David M. Waitzman, MD, PhDEmeritus Professor of Neurology
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- Education & Training
- Clinical Interests
- Committees & Organizations
- Research
- Research Opportunities
- Lab Rotations
- Publications
- Presentations
Degree | Institution | Major |
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BA | Johns Hopkins University | Biophysics |
MD, PhD | Mount Sinai School of Medicine of CUNY | Medicine |
Post-Graduate Training
Training | Institution | Specialty |
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Internship | Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia | Internal Medicine |
Residency | University of California at San Francisco | Neurology |
Fellowship | National Eye Institute | Neuro-Ophthalmology |
Awards
Name of Award/Honor | Awarding Organization |
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Top Doctor (Top 1%) 2019/Top Regional Doctor 2019 | Castle Connolly |
Top Doctor (upper 1%) 2018 | Castle Connolly |
Most Compassionate Doctor 5 Year Honoree 2013 - 2018 | Castle Connolly |
Top Doctor (upper 1%) 2017 | Castle Connolly |
Top Doctor (upper 1%) 2016 | Castle Connolly |
Top Doctor 2015 | Castle Connolly |
Top Doctor 2014 | Castle Connolly |
Top Doctor 2013 | Castle Connolly |
Patients’ Choice Award 2012 | Castle Connolly |
Top Doctor 2012 | Castle Connolly |
Top Doctor 2011 | Castle Connolly |
Most Compassionate Doctor 2011 | Castle Connolly |
Employee of the Month | University of Connecticut Health Center |
David S. Frederick, M.D. Award | University of Connecticut School of Medicine |
I see patients with Neuro-Ophthalmologic problems, in other words patients in which the illness presents with visual symptoms but the actual disease process targets the brain. Common examples include patients with Pseudotumor Cerebri, Optic Neuritis, Diplopia (double vision), Myasthenia Gravis, Ischemic Optic Neuropathy, and optic nerve damage secondary to lesions located at the optic chiasm, e.g., pituitary adenomas.
Name & Description | Category | Role | Type | Scope | Start Year | End Year |
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UCHC Faculty Review Board Appeals Committee | Professional/Scientific Organization | Member | UConn Health | University | 2010 | 2016 |
UCHC Medical School: MD/PhD Admissions Committee | Professional/Scientific Organization | Member | UConn Health | University | 2003 | 2011 |
North American Neuro Ophthalmology Society (NANOS)- member attending the yearly national meeting. | Professional/Scientific Organization | Member | External | National | 2000 | 2019 |
UCHC Animal Care Committee | Professional/Scientific Organization | Member | UConn Health | University | 1991 | 2014 |
VA Animal Care Committee | Professional/Scientific Organization | Member | External | National | 1991 | 1997 |
American Academy of Neurology | Professional/Scientific Organization | Member | External | National | 1983 | 2019 |
Society for Neuroscience | Professional/Scientific Organization | Member | External | National | 1977 | |
UCHC Academic Council | Education Committee | Member | UConn Health | University | ||
UCHC IRPAC Committee | Professional/Scientific Organization | Member | UConn Health | University | ||
UCHC Research Sub-committee | Research Committee | Chairman | UConn Health | University | ||
VA Research and Development Committee | Professional/Scientific Organization | Member | External | National | ||
North American Neuro-Ophthalmologic Society (NANOS) | Professional/Scientific Organization | Member | External | National |
1) Oculomotor system, control of rapid eye movements by the central Mesencephalic Reticular Formation (cMRF) and its relationship to the superior colliculus. 2) Oculomotor system: control of fixation. 3) Gaze system: Contribution of the cMRF to the control of gaze. 4) Models of the oculomotor system. Behavioral, neurochemical, and neurophysiologic techniques are used to explore how cells in the cMRF, which have reciprocal, topographic projections to the superior colliculus, participate in the control of combined head and eye movements (i.e., gaze). Our current hypothesis is that the cMRF participates in a decomposition of the gaze signal originating from the superior colliculus into separate head and eye streams. Single neuron electrophysiology, gaze (eye re: head) and head (re: space) movement measurements are used to examine whether the reticular formation carries signals about the current position, velocity, or acceleration of the head or eyes to the superior colliculus, Pontine Reticular Formation (PPRF) or cervical spinal cord. Reversible and irreversible lesions within the reticular formation are utilized to characterize its role in oculomotor control. Antidromic stimulation is used to confirm the target structures of reticular formation neuronal activity. These techniques provide data to model how the reticular formation might participate in gaze control. Future projects include correlation of neck EMG activity with the activity of neurons in the cMRF.
