Zachary London

Last updated
Zachary London
Born1976
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Brown University
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Known forNeurology education, game development
Awards2023 AAN A. B. Baker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Neurology Education, 2020 AANEM Innovation Achievement Award
Scientific career
FieldsNeurology, neuromuscular disease, education
Institutions University of Michigan Medical School

Zachary London is an American scientist. He is the James W. Albers Collegiate Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan and program director of the neurology residency at the University of Michigan. He specializes in neuromuscular disease and electromyography. He has been celebrated for his innovative approach to interactive educational tools, and received the American Academy of Neurology A. B. Baker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Neurology Education in 2023. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

London grew up in Wisconsin. [2] He attended Brown University for undergraduate studies and went to medical school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

After a preliminary medicine internship at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, London completed his neurology residency at the University of Michigan, where he remained for a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology and electromyography. [3]

Career

In 2006, London joined the faculty at the University of Michigan as a neuromuscular specialist. He has published on the use of electromyography and nerve conduction studies as diagnostic tools and on pain during these studies. [4] [5]

He later became director of the residency program. He has published extensively on educational techniques in neurology medical education, [6] [7] and on the residency and fellowship process. [8]

He is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and has been involved with the Graduate Education subcommittee. He is active in the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine and is a mentor on the Young Leadership Council. [9]

Game development and education

London has focused his academic scholarship on the development of interactive educational tools. In 2007, London created a web-based tool to teach electromyography called EMG Whiz. [10] He later developed two free mobile apps, Nerve Whiz [11] [12] and Neuro Localizer [13] to teach the basics of neurological localization.

In 2015, with his colleague James Burke, London developed an educational board game called The Lesion: Charcot's Tournament. This was funded by the Jerry Isler Neuromuscular Fund. [14] [15]

Additional games have included:

London also works to teach neurologists to develop games for neurology education and to use games for neurology education. [24] [25]

Hard Taco Project

London started recording one song every month in 1993, [26] under the name "Hard Taco Project." He creates a song for every board game he makes. Songs are available at his website, [27] and have been on Spotify starting in 2023. [28]

London also makes videos using puppets for parody songs, with his students and wife Lauren Schwartz London, often to educate about topics in neurology or illustrate underlying issues in the culture of medicine. [29]

Awards and honors

Select publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurology</span> Medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system

Neurology is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous system, which comprises the brain, the spinal cord and the peripheral nerves. Neurological practice relies heavily on the field of neuroscience, the scientific study of the nervous system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benign fasciculation syndrome</span> Involuntary muscle twitching in the voluntary muscles

Benign fasciculation syndrome (BFS) is characterized by fasciculation (twitching) of voluntary muscles in the body. The twitching can occur in any voluntary muscle group but is most common in the eyelids, arms, hands, fingers, legs, and feet. The tongue can also be affected. The twitching may be occasional to continuous. BFS must be distinguished from other conditions that include muscle twitches.

Myotonia is a symptom of a small handful of certain neuromuscular disorders characterized by delayed relaxation of the skeletal muscles after voluntary contraction or electrical stimulation, and the muscle shows an abnormal EMG.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyneuropathy</span> Any disease affecting peripheral nerves on both sides of the body

Polyneuropathy is damage or disease affecting peripheral nerves in roughly the same areas on both sides of the body, featuring weakness, numbness, and burning pain. It usually begins in the hands and feet and may progress to the arms and legs and sometimes to other parts of the body where it may affect the autonomic nervous system. It may be acute or chronic. A number of different disorders may cause polyneuropathy, including diabetes and some types of Guillain–Barré syndrome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electromyography</span> Electrodiagnostic medicine technique

Electromyography (EMG) is a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph to produce a record called an electromyogram. An electromyograph detects the electric potential generated by muscle cells when these cells are electrically or neurologically activated. The signals can be analyzed to detect abnormalities, activation level, or recruitment order, or to analyze the biomechanics of human or animal movement. Needle EMG is an electrodiagnostic medicine technique commonly used by neurologists. Surface EMG is a non-medical procedure used to assess muscle activation by several professionals, including physiotherapists, kinesiologists and biomedical engineers. In computer science, EMG is also used as middleware in gesture recognition towards allowing the input of physical action to a computer as a form of human-computer interaction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nerve conduction study</span> Diagnostic test for nerve function

A nerve conduction study (NCS) is a medical diagnostic test commonly used to evaluate the function, especially the ability of electrical conduction, of the motor and sensory nerves of the human body. These tests may be performed by medical specialists such as clinical neurophysiologists, physical therapists, physiatrists, and neurologists who subspecialize in electrodiagnostic medicine. In the United States, neurologists and physiatrists receive training in electrodiagnostic medicine as part of residency training and in some cases acquire additional expertise during a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology, electrodiagnostic medicine, or neuromuscular medicine. Outside the US, clinical neurophysiologists learn needle EMG and NCS testing.

