Tag Archives: ET

Join Us for our August 6th Virtual Meeting!

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Saturday, August 6, 2021
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
via Zoom

Development of a New Potential Medicine for Essential Tremor:
Why is it Taking so Long?

presented by Dr. Mandy Sterkel and Dr. Michelle Baladi
Jazz Pharmaceuticals

In this overview on drug development and clinical trial design, Drs. Sterkel and Baladi will cover some key considerations when designing clinical trials. They will discuss the iterative process and collaborative nature of drug development, highlighting the numerous stakeholders Jazz Pharmaceuticals work with along the way, including patients, caregivers, and regulatory agencies. They will also expand on the rationale for developing JZP385 for patients with essential tremor and discuss Jazz’s recently initiated Phase 2b clinical trial, the EveresT Study. This presentation is for anyone interested in learning more about the drug development process and a novel potential medicine for the treatment of essential tremor..

Dr. Mandy Sterkel is a Clinical Scientist within the Neuroscience Clinical Development department at Jazz Pharmaceuticals. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from West Virginia University and completed her post-doctoral fellowship in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. Dr. Sterkel has been at Jazz since 2016, and currently works as the Clinical Science Lead on the JZP385 Essential Tremor program. Dr. Sterkel lives in San Jose, California and in her free time she enjoys running, baking, and spending time with her husband, 1-year old son, and dog.

Dr. Michelle Baladi joined Jazz Pharmaceuticals in 2015 and is currently the global development lead for JZP385, which is a T-type calcium channel modulator in development for the treatment of Essential Tremor. Dr. Baladi holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Texas Health Science Center and has predominantly focused on neuroscience research during her career in the academic and pharmaceutical world. Dr. Baladi resides in the Clinical Development Neuroscience group at Jazz and lives in San Francisco, California. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, attending music concerts, traveling, and reading.

​Inquiries are invited!
Registration is required no later than noon on Wednesday, August 3rd!

To register or request information, email Helen Moser or submit the form below.

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Plan to Join Us on August 6th!

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The next regularly scheduled CT Essential Tremor Support Group meeting is set for 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 6th. Our speakers and program will be announced shortly.. but we do hope you’ll save the date and plan to join us!

We’ve Scheduled 2 Great Presentations for our June 4th Meeting!

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Saturday, June 4, 2022
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Botulinum Toxin Treatment for Essential Tremor
presented by Duarte Machado, MD
Co-Director of Hartford HealthCare’s
Chase Family Movement Disorders Center

~and~

Mindfully Stress-Less
presented by Sharon Gutterman, PhD
Mindful Wow!

Botulinum Toxin Treatment for Essential Tremor
At this meeting, Dr. Machado will review the safety and efficacy of botulinum toxin treatment, starting with a brief summary of this topic and followed by new data since the topic was last reviewed by our group over three years ago (in April, 2019).

Dr. Duarte Machado, who we’re fortunate to have as volunteer Medical Director for our CT Essential Tremor Support Group, is a Neurologist who specializes in Movement Disorders.

Co-Director of Hartford HealthCare’s Ayer Neuroscience Institute Chase Family Movement Disorders Center, Dr. Machado is Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. After completing his undergraduate degree at Trinity College, Dr. Machado attended the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, followed by an Internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital; Internal Medicine and Residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital; Neurology and a Fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine; Movement Disorders.

He is a member of several Professional Organizations:

  • American Neurological Association
  • American Academy of Neurology
  • International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
  • National Physicians Alliance
  • New Haven County Medical Association

Dr. Machado’s areas of interest include:

  • Essential Tremor
  • Parkinson Disease
  • Chorea
  • Dystonia
  • Tourette Syndrome
  • Huntington Disease
  • Myoclonus
  • Restless Legs Syndrome
  • Gait Ataxia
  • Spinocerebellar Ataxias
  • Botulinum Toxins
  • Deep Brain Stimulation

~then~

Mindfully Stress-Less!
Stop! What are you thinking right now? Dwelling on past regrets or worrying about the future? Research findings suggest that living mindfully in the present moment can be an antidote to stress and anxiety (both of which we in the ET Community know will negatively impact our tremor!), as well as a tool for cultivating health benefits. In our time together, we will take a look at foundational principles of mindfulness, practice meditation, explore truisms about the human condition, experience the triangle of awareness, and welcome new ways to surf the waves of life’s challenges.

