Berman Brain & Spine Neurosurgeon Receives Honor

Richard North, M.D., a neurosurgeon at the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute of LifeBridge Health, has received the North American Neuromodulation Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The society’s highest honor, this award is given only on an as-merited basis to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary achievement in the field of neuromodulation.

Neuromodulation is a therapy that relies on an implanted electrical stimulator or implanted drug-delivery system to treat pain and movement disorders. Neuromodulation is reversible and adjustable, and its therapeutic effect can be tested with a temporary electrode or catheter before a specialist decides to implant a device for chronic use. The most common form of neuromodulation is spinal cord stimulation to control chronic pain.

Dr. North has dedicated most of his professional career of nearly four decades to the study, innovation and clinical use of spinal cord stimulation. In addition to publishing extensively and speaking internationally on the topic, he conducts research in the field and holds numerous patents for neurostimulation devices.

“Dr. North’s commitment to excellence in the field of neuromodulation makes him an ideal recipient for the Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Neil Meltzer, president of Sinai. “He is a distinguished educator, administrator, researcher and clinician. As a national leader in neuromodulation for three decades, Dr. North has proven his expertise in the field.”

Dr. North became the director of Neuromodulation, Surgical Pain Management, and the Surgical Spine Pain Program at the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute in 2007, following 25 years in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Michael A. Williams, M.D., medical director of the Brain & Spine Institute noted, “I am very proud that Dr. North has received this well-deserved award and that he continues to provide his expert care to patients from around the world at the Berman Brain & Spine Institute.”

For more information about the Berman Brain & Spine Institute, call 410-601-WELL (9355).

Guidance on Neuroenhancement Drugs

Neuroenhancement drugs are a hot topic these days, especially among students. The New Yorker looked at the issue in April, reporting that "white male undergraduates at highly competitive schools—especially in the Northeast—are the most frequent collegiate users of neuroenhancers." Now Michael A. Williams, M.D., FAAN, the medical director of the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute has co-authored a report titled "Responding to requests from adult patients for neuroenhancements," which was published in the September 23 online issue of Neurology.

The report provides guidelines for neurologists prescribing the drugs, which were originally created to help those with attention deficit disorder or memory problems from diseases like Alzheimer's. There is limited research on the safety and efficiency of the drugs in healthy adults.

To learn more about the institute, click here.