Research opportunities in studying patients with genetic causes of Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension (IIH). Other research areas include clinical aspects of patients with IgG4 disease of the brain and neural characteristics of young patients with Behcet's disease
Not accepting students for Lab Rotations at this time
Journal Articles
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Membrane Frizzled-Related Protein-Related Disease Mimicking Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.
Journal of neuro-ophthalmology : the official journal of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society 2022 Oct;
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Neurologic IgG4-Related Disease.
The Neurohospitalist 2019 Apr;9(2):118-119
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Vergence neurons identified in the rostral superior colliculus code smooth eye movements in 3D space.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2013 Apr;33(17):7274-84
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Anatomical evidence for interconnections between the central mesencephalic reticular formation and cervical spinal cord in the cat and macaque.
Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) 2008 Feb;291(2):141-60
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Comparison of saccade-associated neuronal activity in the primate central mesencephalic and paramedian pontine reticular formations.
Journal of neurophysiology 2007 Aug;98(2):835-50
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Eye movements evoked by electrical microstimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation in goldfish.
Neuroscience 2006 Feb;137(3):1051-73
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Neurones associated with saccade metrics in the monkey central mesencephalic reticular formation.
The Journal of physiology 2006 Feb;570(Pt 3):507-23
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Spatial characteristics of neurons in the central mesencephalic reticular formation (cMRF) of head-unrestrained monkeys.
Experimental brain research 2006 Jan;168(4):455-70
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Temporal characteristics of neurons in the central mesencephalic reticular formation of head unrestrained monkeys.
Experimental brain research 2006 Jan;168(4):471-92
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Molecular cloning and expression profiling of optineurin in the rhesus monkey.
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 2005 Jul;46(7):2404-10
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Treatment of recalcitrant idiopathic orbital inflammation (chronic orbital myositis) with infliximab.
American journal of ophthalmology 2004 Dec;138(6):925-30
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Effects of reversible inactivation of the primate mesencephalic reticular formation. I. Hypermetric goal-directed saccades.
Journal of neurophysiology 2000 Apr;83(4):2260-84
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Effects of reversible inactivation of the primate mesencephalic reticular formation. II. Hypometric vertical saccades.
Journal of neurophysiology 2000 Apr;83(4):2285-99
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Chiasmal herniation as a complication of bromocriptine therapy.
Journal of neuro-ophthalmology : the official journal of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society 1996 Dec;16(4):252-7
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Diagnostic neuroimaging: computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
Journal of the American Optometric Association 1996 Aug;67(8):481-95
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Activity of neurons in monkey superior colliculus during interrupted saccades.
Journal of neurophysiology 1996 Jun;75(6):2562-80
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Central mesencephalic reticular formation (cMRF) neurons discharging before and during eye movements.
Journal of neurophysiology 1996 Apr;75(4):1546-72
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Superior colliculus neurons mediate the dynamic characteristics of saccades.
Journal of neurophysiology 1991 Nov;66(5):1716-37
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Superior colliculus neurons provide the saccadic motor error signal.
Experimental brain research 1988 Jan;72(3):649-52
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Cortical activity blockade prevents ocular dominance plasticity in the kitten visual cortex.
Experimental brain research 1986 Jan;65(1):182-8
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Herpes simplex virus type 2 encephalitis in two homosexual men with persistent lymphadenopathy.