Dr. Sharon Gutterman’s academic background includes a Ph.D. in medical education, Masters degrees in counseling and adult educational program development, and a Bachelor’s degree with honors in psychology.

Her training in mindfulness includes an intensive mindfulness-based stress reduction group training program taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli. Completing the Practicum at The Center for Mindfulness at The University of Massachusetts Medical Center, her teaching has been greatly influenced by attending numerous workshops and retreats taught by inspiring teachers.

​Dr. Gutterman’s advanced certificates include:

  • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intensive and Practicum (Center for Mindfulness/U.Mass. Medical Center)
  • Mindful Schools Mindfulness Curriculum 
  • Reiki Master, trained in the Usui System of Reiki Healing
  • Yoga Nidra trained at Kripalu
  • Certified Instructor Connecticut Police Academy
  • Certified in administering and consulting with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
  • Wellness Committee Internal Medicine Department, University of Connecticut Health Center

You can learn more about Dr. Gutterman and her practice on her website: www.mindfulwow.com/

​Inquiries are invited!
Registration is required no later than noon on Wednesday, June 1st!

To register or request information, email Helen Moser or submit the form below.

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The CT essential tremor support group is sponsored by

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Mark Your Calendar for our April meeting!

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Our next Essential Tremor Support Group meeting is scheduled for 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 2nd. As much as we’d love to meet in person, we’ll continue to monitor the situation closely and will likely meet via Zoom. Our speaker and topic will be announced shortly… but we do hope you’ll save the date and plan to join us!

March is Essential Tremor Month!

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In December 2010, the United States House of Representatives formally passed House Resolution (H.RES.) 1264 officially designating March as National Essential Tremor Awareness Month. This resolution was cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 56 Representatives.

This year, Governor Ned Lamont recognized the impact of Essential Tremor and the work of the International Essential Tremor Foundation by honoring my request and officially proclaiming March 2022 as Essential Tremor Awareness Month in the State of Connecticut:

Essential Tremor Awareness Month - Mar 2022 _v4

Mark Your Calendar for Our December Meeting!

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Our next Essential Tremor Support Group meeting is scheduled for 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 4th. As much as we’d love to meet in person, we’ll continue to monitor the situation closely and will likely meet via Zoom. Our speaker and topic will be announced shortly… but we do hope you’ll save the date and plan to join us!

Our Next Virtual Meeting is October 2nd. Please Join Us!

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Saturday, October 2, 2021
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Diagnosis and Management of Essential Tremor:
The Method to the Madness!
presented by Movement Disorders Specialist Dr. Benjamin Dorfman

You won’t want to miss this presentation and discussion of how a movement disorders specialist determines that a patient has essential tremor vs other related issues, and how a course of treatment is determined!

Dr. Benjamin Dorfman is a board-certified movement disorders specialist at the Chase Family Movement Disorders Center, part of Hartford HealthCare. His areas of interest include Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, deep brain stimulation, dystonia, facial spasm, spasticity, botulinum toxin injections, restless legs syndrome, gait disorders, myoclonus, tardive dyskinesia, and tics.

Dr. Dorfman received his medical degree from the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey, followed by neurology residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York and a movement disorders fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in Manhattan, New York. He has authored numerous publications on movement disorders and has a special interest in education.

A member of the American Academy of Neurology and the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society, Dr. Dorfman lives in West Hartford, Connecticut with his wife and two children.

Inquiries are invited!
Registration is required no later than noon on Wednesday, September 29th!

To register or request information, email Helen Moser or submit the form below.

