RESEARCH SUMMARY

The Treatment of Parkinson's Disease with Deep Brain Stimulation
We are currently treating Parkinson's disease patients with deep brain stimulation of the bilateral subthalamic nucleus. This recently FDA approved therapy is an exciting new intervention for some Parkinson's disease patients. We are investigating the effects of bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation in early stage Parkinson's disease to better understand if this treatment may slow the progression of the disease.

Treatment of Spasticity in Adults
Spasticity is a condition that is very prevalent in people with mental retardation or cerebral palsy. The presence of spasticity can often make performance of activities of daily living and care giving very difficulty. We are currently investigating the impact of a comprehensive spasticity management program applied to people with mental retardation living in a developmental center.

Cervical Dystonia
Cervical dystonia causes painful muscle contractions and abnormal head position. We are comparing the pain relief that people with cervical dystonia experience after neurotoxin injection to the pain relief experienced in people without cervical dystonia.


Sponsored Investigation
Principal Investigator:

1. Safety and Tolerability of Neurostimulation Early Stage Parkinson’s Disease.

2. An Outcomes Evaluation of a Comprehensive Spasticity Management Program for Individuals with Intellectual or Physical Disabilities Living in a Long Term Care Setting.

3. Survey of Spasticity in Individuals with Intellectual or Physical Disabilities Living in a Community Setting.

4. Retrospective Analysis Cervical Dystonia Treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

5. Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Comparison of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type A and Oral Baclofen for the Treatment of Upper Limb Spasticity.

Co-Investigator:
1. Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Study of Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox) for the Treatment of Cervical Dystonia and Upper Thoracic Muscular Pain.

2. An Open-Label Multicenter Study of the Continued Safety of Istradefylline (KW-6002) in Subjects with Parkinson’s Disease who have Recently Completed One Year of Treatment with Istradefylline.


SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

C Harrison CH, Manus ND, Gill CE, Kao CC, Remple MS, Davis TL, Neimat JS, Konrad PE, Charles PD. Firing Patterns of STN in Early Stage PD Patients Implanted with DBS. Movement Disorders 2007;22(Suppl. 16):S10. Charles D. Approval of Generic Biologics: Why we Can’t Afford a Dangerous Shortcut. Neurology Today 2007;7(13):4-5.

Gill CE, Blair CR, Taylor HM, Nixon C, Charles PD. Comprehensive Spasticity Treatment for Institutionalized Adults with Mental Retardation. Movement Disorders 2007;22(Suppl. 16):S278.

Hedera P, Phibbs F, Fang JY, Charles PD, Cooper MK, Davis, TL. Unilateral Tremor Associated Dominant Essential Tremor. Movement Disorders 2007;22(Suppl. 16):S288.

Schadt CR, Byrne DW, Charles PD. Gender, Intelligence, and Medication Cost in Parkinson’s Disease Treated with Deep Brain Stimulation. Annals of Neurology 2006;60(S3):S82-83.

Cox KL, Schadt CR, Tramontana M, Byrne DW, Davis TL, Charles PD. Parkinson's Patients and Deep Brain Stimulation: Effects of Education and Intelligence on Depressive Symptoms. Movement Disorders 2005; 20(Suppl 10):S129.

Truong D, Duane DD, Jankovic J, Singer C, Seeberger LC, Comella CL, Lew MF, Rodnitzky RL, Danisi FO, Sutton JP, Charles PD, Hauser RA, Sheean GL. Efficacy and safety of botulinum type A toxin in cervical dystonia: results of the first US randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Movement Disorders 2005;20(7):783-791.

Charles PD, Padaliya BB, Newman WJ, Covington CD, Gill CE, Fang JY, So SA, Tramontana MG, Konrad PE, Davis TL. Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus Reduces Antiparkinsonian Medication Cost. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders 2004;10:475-479.

Newman WJ, Davis TL, Padaliya BB, Covington CD, Gill CE, Abramovitch AI, Charles PD. Botulinum Toxin Type A Therapy During Pregnancy. Movement Disorders 2004; 19(11):1384-1385.

