-UPDRS is a reliable tool for assessing Parkinson's disease across diverse populations, making it suitable for international studies involving different gender, age, and racial/ethnic groups.
The Corpus Callosum Splenium Sign in Fragile X-Associated Tremor Ataxia Syndrome.
Mov Disord Clin Pract
November 2016
Background: Hyperintensities in the splenium of the corpus callosum (CCS) have been proposed as a radiographic diagnostic criterion for fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS).
Methods: Magnetic resonance images from patients with FXTAS and from nonpremutation carriers with movement disorders were viewed by a radiologist who was blinded to gene status, and radiographic criteria for FXTAS were scored. Phenotypic data used for diagnosis of FXTAS also were collected.