<i>Paramyotonia congenita</i> Failure of muscles to relax after contraction, which is worsened by exercise

Paramyotonia congenita (PC) is a rare congenital autosomal dominant neuromuscular disorder characterized by "paradoxical" myotonia. This type of myotonia has been termed paradoxical because it becomes worse with exercise whereas classical myotonia, as seen in myotonia congenita, is alleviated by exercise. PC is also distinguished as it can be induced by cold temperatures. Although more typical of the periodic paralytic disorders, patients with PC may also have potassium-provoked paralysis. PC typically presents within the first decade of life and has 100% penetrance. Patients with this disorder commonly present with myotonia in the face or upper extremities. The lower extremities are generally less affected. While some other related disorders result in muscle atrophy, this is not normally the case with PC. This disease can also present as hyperkalemic periodic paralysis and there is debate as to whether the two disorders are actually distinct.

Proximal diabetic neuropathy, also known as diabetic amyotrophy, is a complication of diabetes mellitus that affects the nerves that supply the thighs, hips, buttocks and/or lower legs. Proximal diabetic neuropathy is a type of diabetic neuropathy characterized by muscle wasting, weakness, pain, or changes in sensation/numbness of the leg. It is caused by damage to the nerves of the lumbosacral plexus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neuromuscular disease</span> Medical condition

A neuromuscular disease is any disease affecting the peripheral nervous system (PNS), the neuromuscular junctions, or skeletal muscles, all of which are components of the motor unit. Damage to any of these structures can cause muscle atrophy and weakness. Issues with sensation can also occur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radiculopathy</span> Medical condition

Radiculopathy, also commonly referred to as pinched nerve, refers to a set of conditions in which one or more nerves are affected and do not work properly. Radiculopathy can result in pain, weakness, altered sensation (paresthesia) or difficulty controlling specific muscles. Pinched nerves arise when surrounding bone or tissue, such as cartilage, muscles or tendons, put pressure on the nerve and disrupt its function.

Congenital myopathy is a very broad term for any muscle disorder present at birth. This defect primarily affects skeletal muscle fibres and causes muscular weakness and/or hypotonia. Congenital myopathies account for one of the top neuromuscular disorders in the world today, comprising approximately 6 in 100,000 live births every year. As a whole, congenital myopathies can be broadly classified as follows:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inflammatory myopathy</span> Muscular inflammatory disease of unknown origin

Inflammatory myopathy, also known as idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM), is disease featuring muscle weakness, inflammation of muscles (myositis), and in some types, muscle pain (myalgia). The cause of much inflammatory myopathy is unknown (idiopathic), and such cases are classified according to their symptoms and signs, electromyography, MRI, and laboratory findings. It can also be associated with underlying cancer. The main classes of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy are polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), inclusion-body myositis (IBM), immune-mediated necrotising myopathy (IMNM), and focal autoimmune myositis.

Cramp fasciculation syndrome (CFS) is a rare peripheral nerve hyperexcitability disorder. It is more severe than the related disorder known as benign fasciculation syndrome; it causes fasciculations, cramps, pain, fatigue, and muscle stiffness similar to those seen in neuromyotonia. Patients with CFS, like those with neuromyotonia, may also experience paresthesias. Most cases of cramp fasciculation syndrome are idiopathic.

Charles Francis Bolton, is a Canadian professor of neurology at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. He was first to describe critical illness polyneuropathy in a series of patients.

Sporadic late-onset nemaline myopathy, or SLONM, is a very rare disease, one of the nemaline myopathies, causing loss of muscle bulk and weakness in the legs but sparing the cranial nerves, and beginning its clinical course after age 40. It was first identified in 1966 at the Mayo Clinic, by A.G. Engel, and that same year W.K. Engel and J.S. Resnick noted another case that they elaborated in 1975. The diagnosis of the disease rests on subacutely evolving weakness after age 40, normal to low CK level, a myopathic EMG with fibrillations, and often a monoclonal gammopathy. The diagnosis is confirmed by visualizing rods in cryosections on light and electron microscopy. The associated monoclonal gammopathy has an unfavorable prognosis.

Electrodiagnosis (EDX) is a method of medical diagnosis that obtains information about diseases by passively recording the electrical activity of body parts or by measuring their response to external electrical stimuli. The most widely used methods of recording spontaneous electrical activity are various forms of electrodiagnostic testing (electrography) such as electrocardiography (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG), and electromyography (EMG). Electrodiagnostic medicine is a medical subspecialty of neurology, clinical neurophysiology, cardiology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Electrodiagnostic physicians apply electrophysiologic techniques, including needle electromyography and nerve conduction studies to diagnose, evaluate, and treat people with impairments of the neurologic, neuromuscular, and/or muscular systems. The provision of a quality electrodiagnostic medical evaluation requires extensive scientific knowledge that includes anatomy and physiology of the peripheral nerves and muscles, the physics and biology of the electrical signals generated by muscle and nerve, the instrumentation used to process these signals, and techniques for clinical evaluation of diseases of the peripheral nerves and sensory pathways.

