In the News

UCLA Pediatric Neurosurgery In The News

Why Was Her Vision Jerky and Blurry if There Was Nothing Wrong With Her Eyes?
By Lisa Sanders, MD - Featuring Dr. Aria Fallah. The young woman rubbed her eyes. The numbers and letters on her computer screen jumped erratically. So did the world around her. This had happened before, but late at night when she was tired, never in the middle of the day. The light from the screen suddenly seemed too bright. And her headache, the one that was always present these days, tightened from a dull ache to a squeezing pressure on the back of her head and neck. Nearly in tears from pain and frustration, the 19-year-old called her mother. She couldn’t see; she couldn’t drive. Could her mother pick her up from work?
Story on nytimes.com

UCLA Surgeons Use Minimally Invasive Procedure to Cure Boy With Rare Form of Seizures
By Elaine Schmidt - Justin Cho is an engaging 9-year-old. Although he’s somewhat shy, he is quick to smile and has an infectious laugh. “Justin has always been a happy child — very energetic and bubbly,” said his father, Robert Cho. “We assumed that giggling was just part of his personality.” What Robert and his wife, So, didn’t know was that the laughing fits he often had before bedtime were actually seizures and signs of a serious medical problem.
Story on newsroom.ucla.edu

Congratulations to Dr Mathern on his Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Epilepsy Society!
Dr. Gary W. Mathern -- Honored For Lifetime Accomplishments In Epilepsy
Gary W. Mathern, MD, will receive the William G. Lennox Award for lifetime accomplishments in epilepsy from the American Epilepsy Society. The award will be presented during the society’s annual meeting in Houston, Tex., December 2-5.

Most parents likely to follow outdated advice when caring for a child with a concussion, UCLA survey shows
A new national survey, commissioned by UCLA Health, reveals that a vast majority of parents may be following outdated advice when caring for a child with a concussion, and it could be making their child's symptoms worse. "This survey really illustrates just how far the pendulum has swung in terms of caring for children with concussions," said Dr. Christopher Giza, a pediatric neurologist and director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program. "In the past, there was often a tendency to downplay the significance of concussions. Now some parents go too far the other direction and, despite their best intentions, they can inadvertently complicate their child's recovery." Story on UCLA Health Newsroom

Formerly Conjoined Twins Give Back to Pediatric Patients
KCBS-Channel 2, KNBC-Channel 4, KABC-Channel 7, KCAL-Channel 9, Univision, Telemundo, Estrella TV, KFI 640AM Dec. 14; La Opinion, HOY, Seventeen Magazine Dec. 15; ABC News online, CBS News online Dec. 16 and others featured the story of the formerly conjoined Guatemalan twins, nicknamed the Two Marias, who were separated in a landmark surgery at UCLA in 2002. The twins, now 14, returned to UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital this week to help decorate the rooms of pediatric patients who will be hospitalized over the holidays and to reunite with the doctors and nurses who helped care for them. Dr. Jorge Lazareff, the lead pediatric neurosurgeon; Dr. Henry Kawamoto, the lead plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and Dr. Barbara Van De Wiele, the lead anesthesiologist, were interviewed in the coverage.

Concussions End Student’s Playing Days, But Now He’s Trying To Help Others
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) Dr. Christopher Giza and Trey Fearn - Trey Fearn is a teenager who works with UCLA neurologists to help protect the valuable cargo inside the helmet. “I got a handoff and two of my teammates hit me from each side of my head, and then the next minute, it was just kind of black,” Fearn said of his first concussion. Fearn is now helping researchers at UCLA try to understand the long-term impact of concussions by participating in a study conducted by the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program. Christopher Giza, a neurologist at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, is working with Fearn and some members of the UCLA football team during the BrainSPORT study. “We do blood tests and brain MRIs,” Giza said. They test before any injuries and after they occur. Story on cbslocal.com

What Parents Need to Know about Concussion
Examiner.com and Health Canal reported Oct. 21 on tips to help parents prevent and reduce concussion in their children who play sports.  Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, was quoted.

Fructose Sabotages Brain's Ability to Heal
A new study by Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery and integrative biology and physiology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and College of Letters and Science, finding that processed fructose interferes with recovery from traumatic brain injury, was reported Oct. 6 by Nutrition Insight; Oct. 5 by CBS News, Yahoo Health, Red Orbit, and Physical Therapy Products; Oct. 4 by GeekSided; Oct. 3 by Psych Central and the Indo-Asian News Service; and Oct. 2 by Bioscience Technology, Medical Xpress, Science Blog and Laboratory Equipment.  The IANS story was syndicated Oct. 3 by India's Business Standard, Times of India, New Kerala, Can-India News, Zee News and The Statesman. The CBS News segment aired on 14 affiliates, including Louisville, Ky., Flint, Mich. and Nashville, Tenn. Three ABC news affiliates and one Fox affiliate also aired the story.

Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, commented Sept. 3 in a Hollywood Reporter story about Concussion, a new film starring Will Smith that explores his character's discovery of the long-term effects of head trauma in professional football players. He also was quoted Sept. 4 and Aug. 27 in two ESPN articles exploring emerging technology to diagnose head injuries and new ways to improve football athletes' safety.

UCLA Neurosurgery Ranks No. 2 for Research Productivity
World News reported July 29 that the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine was ranked No. 2 in the nation by a five-year review in the Journal of Neurosurgery for the impact of its scholarly research. Dr. Neil Martin, chair of neurosurgery, was quoted.

