Neurosciences

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (March 2, 2023) – Hoag’s Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute has started enrolling participants for a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and tolerability of a first-of-its-kind Alzheimer’s disease vaccine. The hope is that the vaccine will eventually be used to prevent Alzheimer’s disease in healthy people who are at risk. Hoag … Read More

Actor Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, a group of brain disorders caused by degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain. Initially, Willis had been diagnosed with aphasia, but when his symptoms worsened it clarified the diagnosis of FTD. “Bruce Willis is such a relatable actor, it is … Read More

It is OK to feel… Remember where you were when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded? Or when President Kennedy was assassinated? Or when the second plane hit the Twin Towers, making it clear that what you were seeing was no accident? Bearing witness to trauma leaves a psychological mark, and the players, coaches and teammates … Read More

If you notice a loved one becoming forgetful, you may worry that they have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. But these conditions are not the same, says Dr. Aaron Ritter, a dementia expert who directs the Memory & Cognitive Disorders Program at Hoag Hospital. “Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease that causes a group of symptoms that usually … Read More

Linda Lifur-Bennett, Ph.D., wants to clarify one thing: She is a patient of Burak Ozgur, M.D., director of the Hoag Spine Center. No, the Newport Beach neurosurgeon did not operate on Dr. Lifur-Bennett. In fact, he did not perform any procedures on the 70-year-old clinical psychologist. Rather, through his compassion and expertise, Dr. Ozgur prevented … Read More

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., September 20, 2022 — Hoag’s Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute is initiating a clinical trial for a promising new investigational treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Phase I study will determine the safety and tolerability of a single intravenous (IV) dose and multiple IV doses of ACU193. Hoag is seeking individuals who have … Read More

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., September 13, 2022 — Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian welcomes a luminary Alzheimer’s and degenerative brain health expert, Aaron Ritter, M.D., as director of the Memory & Cognitive Disorders Program and new Center for Integrative Brain Health at Hoag’s Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute. Dr. Ritter comes to Hoag from the Cleveland Clinic Lou … Read More

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (August 2, 2022) – Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced today it has recruited Adam Kanter, M.D., chief of spine surgery and tenured professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, to be the associate executive medical director of the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute. Dr. Kanter is excited to join Hoag’s … Read More

It was such a small stumble. Oscar Constandse and his buddies were at the tail end of a bachelor party in Cabo San Lucas. The hour was way, way too late, and Oscar tripped on his way to the cantina bathroom. That’s all he remembers about the accident. His friends told him later that he … Read More

His seizures began at the age of 4. By the time Michael Merritt was 72, his epilepsy became so severe his wife was sure he was going to die. But in 2018, Michael’s doctors referred him to the Epilepsy Program at Hoag’s Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute, where he met Program Director David Millett, M.D., Ph.D. … Read More