Neurology

1. Overview

The Department of Neurology of Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital originated from the Neurology Specialty Group established at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao Medical College in 1951. In 1962, the Department of Neurology became an independent department. In 1978, it became one of the first disciplines authorized by the State Council to confer master’s degrees. In 1995, it was designated one of the first key disciplines by the Shandong Provincial Health Department. In 2000, the Research Laboratory for the Prevention and Treatment of Brain Diseases, administratively managed by the Department of Neurology, was designated a provincial key laboratory. In 2007, the East Campus Department of Neurology, located on Haier Road in Laoshan District, was established. In 2009, it became a professional doctoral training program, and in 2010, it became an academic doctoral training program. After the West Coast Campus opened in 2011, the Department of Neurology of the West Coast Campus was established. Our Department of Neurology is a medical, teaching and research center for neurology in eastern Shandong. Senior experts represented by Professors Han Zhongyan, Xie Xuekong and Cong Zhiqiang laid a solid academic and clinical foundation for the department. Through the unremitting efforts of several generations, our Department of Neurology has made substantial progress in its department size, medical services, specialty structure, academic standards, talent development and medical equipment. It has achieved outstanding results in medical care, teaching and research, and enjoys a high reputation in Shandong Province and throughout China.

2. Talent Team

The Department of Neurology has a strong talent base and has formed a high-level medical, teaching and research team comprising senior, middle-aged and young professionals, led by professors and doctoral supervisors, with a large number of outstanding young and middle-aged professionals serving as the core. The Department of Neurology currently has 59 full-time physicians, including 24 with doctoral degrees and 30 with master’s degrees. Physicians with a master’s degree or higher account for 91.5% of the total. There are 11 physicians with senior professional titles and 18 with associate senior professional titles; personnel with associate senior titles or above account for 49.2%. The department currently has 3 doctoral supervisors and 21 master’s supervisors, 2 deputy chairs of the Neurology Branch of the Shandong Medical Association, 2 members of study groups of the Chinese Medical Association, and 1 editorial board member of the Chinese Journal of Neurology.

3. Specialty Features

(1) Cerebrovascular Disease

The cerebrovascular disease specialty is the longest-established specialty within the Department of Neurology. It was founded by Professor Han Zhongyan and has a high profile in China. The specialty leverages the comprehensive strengths of our hospital in cerebrovascular disease and, in combination with clinical, cranial imaging, cerebrovascular imaging and genetic research platforms, conducts systematic research into the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular disease, vascular and cranial imaging, and biological markers of stroke. It has served as editor-in-chief of multiple monographs on cerebrovascular disease and organized numerous national- and provincial-level continuing medical education programs. It currently leads one General Program project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China in the field of cerebrovascular disease research. Over the past 10-plus years, systematic research has been conducted on standardized diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular disease, neurointervention, susceptibility gene screening, the relationship between stroke and cognitive impairment, and biological markers of cerebrovascular disease, with many years of accumulated experience and more than 20 SCI papers published. The department has continuously built on our hospital’s leading position in TCD in China and uses this platform to develop standardized ultrasound diagnosis and stroke treatment models. Current research in this specialty includes: 1. Research on susceptibility genes for stroke; 2. A standardized diagnosis and treatment model integrating clinical, ultrasound and vascular imaging; 3. Diagnosis of rare causes of stroke; 4. The relationship between stroke and cognitive impairment; 5. Animal studies of ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

(2) Neuroimmunology and Neuromuscular Diseases

The specialty of neuroimmunology and neuromuscular diseases was established in the 1970s by Professor Cong Zhiqiang and is at the forefront in China in the clinical diagnosis, treatment and research of myasthenia gravis. This specialty is one of the five major myasthenia gravis centers in China and has organized numerous national- and provincial-level continuing medical education programs. Over the past 30-plus years, records have been accumulated for more than 4,000 patients with myasthenia gravis. More than 300 new patients are currently seen each year, and more than 1,000 patients receive continuing follow-up annually. Systematic research has been conducted on susceptibility gene screening, treatment of refractory myasthenia gravis and standardized diagnosis and treatment models for myasthenia gravis, and more than 10 related SCI papers have been published. Systematic research and experience have also been accumulated in the diagnosis and treatment, imaging, immunological markers and electrophysiology of multiple sclerosis and inflammatory peripheral neuropathies. Over the past 3 years, an initial foundation has been established through animal-model studies of multiple sclerosis. Current research in this specialty includes: 1. Genetic research on myasthenia gravis; 2. Clinical diagnosis and treatment of refractory myasthenia gravis; 3. The protective mechanism of parasite eggs in the EAE animal model of multiple sclerosis.

(3) Epilepsy

The epilepsy specialty was founded in the 1980s by Professor Xie Xuekong and has accumulated systematic experience in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy, animal studies of the pathogenesis of epilepsy, and susceptibility gene research in refractory epilepsy. This specialty has engaged in the clinical prevention and treatment and basic research of epilepsy for more than 20 years. It treats a large number of patients with epilepsy and is the largest epilepsy diagnosis and treatment center in eastern Shandong. It has served as editor-in-chief of influential monographs and organized numerous national- and provincial-level continuing medical education programs. Research has been conducted on the pathology, immunology and biological markers of epilepsy; susceptibility gene screening and standardized diagnosis and treatment of refractory epilepsy have been carried out; animal models have been used to study the pathogenesis of epilepsy and identify intervention targets; and clinical and research work involving systematic evaluation of patients with epilepsy is under way. Current research in this specialty includes: 1. Identification of intervention targets in the pathogenesis of epilepsy; 2. A systematic diagnosis and treatment model for patients with refractory epilepsy.