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The CT essential tremor support group is sponsored by

IETF logo tagline 10162012

Join Us for Our August 7th Virtual ET Support Group Meeting!

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Saturday, August 7, 2021
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Medications for Essential Tremor
presented by Movement Disorders Specialist Sulada Kanchana, M.D., Ph.D.

At this virtual meeting, Dr. Kanchana will review and discuss treatment options for the medical management of Essential Tremor.

Su Kanchana, M.D., Ph.D., a movement disorders specialist, is Director of Program Expansion & Outreach for Hartford HealthCare’s Chase Family Movement Disorder Center. She has special interests in Parkinson’s disease, Tremors, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), and Botulinum toxin therapy.

Before joining Hartford HealthCare, Dr. Kanchana was Co-Director of the Movement Disorders Program at SUNY Update Medical Center, Director of the Deep Brain Stimulation Program at Northwell Health in Long Island, Director of the Movement Disorders Program at Reading Hospital and Medical Center, and Co-Director of the Movement Disorders Program at Lehigh Neurology in Allentown, PA. While a member of the Movement and Inherited Neurological Disorders at the University of Rochester Medical Center, she was the founder and advisor of the Twin Tiers Parkinson Group in Big Flats, NY.

Dr. Kanchana earned Masters and Doctoral Degrees in biology and a Doctoral of Medicine at Wayne State University and School of Medicine. She completed a neurology residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a fellowship in movement disorders at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Inquiries are invited!
Registration is required no later than noon on Wednesday, August 4th!

To register or request information, email Helen Moser or submit the form below.

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The CT essential tremor support group is sponsored by

IETF logo tagline 10162012

Please Join Us on June 5th for Our Next Virtual Meeting!

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Saturday, June 5, 2021
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Neuropsychological Features of Essential Tremor
presented by Neuropsychologist Michelle Bobulinski Ph.D.

Over the past decade, there has been increasing evidence that Essential Tremor is associated with various non-motor clinical manifestations, including cognitive symptoms and neuropsychiatric symptoms or disorders, particularly involving depressed mood and anxiety. The reported prevalence estimates of neuropsychological symptoms varies, to some degree, in available literature, but overall it is suggested that mild-moderate cognitive deficits may be observed in approximately 50% of individuals diagnosed with ET. Research also demonstrates anxiety and depression are both more common in ET patients compared to normal controls. Individuals with ET report significant decline in the independent performance of both routine physical (e.g. self-care) and more complex activities of daily living, which may be a function of both motor and non-motor symptoms.

At this virtual meeting, Dr. Bobulinski will discuss the neuropsychological symptoms of ET and the importance of monitoring them as part of the clinical course.

Michelle Bobulinski, Ph.D., earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Bucknell University. After receiving graduate degrees at the University of Denver in Clinical/Counseling Psychology and at New York University in Psychology, Dr. Bobulinski completed an Internship in Clinical Psychology with a Specialty in Neuropsychology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and a Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at Yale University School of Medicine.

Currently working with Hartford HealthCare’s Ayer Neuroscience Institute, Dr. Bobulinski’s areas of interest include Neuropsychology, Movement Disorders, Neurologic and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Cognition/Neurocognitive Changes, Cognitive Assessment, Deep Brain Stimulation, and Behavioral Health.

A Licensed Psychologist in both CT and NY, she is a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, the New York Neuropsychology Group, the Connecticut Neuropsychology Society, and is a Research Associate Member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Inquiries are invited!
Registration is required no later than noon on Wednesday, June 2nd!

To register or request information, email Helen Moser or submit the form below.

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Your message has been sent

The CT essential tremor support group is sponsored by

IETF logo tagline 10162012

Save the Date!

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Whether it’s to be in person or via Zoom …unfortunately that is still the question! It’s most likely to be another Zoom event for us, but in either case, we do hope you’ll plan to join us from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 5th for our next CT Essential Tremor Support Group meeting. Details will be announced shortly.