New Study Aims to Shed Light on Concussions
IFL Magazine, Italy's online publication about American football, ran a July 20 Q&A with Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, about the university's role in a landmark $30 million initiative funded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the U.S. Department of Defense to collect "big data" on concussions.  Giza and his colleagues aim to collect new clues about the biological and genetic risk factors for sports-related head injuries.

Why Concussion Recovery Takes Some Kids Longer
A UCLA/USC study finding that some children recover more slowly from concussion and other types of traumatic brain injury because they have extensive damage to the fatty sheaths encasing the brain's nerve fibers was reported July 14 by HealthDay News and MedicalXpress; and July 15 by redOrbit, New Zealand's Horse Talk, Health Canal and News-Medical.net. The HealthDay story was syndicated by the Philadelphia Inquirer, U.S. News & Report and Doctors Lounge.  Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Dr. Emily Dennis, a postdoctoral scholar at USC's Keck School of Medicine, were quoted.

Why Concussion Recovery Takes Longer for Some Kids
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, commented July 1 in a USA Today story about soccer's international governing body's three-minute concussion evaluation protocol following two players' head-on collision during the Women's World Cup.

Sometimes what seems like a concussion is something else 
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch Program and a professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, commented May 22 in the Washington Post about how a rare type of ear condition is sometimes mistaken for a concussion.

CBS Morning Spotlights Virtual Surgery Headpiece
A virtual reality headset that enables neurosurgeons to see inside their patients' brains was covered May 4 by CBS This Morning.  Dr. Neil Martin, chair of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, is developing the technology with Cincinnati-based firm, Surgical Theater, to allow surgeons to practice surgeries on their patients before entering the operating room.  Martin was interviewed. 

TIME Explores Consequences of Blows to the Head
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, explained May 1 in TIME why a prize fight is murder on a boxer's brain.

Rare Disorder Explored on "The Doctors"
CBS' The Doctors April 22 spotlighted a college student who suffered for months from severe vertigo until her diagnosis and surgery for superior semicircular canal dehiscience, a tiny hole in the ear that undermines balance and causes other disruptive symptoms.  Dr. Isaac Yang, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, appeared on the show with her.

TBI Patients Keep Cool With Induced Normothermia  
Dr. Christopher Giza, professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, commented April 21 in MedPage Today on new research presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.  Preserving the body's normal temperature to reduce fevers in severe brain trauma improved brain function and reduced the number of hospital deaths compared to previous approaches that rely upon cooling therapy.

How Sugar Hampers the Brain
A 2012 UCLA rat study demonstrating that a diet high in fructose slows the brain, interfering with memory and learning, was referenced Aug. 14 by Australia's Sydney Morning Herald; April 8 by Pakistan's Daily Times; and April 6 by the Huffington Post.  Lead researcher Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was quoted.

Mending Kids International helps pediatric patient
Dr. Jorge Lazareff, professor emeritus of pediatric neurosurgery, was interviewed March 9 by KMEX-Channel 34 in a story about a 2-year-old boy from Mexico with hydrocephalus who is being helped by the nonprofit organization called Mending Kids International.

Neurosurgeon Nationally Honored for Teaching Excellence
The Lodi News-Sentinel published a March 5 profile of Dr. Isaac Yang, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, who was honored by the American Medical Student Association with its National Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence. A former Lodi resident, Yang received the award at the association's 65th Annual Convention in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 28.

NBC-4 Spotlights Virtual Neurosurgery   
KNBC-Channel 4 aired a March 2 segment on a virtual-reality software that enabled Dr. Neil Martin, chair of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, to practice complex cases prior to entering the operating room to ensure the utmost precision and most successful outcomes.  Martin and two of his patients were interviewed.  The segment re-aired on multiple NBC affiliates nationwide.

A Medical Expert Explains Bobbi Kristina's Condition
Dr Isaac Yang, assistant professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, commented in a Feb. 10 story by Revolt about the possible medical issues facing Whitney Houston's daughter. 

Limiting Rest Is Found to Help Young Concussion Patients
Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, commented Jan. 5 in a New York Times article that reported on a new study that found limiting rest to one or two days is more beneficial to young concussion patients rather than a longer period of five days.

New Helmet Material Could Protect Against Concussion
Engineering.com reported Dec. 10 on a new helmet material developed by UCLA scientists that might protect football players from concussion.  Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was quoted.

South Bay Paper Profiles Teen with Epilepsy
The Daily Breeze published a Nov. 15 profile of a teen who had one-eighth of her brain removed at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to treat her epileptic seizures.  She delivered a patient testimonial at the 2014 UCLA Department of Neurosurgery's Visionary Ball.

Creating Better Helmets to Prevent Concussion
The Ventura County Star and North Dallas Gazette reported Nov. 13 on a new helmet material being developed by the UCLA School of Engineering in collaboration with Dr. Christopher Giza, a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program.  Giza was quoted.

The Boy with Half a Brain
The August issue of Indianapolis Monthly magazine featured the story of an Indianapolis family whose son, diagnosed with cortical dysplasia, underwent a hemispherectomy surgery at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital to help stop epileptic seizures.   His surgeon, Dr. Gary Mathern, professor of pediatric neurosurgery and director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, was interviewed.

High School Football Players Urged to Practice Like Pros
The Santa Monica Mirror July 15, Bruins Nation covered a campus event co-sponsored by the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program.  Led by Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the BrainSPORT Program and a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, a panel of sports experts voiced support for Assemblyman Ken Cooley's bill proposing that youth football players adopt the National Football League's guidelines limiting full contact during practice.