Annals of neurology 1985 Feb;17(2):203-6
Book Chapters
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Oculomotor Systems and Control
Conn's Translational Neuroscience 2017 Dec;Chapter 20
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Encyclopedia of the Human Brain
The Midbrain 2002 Jan;43-68
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Projections from the superior colliculus to a region of the central mesencephalic reticular formation (cMRF) associated with horizontal saccadic eye movements.
Experimental brain research 1984 Jan;57(1):167-76
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Horizontal Saccades and the Central Mesencephalic Reticular Formation
Progress in Brain Research 243-256
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The Central Mesencephalic Reticular Formation – Role in Eye Movements
Encyclopedic Reference of Neuroscience
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The Discharge of Some Extraocular Motoneurons is Related to Dynamic Motor Error During Visually Guided Saccades
Contemporary Oculomotor and Vestibular Research: A Tribute to David A. Robinson 241-243
Case Reports
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Optic Perineuritis in an Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection.
The neurologist 2023 Jul;28(4):250-255
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A case report: recurrent vestibular schwannoma.
Connecticut medicine 1997 Jan;61(1):23-5
Conference Papers
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Brainstem mechanisms underlying control of large amplitude saccades
Bioengineering, Proceedings of the Northeast Conference 2004 Jan;3011-12
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Contribution of the superior colliculus and the mesencephalic reticular formation to gaze control.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2002 Apr;956111-29
Editorials
Newsletters
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Thought to Action: Development of Temporal Signals from Topographic Maps
Physiology News (66):
Other
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Burst Neurons in the Mesencephalic Reticular Formation (MRF) of the Rhesus Monkey Associated with Saccadic Eye Movements
Doctoral Thesis, City University of New York
Reviews
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Neuronal evidence for individual eye control in the primate cMRF.
Progress in brain research 2008 Jan;171143-50
Title or Abstract | Type | Sponsor/Event | Date/Year | Location |
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Kids with Sixths and Other Oculomotor Deficits | Lecture | Hartford Hospital/Neurology Grand Rounds | 2018 | Hartford Hospital JB118 |
“Ticks Go Nuts: Uni- and Bilateral Visual Loss” | Lecture | 2017 | Hartford Hospital, CT | |
Twists and Turns of Cranial Neuropathy in Melanoma | Lecture | Hartford Hospital/Neurology Grand Rounds | 2016 | Hartford Hospital, CT |
Painful Ophthalmoplegia: “Not everything that meets the eye is as it appears!” | Lecture | Hartford Hospital/Neurology Grand Rounds | 2015 | Hartford Hospital, CT |
“Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD)” Graduate Students Course: Molecular Mechanisms of Neurobiological Disorders (MEDS 5385), UCHC | Lecture | Dept of Neuroscience, Richard Mains, PhD | 2015 | UCHC |
Central Dilemmas | Lecture | Neurology Grand Rounds | 2014 | Hartford Hospital, CT |
“Optic Nerve Head Quandaries” Neurology Grand Rounds | Lecture | Hartford Hospital | 2013 | Hartford, Connecticut |
“Primary Open Angle Glaucoma: Clinical and Research Aspects” Graduate Students Course: Molecular Mechanisms of Neurobiological Disorders (MEDS 5385), UCHC | Lecture | Graduate School, Richard Mains, PhD | 2013 | Dept Neuroscience Conf Rm, UCHC |
