NEWS OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER — VOL. 6 / NO. 2 — MARCH .

NEWS OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER — VOL. 6 / NO. 2 — MARCH 2019RodeoRehabHow one cowboyis coming backafter injuries,p. 18OPEN SECRETS:ARE WE READY FORWHAT DNA KITS REVEAL?p. 6REPLACING A PILLWITH AN APP,p. 30

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5th AnnualNeuromuscularDisorders SeminarAdvances in Neuromuscular Careand RegulationsBaylor St. Luke’s Medical Center–McNair CampusCourse Director: Aziz Shaibani, MD, FACP, FAAN, FANAOverviewAt least half of all cases of neurological disease are categorized asneuromuscular disorders, which are responsible for common symptomssuch as fatigue, weakness, numbness, dizziness, loss of balance,and blurred vision. These disorders impose constant diagnostic andtherapeutic challenges to practicing and academic neurologists alike.Several new medications were approved for neuromuscular disordersover the last two years, and new genetic testing panels and diagnosticmethods have reached commercial use. Also, the Center for Medicaidand Medicare Services (CMS) created new regulations for the practice ofneurology, which create additional challenges. This seminar is designedespecially for the busy neurologist who desires to remain current on thediagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular disorders.April 13, 20197:30 am - 5:30 pmBaylor St. Luke's Medical Center–McNair Campus7200 Cambridge Street Houston, TX 77030For more information and to register, please visitBaylorCME.org/CME/1591.

President’s PerspectiveTMC PULSEVol. 6 No. 2March 2019President and Chief Executive OfficerWilliam F. McKeonCommunications DirectorMark Mulligan/ Houston Chronicle. Used with permission.Ryan HoleywellWILLIAM F. McKEONPresident and Chief Executive OfficerTexas Medical CenterPulse EditorMaggie Galehousemgalehouse@tmc.eduAssistant EditorCindy Georgecgeorge@tmc.eduStaff WritersAlexandra BeckerBritni R. McAshanShanley PiercePhotojournalistCody DutyContributing IllustratorsIhave always been a person who needed very little sleep—or so I thought.For most of my adult life, my routine has been to stay up late, sleep four to fivehours and wake up without an alarm, starting each day anew with no apparent effecton my productivity. Adults typically require seven to eight hours of sleep per day—athird of our lives—which always troubled me. I always viewed those hours in bed as aterrible waste of time and prided myself on the efficiencies I gained while others slept.Today, I’m not embarrassed to say: I was wrong.I’ve learned that sleep plays an important role in our lives, helping our bodiesrejuvenate by repairing tissue and synchronizing hormones. While each of usrequires a different amount of sleep, getting enough sleep is a key determinantof a healthy life.During sleep, our bodies release hormones that slow our heart rate and breathingand relax our muscles. Both the body and mind slow down so that more energy canbe dedicated to reparations.Of course, we experience periods of sleep deprivation throughout our lives—when we cram for college exams, when we welcome a new child and when we starta new job, for example. Our bodies recover fairly quickly from these episodes oncethey subside. However, long-term sleep deprivation can jeopardize both our physicaland mental health. Sleep disorders are often linked to weight gain and anxiety,among other health issues. Simply put: sleep matters.Like many people, I find that regular exercise helps me to sleep deeper andlonger. And I now know better than to dismiss sleep as a waste of time, as I once did.Today, I view sleep as a priority in my life and a key contributor to both my mentaland physical well-being.It’s not always easy to get enough sleep, of course. We face competing demandsfor our time from work, family and friends. But cutting down on sleep isn’t a healthyway to find those extra hours.When you go to bed this evening, I wish you a “good night.” But even moreimportantly, I wish you sufficient sleep.2tmc» p u l s e m a r c h 2 01 9Nadya ShakoorXiaomeng icia TIONWallace Middletondistribution@tmc.eduREAD US ONLINEtmc.edu/newsFOLLOW rTMC Pulse is an award-winningmonthly publication of the TexasMedical Center in Houston, Texas.Permission from the editor isrequired to reprint any material.

Table of Contents15242628Four Daysin HaitiI’m Dr. Red DukeObesity’s Linkto CancerA New Mogiein the House4 Curated: Vincent van Gogh:His Life in Art12 Spotlight: Lisa M. Hollier, M.D.17 Next Med: Keeping your hair during chemo29 Vitals: Does a new Alzheimer’s studyhold the secret to early diagnosis?34 Field Notes36 CalendarFormer first ladyLaura Bush speaks at The Center forHealth & Nature’s inaugural symposium,p. 33on this page:on the cover: Cowboy Anthony Thomasworks out at a ranch in Humble, Texas.

