2002 DePuy Acromed Young Clinician Investigator

Jeffrey P. Blount, MD
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Research Title: Magnetic source imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the assessment of medically refractile pediatric epilepsy arising from malformations of cortical development-abstract

Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) are the most common lesion in children with symptomatic epilepsy. In these patients surgical treatment is frequently indicated thus localization of the epileptogenic region is essential. This usually requires the implantation of subdural electrode grids which is expensive, requires multiple surgeries and involves risks. Recent developments in functional imaging (magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)) have allowed non-invasive delineation of epileptogenic and functional cortex. We hypothesize that these modalities will predict epileptogenic and functional cortex. We will study 10 children with medically refractile epilepsy and correlate the localization of MEG, MRS and subdural grid.

About Jeffrey P. Blount

Jeffrey P. Blount MD was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and grew up in the Capital District (Albany) of upstate New York. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and Alpha Omega Alpha from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, New York. He is proud to be the last neurosurgical resident hired by the late great Shelly Chou, MD and completed his neurosurgery residency at the University of Minnesota in 1996 under the direction of Dr. Roberto Heros. After spending 3 years doing general and pediatric neurosurgery at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California he entered the pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In Toronto Dr. Blount's interests in epilepsy surgery in children that were initiated during his residency while working with Dr. Robert Maxwell and the MINCEP program were fostered under the tutelage of Dr. James T. Rutka and Dr. O. Carter Snead. In 1999 Dr. Blount took a position at the Childrens' Hospital of Alabama/University of Alabama at Birmingham where he is engaged in the full time practice of pediatric neurosurgery with emphasis and academic interest in pediatric epilepsy surgery. He is married, has two children and resides in suburban Birmingham, AL.