Scholarly Activity

Rotations

The core rotation for the fellow will be divided into ten blocks of four hours every week.

The majority of rotations are at the UT Health San Antonio Medical Arts and Research Center (MARC) staffed by specialized faculty.

The training blocks are allocated as follows:

One-year program: Six continuity MARC clinic blocks. In addition, there are one to two blocks a month for subspecialty clinics/electives. One block for self-study and research development.
Two-year program: Four continuity MARC clinic blocks.
Training for performing lumbar puncture under ultrasound guidance.

Weekly

Presented by the core faculty and invited guests.

Weekly

A case presentation and a didactic session reviewing an important contemporary issue related to clinical neurosciences.

Monthly

Presentations by Alicia Parker, MD, Clinic Director of the Biggs Institute.

Monthly

Neuropathologist pairs with a clinician and presents the pathological findings of a brain that was donated to the Brain Bank at the Biggs Institute.

Monthly

The fellow will lead a monthly journal club starting with the reading list assigned by UCNS for continuous certification.

The program will make an effort to accommodate the preferences of the fellow.

Projects include:

A Research project: The Biggs Institute is a leader in research related to neurodegeneration and cognitive disorders. It is less likely that a project in a ‘wet lab’ can be accommodated in the time available for scholarly activity, however, there are a number epidemiological, imaging and other clinical studies which may allow the fellow to participate in research and familiarize themselves with research methods and data analysis.
The fellow may decide to do a chart review for a condition or write up case studies of patients seen in the clinic.
The fellow may participate in writing review papers or a book chapter.
Other reasonable projects will be considered.

Didactics follow the following syllabus:

Introduction to neurobehavioral assessment
An overview of dementias as clinico-pathological entities
Neuropsychological testing in cognitive disorder
Imaging, genetics, and other biomarkers in behavioral neurology
Neuropathology of neurodegenerative dementias
Geriatric assessment including capacity, competence and driving.
Assessment of Daily Function, Neuropsychiatric Symptoms & Staging of Dementia in Practice
Alzheimer’s dementia and related disorders
Mild cognitive impairment
Memory systems and amnestic disorders
Parietal lobe function, visuospatial cognition, praxis, posterior cortical atrophy
The language system, aphasias, and primary progressive aphasia
Frontotemporal dementias with a focus on bvFTD
Attention and executive systems.
Delirium and encephalopathies
4R and rare tauopathies
Synucleinopathies: LBD, PDD and MSA
Basal ganglia and cognition
Vascular cognitive impairment and dementia