The Intersection of ARTS and MEDICINECredit: Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, HoustonBy Britni R. McAshanPaintings included in the MFAH exhibit: Self-Portrait, March–June 1887 (above);A Pair of Leather Clogs, Autumn 1889 (right); In the Café: Agostina Segatori inLe Tambourin, January–March 1887 (below).Vincent van Gogh left behindan astounding collection ofart created over just one decade.More than 50 pieces by the iconicDutch painter will be on display atthe Museum of Fine Arts, Houston(MFAH) starting March 10.“He is a unique combination ofintensity, technique and amazingimagery, which is why we love himtoday,” said David Bomford, theAudrey Jones Beck curator in thedepartment of European art andchairman of the department ofconservation at the MFAH. “Whatis amazing about van Gogh as anartist is the extraordinary brevityof his career. In this exhibit, we arelooking at the entire 10-year careerfrom when he became an artist towhen he died.”Vincent van Gogh: His Life in Arttakes viewers through the artist’snovice drawings, his discovery ofImpressionism in Paris and continues on to the end of his career in thesouth of France—when he created4tmc» p u l s e m a r c h 2 01 9some of his best-known and mostloved paintings.“When he moved to the south ofFrance, suddenly, this astoundingclarity, brilliance and radiance tookover his art,” Bomford said. “Thecombination of color and brushworkis something that had never beenseen before.”But while van Gogh was creatingrich, colorful paintings of the Frenchcountryside,he was struggling withsevere mentalhealth issues.“Hismental stateintrigues us,”Bomford said.“We don’tknow exactlywhat mentalconditions hehad—thereare theoriesas to whatpsychological state he was in, butclearly he was unstable. That instability, that extraordinary mentalpassion, just made his art all themore intense.”Some experts have speculatedthat van Gogh suffered from bipolardisorder, manic depression and anxiety. In 1888, after a breakdown thatled him to cut off part of his left ear,the artist was admitted to a mentalhealth hospital in Arles, France. Hewas diagnosed with acute maniaand generalized delirium.“You can see changes in hisworks based on his mood at thetime, but it is possible to read toomuch into that,” Bomford said. “Ifyou look at his final works that weredone just outside of Paris, theybecome very jagged, very angularand fierce, with dramatic brushstrokes. It is possible to read intothat the severe state of his mind atthat stage and it is tempting to makeconnections between the imageryand his mental state.”One of van Gogh’s final paintings, Wheatfield with Crows, seemsto foreshadow the artist’s eventualsuicide. A reproduction of the painting will be on display at the MFAH.“It is sort of a path going intoa wheatfield and stopping, whilethese incredibly dramatic, sinistercrows circleand wheeloverhead,”Bomfordsaid. “Thispiece isoften perceived asbeing thefinal statement of hisamazinglydisturbedmental condition andit seemslike a final painting before heshot himself.”Weeks after creating Wheatfieldwith Crows, van Gogh apparentlytook his own life at age 37.“What would he have gone onto do? That’s the most intriguingquestion of all,” Bomford said.The MFAH exhibition goes farbeyond the collection of paintingsvan Gogh created in the last fewyears of his life and is unlike anything that has been seen in Houstonbefore. The exhibit is a collaborationbetween the Van Gogh Museumin Amsterdam and the KröllerMüller Museum in Otterlo,The Netherlands.“It is very unusual these daysto have an exhibit like this in theUnited States,” Bomford said. “VanGogh’s works are quite fragile andin great demand, so they travel lessand less. We have made a specialrelationship with these two museums—which are the greatest vanGogh collections in the world—to get these precious works herein Houston.”Vincent van Gogh: His Life in Artwill be on display from March 10to June 27 at the Museum of FineArts, Houston, Audrey Jones BeckBuilding, 5601 Main St.Information: 713-639-7300

HOUSTON METHODISTMORE THAN A HOSPITALOne-Stop Access forAll Your Health Care NeedsJOOUTPATIENTCENTERTo find a doctor, visit houstonmethodist.org/moreor call 713.790.3333.INSITYBLVD.SCURLOCKTOWERST. Six centers of excellence in cancer, cardiology, gastroenterology,neurology, orthopedics and sports medicine, and transplantIVEREEMANBLVD.SMITHTOWERIN Personalized care tailored to your unique needsUNFRHOUSTONMETHODISTHOSPITALBENRTE.AVREFANN Teams of experts using the newest technologiesMA Specialty physician offices, imaging and labsST.Houston Methodist in the Texas Medical Center is more thanjust a hospital. We offer a full spectrum of care, including:HNSPECIALTY PHYSICIAN OFFICES,IMAGING AND LABSlocated in Scurlock and Smith Towersand Outpatient Centertmc» p u l s e m a r c h 2 01 95

OPEN SECRETSAre we ready for what DNA kits reveal?Illustration: Nadya ShakoorBy Alexandra Becker