(4) Neurodegenerative Diseases

This specialty began in the Department of Neurology in the 1990s and has developed rapidly in recent years. It has systematically carried out the clinical diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of Parkinson’s disease and is currently one of the larger standardized Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and treatment centers in Shandong Province. It was the first in the province to provide DBS treatment for Parkinson’s disease and has achieved significant social benefits. The pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease is being continuously investigated. The specialty currently leads one General Program project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and has published more than 10 SCI papers. Systematic work has also been conducted on Alzheimer disease. Various dementia scales are used in a standardized manner in clinical practice, and the specialty has participated in multiple multicenter clinical studies on this basis. It has extensive experience in diagnosing Alzheimer disease and confirming its clinical phenotypes, and has combined its work with the genetic screening platform to conduct susceptibility gene screening for Alzheimer disease, publishing more than 10 papers. Standardized clinical registration and follow-up of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have been conducted. Several years of experience have been accumulated in animal studies of the biological markers and pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and 5 SCI papers have been published. Current research in this specialty includes: 1. Screening for pathogenic genes of Parkinson’s disease and animal-model studies; 2. Susceptibility gene screening for Alzheimer disease; 3. Evaluation and use of dementia scales; 4. Animal studies of the injury mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

4. Medical Technology

The Department of Neurology currently carries out standardized screening, prevention and treatment of ischemic stroke, as well as clinical and research work on interventions for ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Standardized and interventional treatment of cerebrovascular disease is at an advanced level in China. The department is currently a Ministry of Health base hospital for stroke screening, prevention and treatment. In the field of Parkinson’s disease, standardized diagnosis and treatment have been systematically implemented, and a specialty clinic has been established. The department is one of the larger diagnosis and treatment centers in Shandong Province and was the first in the province to provide DBS treatment, achieving significant social benefits. In the field of epilepsy, systematic clinical treatment and related research on refractory epilepsy are carried out. A specialized epilepsy clinic has been established, and diagnosis and treatment of various types of epilepsy, combined with video EEG monitoring, have reached an advanced level in the province. The cognitive impairment specialty focuses on the clinical work and research of vascular dementia, as well as systematic evaluation of cognitive scales. A specialized dementia clinic has been established, and the department has participated in multiple domestic multicenter collaborative studies on this basis. The neuroimmune disease specialty focuses on clinical phenotype and genetic research on myasthenia gravis and clinical diagnosis and treatment research on refractory myasthenia gravis. Its clinical treatment is at a leading level in China, and it is one of the largest myasthenia gravis centers in the country. The diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis and inflammatory peripheral neuropathies have also reached an advanced level in the province. The Department of Neurofunctional Examination is fully equipped for TCD, EEG and EMG examinations, providing a basis and guidance for clinical diagnosis and greatly improving the level of clinical diagnosis.

5. Research and Teaching

In recent years, the department has undertaken 4 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and more than 30 research projects at the provincial and municipal levels. It has received more than 10 provincial- and municipal-level research awards and has served as editor-in-chief or deputy editor-in-chief of more than 10 books. In recent years, it has published more than 200 academic papers in publicly available Chinese academic journals, of which more than 40 have been indexed by SCI, MED and ISTP. Six projects have been appraised as reaching an internationally advanced or domestically leading level. The department has established long-term, stable cooperative relationships with relevant universities and research institutions in the United States, Australia and other countries. A total of 8 person-visits have involved overseas study or visiting training; after returning to China, the participants carried out related clinical and research work.

The theoretical teaching and clerkship content in neurology fully reflect new advances in the discipline’s theories and technologies. The curriculum is well designed, and the department was among the earliest in the university to introduce innovative reforms such as multimedia and bilingual teaching. It once received the second prize in Teaching Management and Practice from the Shandong Provincial Education Commission. Each year, the department is responsible for neurology teaching and clerkships for multiple undergraduate programs, including clinical medicine, nursing and medical imaging. It currently trains an average of more than 20 master’s students and 2–5 doctoral students each year. The department accepts more than 30 physicians specializing in neurology for further training each year and has organized provincial- and national-level continuing medical education courses many times since 2001. It has established good cooperative relationships with numerous hospitals in China and abroad, regularly sends young and middle-aged medical and technical staff to high-level neurology medical and research centers in China and abroad for exchange and study, and develops and promotes new technologies. The Department of Neurology is currently a standardized residency training base in Shandong Province, and its residency training program is well regulated and rigorous. Several hundred residents have successfully completed training to date. Several teachers from the Neurology Teaching and Research Office have won first or second prizes in the medical college’s Chinese- and English-language teaching competition, and many have been named Outstanding Teachers of Qingdao University.

6. Patient Guide

(1) Department Locations

Outpatient

Department of Neurology (Shinan): 4th floor, Outpatient Building

Department of Neurology (Laoshan): 2nd floor, Outpatient Building

Department of Neurology (West Coast): 3rd floor, Outpatient Building

Inpatient

Department of Neurology (Shinan): 2nd floor, Brain Hospital

Department of Neurology (Laoshan): 9th floor, Area A

Department of Neurology (West Coast): 13th floor, Building B

(2) Consultation Telephone Numbers

Department of Neurology (Shinan): 0532-82911210

Department of Neurology (Laoshan): 0532-82913068

Department of Neurology (West Coast): 0532-82919629