“Biological Warfare in Neuro-Ophthalmology: Sarcoidosis and Devic’s Neuromyelitis Optica”: Neurology Grand Rounds | Lecture | Hartford Hospital | 2012 | Hartford, Connecticut |
”Swollen Nerves: Under Pressure Yet?” Neurology Grand Rounds | Lecture | Hartford Hospital | 2011 | Hartford, Connecticut |
”The World is Shaking and this Ain’t no Earthquake”, Neurology Grand Rounds | Lecture | Hartford Hospital | 2010 | Hartford, Connecticut |
“When Up and Down Don’t Work: Think Tauopathy” Neurology Grand Rounds | Lecture | Hartford Hospital | 2009 | Hartford, Connecticut |
“Acute Visual Loss – What a Pain” and ”Swollen Nerves: Under Pressure Yet?” | Lecture | Connecticut Optometric Association (COA) | 2008 | Farmington, Connecticut |
“If He Can’t Read Maybe a Pet Will Help” Neurology Grand Rounds | Lecture | Hartford Hospital | 2008 | Hartford, Connecticut |
“Neuronal Evidence for Individual Eye Control in the Primate cMRF” | Lecture | Education Centre, Charing Cross Hospital | 2007 | London, England |
“Role of MRF in Head and Eye Control” | Lecture | Gordon conference on oculomotor physiology, Bates College | 2007 | Lewiston, Massachusetts |
“Uveal Masquerades: Painful and Painless” Neurology Grand Rounds | Talk | Hartford Hospital | 2007 | Hartford, Connecticut |
“Controlling the Horizontal and the Vertical. How the Brain Stem Gets it Straight” Neurology Grand Rounds | Lecture | Hartford Hospital | 2006 | Hartford, Connecticut |
“Comparison of PPRF and MRF Burst Neurons in Eye Control” | Poster | Gordon conference on oculomotor physiology, Bates College | 2005 | Lewiston, Massachusetts |
“Double Trouble” Neurology Grand Rounds | Lecture | Hartford Hospital | 2005 | Hartford, Connecticut |
“The Pupil, When to Worry” | Lecture | New England Ophthalmological Society | 2004 | Boston, Massachusetts |
“Post-Traumatic Visual Syndrome” Neurology Grand Rounds | Lecture | Hartford Hospital | 2004 | Hartford, Connecticut |
“Diplopia for the General Ophthalmologist” Ophthalmology Grand Rounds | Lecture | The University of Connecticut Health Center | 2004 | Farmington, Connecticut |
“Visual Problems in Multiple Sclerosis” | Lecture | Keynote Speaker, Multiple Sclerosis Society | 2004 | Marriott Hotel, Connecticut |
“Advances in Neuro-Ophthalmology” | Lecture | University of Connecticut Health Center | 2004 | Farmington, Connecticut |
“Post-Traumatic Visual Syndrome: Where’s the Locus or Just Hocus Pocus” | Lecture | Neuro-Psychology Society of Connecticut | 2004 | New Britain, Connecticut |
“Different Shades of Color” | Lecture | Connecticut Society of Eye Physicians | 2003 | Southington, Connecticut |
“Different Shades of Color” | Lecture | Cogan Eye Society | 2003 | Boston, Massachusetts |
“Beyond Devic’s: Immune Mediated Optic Neuropathy”: Neurology Grand Rounds | Lecture | Hartford Hospital | 2002 | Hartford, Connecticut |
“Stopping the Head Following Gaze Movements” | Lecture | American Neurological Association | 2002 | New York, New York |
“The Contribution of the Superior Colliculus and the Mesencephalic Reticular Formation to Gaze Control” | Lecture | NY Academy of Sciences | 2001 | Cleveland, Ohio |
Systemic Illness: Pseudotumor Cerebrii | Lecture | New England Council of Optometry | 1998 | Providence, Rhode Island |
Functional Visual Loss | Lecture | New England Council of Optometry | 1998 | Providence, Rhode Island |
"Midbrain Disorders of Eye Movements" | Lecture | North American Neuro-Ophthalmologic Society | 1997 | Keystone, Colorado |
Pituitary Tumors: Neuro-Ophthalmologic Aspects | Lecture | The University of Connecticut Health Center | 1996 | Farmington, Connecticut |
Pituitary Tumors, Neuro-Ophthalmologic Aspects | Lecture | University of Connecticut Health Center | 1995 | Farmington, Connecticut |