Hogan P, Charles PD, Watts MW, Massey JM, Miller T, Mackowiack J. Severity and Impact of Xerostomia in Patients Treated with Botulinum Toxin Type B for Cervical Dystonia: Observations on the Quality of Life of Patients with Xerostomia. Current Therapeutic Research 2004;65(2):161-171.

Roberts AG, Konrad PE, Graves CR, Groomes TE, Pfister AA, Damian MM, Charles PD. Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Implantation During Pregnancy. Neurology 2003;61(8):1156-1167.

Pfister AA, Taylor HM, Roberts AG, Noel-Spaulding S, Damian MM, Charles PD. Spasticity in Adults Living in a Developmental Center. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, In Press 2002.

Charles D, Van Blercom N, Krack P, Lee S, Xie J, Besson G, Benabid AL, Pollak P. Predictors of Effective Bilateral Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease. Neurology 59(6): 932-934, 2002. Charles PD, Esper GJ. Davis TL. A Definition of “On”: Patient Diaries compared to the UPDRS. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders 5(3): 99-101, 1999.

Charles PD, Scherokman BJ, Jozefowicz RF, and the American Academy of Neurology Undergraduate Education Subcommittee. How Much Neurology Should a Medical Student Learn? A Position Statement of the American Academy of Neurology Undergraduate Education Subcommittee. Academic Medicine 74: 23-26, 1999.

Book Chapters, Invited Articles, and Congressional Testimony:

Teed N, Charles D. Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy: Looking Toward the Future. Parkinson Report 2007;18(1):26-29.

Charles PD. Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype A: A Clinical Update on Non-cosmetic Uses. American Journal of Health System Pharmacist 2004;61(22 Suppl 6):S11-23.

Schadt CR, Ennis ID, Charles PD. Pharmacological Treatment of Disabling Tremor. Expert Opin. Pharmacother. 2005;6(3):419-428.

Charles PD, Davis TL. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome. In Robertson D, Low PA, Polinsky RJ, ed. Primer on the Autonomic Nervous System, 2nd Edition. San Diego, California: Academic Press 2004:302-305.

Charles PD. Protecting Human Subjects in Research: Are Current Safeguards Adequate? Congressional Record 2002;148(46):D373. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 2002; S.Hrg.107-424(79-325 PDF):19-24.


CONTACT INFORMATION:

Department of Neurology
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
1161 21st Ave S, Suite A-1106 MCN
Nashville, Tennessee 37232
Tel: 615-936-0060
Fax: 615.936.1229

 

     
 
     

Faculty>
David Charles, M.D., Associate Professor and Vice-Chairman of Neurology for Education and Development

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Dr. Charles is Associate Professor and Vice-Chairman of Neurology for Education and Development and is Assistant Dean for Admissions at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He is the Director of the Neurology Residency Program and the Movement Disorders Clinic and serves as an attending physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His research interests include the treatment of spasticity and cervical dystonia and he is currently leading the only clinical trial approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to test deep brain stimulation in people with early stage Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Charles is a member of the American Neurological Association, Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, Board member of the United Council of Neurologic Subspecialties, and President of the Tennessee Academy of Neurology. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society and in 2007 received the CANDLE Award. The honor is given to individuals who have devoted themselves to teaching and mentoring. Recipients are nominated and chosen based upon their positive impact on the lives of physicians-in-training, and are recognized by their students as examples of excellence in medical education.

From 1997-98, Dr. Charles served as a Health Policy Fellow in the United States Senate on the staff of the Labor Subcommittee for Public Health and Safety. In 1998 he studied deep brain stimulation for the treatment of movement disorders as a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Universitaire de Grenoble in Grenoble, France. In 2000 Dr. Charles was a nominee for the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee’s Sixth Congressional District.

Dr. Charles graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Engineering in 1986 with a B.S. cum laude in Computer Science and Mathematics, and earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1990. He did his internship in the department of Medicine and his residency in the department of Neurology at Vanderbilt. From 1993-94 he was Chief Resident in Neurology, and from 1994-95 he was a Fellow in Movement Disorders and Clinical Neurophysiology at Vanderbilt. In 1996, he completed a Health Care Management course at Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management, and in 1997 he completed the Harvard Macy Institute Program for Physician Educators at Harvard Medical School.



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