The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) is a medical society for the medical subspecialty of neuromuscular and electrodiagnostic medicine based in the United States. Members are primarily neurologists and physiatrists—as well as allied health professionals and PhD researchers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Jeffrey Aminoff</span> American clinical neurologist and neurophysiologist

Michael Jeffrey Aminoff is a clinical neurologist and neurophysiologist whose later clinical work focused on treating Parkinson's disease and related movement disorders. He retired in 2022 and lives in San Francisco, California.

Irena Hausmanowa-Petrusewicz, née Ginzburg was Polish doctor and neurologist who specialized in neuromuscular diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shin Joong Oh</span>

Shin Joong Oh is a South Korean and American physician who is Distinguished Professor of Neurology Emeritus at The University of Alabama at Birmingham in the United States. Oh is a clinician, researcher, and educator known for his contributions to the fields of neurology and electrodiagnostic medicine, particularly electromyography. He retired in 2014.

References

  1. ↑ "EDUCATION AWARD RECIPIENTS". Amer. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "Donations in lieu of gifts". The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. 26 Oct 1990.
  3. ↑ "Zachary London, MD". University of Michigan. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  4. ↑ London, Z; Burke, JF; Hazan, R; Hastings, MM; Callaghan, BC (Apr 2014). "Electromyography-related pain: muscle selection is the key modifiable study characteristic". Muscle Nerve. 49 (4): 570–574. doi:10.1002/mus.23974. hdl: 2027.42/106736 . PMID   23893537. S2CID   9228793.
  5. ↑ Verson, J; Haig, AJ; Sandella, D; Yamakawa, KSJ; London, Z; Tomkins-Lane, C (Feb 2015). "Patient perception of pain versus observed pain behavior during a standardized electrodiagnostic test". Muscle Nerve. 51 (2): 185–191. doi:10.1002/mus.24308. PMC   4254897 . PMID   24895249.
  6. ↑ Lavette, L; Miller, A; Rook, B; London, Z; et, al (Aug 2021). "Education Research: NeuroBytes: A New Rapid, High-Yield e-Learning Platform for Continuing Professional Development in Neurology". Neurology. 97 (8): 393–400. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000012133. PMID   33931531. S2CID   233470639.
  7. ↑ Schaefer, SM; London, Z; Ferrara, JM; McCoyd, M; Cronin, C; et, al. (Sep 2021). "Multi-Residency Implementation of an Online Movement Disorders Curriculum Based on Real Patient Videos". Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y). 11: 38. doi: 10.5334/tohm.654 . PMC   8462470 . PMID   34621598.
  8. ↑ London, Z; Mahajan, A; Cahill, C; Khan, J; Schuyler, E; Price, RS (2022). "The Neurology Fellowship Application Conundrum: Finding Common Ground". Neurology. 98 (22): 929–937. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000200717. PMID   35444052. S2CID   248298142.
  9. ↑ "Young Leadership Council". AANEM. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "EMG Whiz: About". EMG Whiz. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Nerve Whiz". App Store. 16 May 2015.
  12. ↑ Lemmon, Monica (12 June 2012). "Media and Book Reviews: Nerve Whiz". Neurology. 78 (24). doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318259e302 .
  13. ↑ "Neuro Localizer". App Store. 22 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "0:02 / 16:19 • Why Board Games A Novel Neurology Localization Educational Board Game: The Lesion: Charcot's Tournament". You Tube: Michigan Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "The Lesion: Charcot's Tournament (2015)". Board Game Geek. August 26, 2024.
  16. ↑ "The Plexus". Neurd Games. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "Cranial Vault". Neurd Games. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  18. ↑ "Foramina!". Neurd Games. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "Endowed Chairs". Neurd Games. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "Neurdle".
  21. ↑ "Rooticle". Neurd Games. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "Dictation Errors". Neurd Games. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  23. ↑ "Battle Thunder Worm". Neurd Games. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  24. ↑ Edwards, SL; Gantwerker, E; Cosimini, M; Christy, AL; Kaur, AW; Helms, AK; Stiver, ML; London, Z (2023). "Game-Based Learning in Neuroscience: Key Terminology, Literature Survey, and How To Guide to Create a Serious Game". Neurology: Education. 2 (4). doi: 10.1212/NE9.0000000000200103 . PMC   11446165 .
  25. ↑ "Meet some of our guest faculty". Neurology Digital Education Collective.
  26. ↑ "Zachary London, MD". University of Michigan. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  27. ↑ "Hard Taco Project" . Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  28. ↑ "JCN: Game Development for Neurology Education". SAGE Neuroscience and Neurology. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  29. ↑ "Hard Taco Project". You Tube.
  30. ↑ "Zachary London, MD". University of Michigan. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  31. ↑ "Provost's Teaching Innovation Prize Winners". University of Michigan CRLT.
  32. ↑ "Dr. Zachary London Receives Innovation Award". Newswise: AANEM. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  33. ↑ "EDUCATION AWARD RECIPIENTS". American Academy of Neurology. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
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