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Clinical Epilepsy Section

William H. Theodore, M.D., Senior Investigator
Dr. Theodore received his B.A. degree from Harvard College and M.D. degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. After a medical internship and residency, and a neurology residency at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, he came to the National Institutes of Health for a fellowship in Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Neurology, and Clinical Neurophysiology. In 1988 he became Chief of the Clinical Epilepsy Section, NINDS. He received the American Epilepsy Society Outstanding Clinical Investigator Award in 1991. Dr. Theodore's section is investigating therapeutic approaches to uncontrolled epilepsy, including surgery and experimental drugs, and using neuroimaging techniques to study cerebral metabolism, neuropharmacology, and functional cognitive anatomy.

Staff:

• Irene Dustin, R.N., Nurse Practitioner, 301-451-9284 dustini@ninds.nih.gov
• William Gaillard, M.D., Volunteer, 301-402-3745 wmdavisg@codon.nih.gov
• Sara Inati , Chief EEG Laboratory, 301-496-5121 inatisk@mail.nih.gov
• Pat Reeves-Tyer, Patient Care Coordinator, 301-496-1923 tyerp@ninds.nih.gov
• Dr. Susumu Sato, EEG Laboratory, 301-496-5121 Sato@helix.nih.gov
• Dr. John Schreiber , EEG Fellow, 301-496-5121 schreiberjm@mail.nih.gov
• Dr. Chigolum Chidinma Umeonyido, Clinical Fellow, 301-451-9284 umeonyidocc@mail.nih.gov

Research Interests:

The NINDS Clinical Epilepsy Section (CES) conducts research on the evaluation and treatment of uncontrolled epilepsy, emphasizing neuroimaging approaches to localization of epileptic foci and cognitive mapping. The techniques employed include video-EEG monitoring, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including functional MRI and MR spectroscopy and magnetoencephalography. We use multimodality image co-registration, and statistical parametric mapping, as well as other image analysis techniques. Recent research interests include imaging of 5HT-1A receptors and serotonin transport for patients with epilepsy with and without depression, and a study of 5HT1A agonist therapy in intractable epilepsy. In collaboration with NIMH and the NINDS neurovirology group, we are studying the role of viruses and neuroinflammation in temporal lobe epilepsy and mesial temporal sclerosis. We have active collaborations with Children's National Medical Center, and are studying patients with succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency. We have an active epilepsy surgery program.

Clinical Protocols:

• Evaluation and Treatment of Patients with Epilepsy  01-N-0139
• Noninvasive language mapping in patients with localization-related epilepsy 08-N-0161
• A Phase II Clinical Trial of PRX-00023 Therapy in localization-related Epilepsy 11-N-0039
• Succinic Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase Deficiency: Physiological Markers of Taurine Therapy 12-N-0123
• Positron emission tomography measurement of neuroinflammation and P-glycoprotein in localization-related epilepsy 12-N-0182

Selected Publications:

• Theodore WH, Wiggs EA, Martinez AR et al (2012) Serotonin 1A Receptors, Depression, and Memory in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Epilepsia 53, 129-33.
• Hirvonen J, Kreisl W, Fujita M, Dustin I, Khan O, Appel S, Zhang Y, Morse C, Pike VW, Innis RB, Theodore WH (2012) Increased in vivo expression of an inflammatory marker in temporal lobe epilepsy, J Nucl Med 53, 234-40 PMID: 22238156.
• Appel S, Duke ES, Martinez AR, Khan OI, Dustin IM, Reeves-Tyer P, Berl MB, Sato S, Gaillard WD, Theodore WH (2012) Cerebral Blood Flow and fMRI BOLD Auditory Language Activation in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Epilepsia 53(4), 631-8.
• Duke ES, Tesfaye M, Berl MM, Walker JE, Ritzl EK, Fasano RE, Conry JA, Pearl PL, Sato S, Theodore WH, Gaillard WD (2012) The effect of seizure focus on regional language processing areas, Epilepsia 53(6), 1044-50.
• Theodore WH, Martinez AR, Khan OI, LIew CJ, Auh S, Dustin IM, Heiss J, Sato S (2012) PET Imaging of Serotonin 1A Receptors and Cerebral Glucose Metabolism for Temporal Lobectomy, J Nucl Med Sep;53(9), 1375-82.
• Acosta MT, Munashinge J, Zhang L, Guerron A, Vortmeyer A, Theodore WH (2012) Isolated Seizures in Rats do not Cause Neuronal Injury, Acta Neurologica Scandinavica 125, 30-7.
• Reis J, Cohen LG, Pearl PL, Fritsch B, Jung N, Dustin I, Theodore WH (2012) GABA-(B)-ergic Motor Cortex Dysfunction in SSADH Deficiency, Neurology 79, 47-54.

All Selected Publications

Contact Information:
Dr. William H. Theodore
Clinical Epilepsy Section
NINDS
Building 10, Room 7D-43
10 Center Drive, MSC 1408
Bethesda, MD 20892-1408

Telephone: 301-496-1505 office, 301-496-1505 laboratory, 301-402-2871 fax
Email: theodorw@ninds.nih.gov