Local doctor finds new calling

Choose any disease, illness, disorder or ailment that’s affected a good friend, a family member or even you.

Now think about what could be done to improve the loved one’s condition.

Make life easier for the individual.

Improve the treatment available — maybe even find a cure.

Nice dream, huh?

Dr. Ross Hoffman is chasing that dream.

A rare movement disorder called dystonia affects Hoffman’s family.

A couple of years ago, the local cardiologist decided he wasn’t satisfied with the treatments available for the disorder that affects more than 300,000 people in the United States, and he was disappointed with how little was known about the disorder in the medical community.

So he decided to do something about.

It’s called Neuroquest Therapeutics.

On TV What: “Twisted,” a documentary about dystonia When: 10 p.m. today on PBS The scoop: The television documentary takes a look at a neurological movement disorder that affects more than 300,000 people in the United States For more information on dystonia, check www.dystonia-foundation.org.

A tough diagnosis

Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes uncontrollable muscle spasms that twist the body into awkward positions.

It causes involuntary movements and tremors, and has been described as a disorder that traps people inside their own bodies.

It can strike children as young as 8 years old.

The term “dystonia” was first coined in 1911.

The problem is that nearly a century later, little is known about dystonia.

Many doctors don’t even know about it, which is why the disorder is commonly misdiagnosed.

People who do know they have it, often don’t like to talk about it.

“It’s very sensitive,” Hoffman said, “which has a lot to do with why people haven’t heard of a lot of these things.”

Hoffman’s goal is to spread the word about the disorder — but he’s more than just a cheerleader.

He’s pushing the medical community to find answers, and he’s doing so by trying to create a company that will do the research necessary to develop new treatments and therapies for dystonia.

The business plan has already been developed.

Now he just needs $15 million.

Neuroquest Therapeutics

The vision statement on Hoffman’s business proposal reads:

“The vision of Neuroquest Therapeutics is the realization of effective therapies and ultimately a cure for all movement disorders.”

Pretty lofty goal, but Hoffman draws inspiration from a Fortune magazine featuring a story on cyclist Lance Armstrong and philanthropist Michael Milken.

Milken wasn’t satisfied with the level of care available to people with prostate cancer.

He challenged the establishment and financed his own research, single-handedly moving forward the treatment of prostate cancer.

“When I read that article I started to think about the power of one,” Hoffman said.

Through his efforts, Hoffman has already developed enough connections to make him somewhat of an authority in the field.

A biotech company in Boston invited him to talk recently, and he’s testified about dystonia on Capitol Hill.

He’s making progress, but unlike Michael Milken, Hoffman doesn’t have the money to single-handedly spearhead his own movement.

“One of the obstacles in creating new therapies is funding,” he said. “But I’m a believer that you can do something about these disorders.”

A new calling

A cardiologist is a physician trained to treat problems in the heart and circulatory system.

What does that have to do with movement disorders, one might ask?

Nothing.

In trying to develop a new treatment for dystonia, Hoffman has entered unfamiliar territory as far as his medical training goes.

But even though he wasn’t trained in the field of muscular disorders, having at least been trained in a nonrelated field of medicine does have its advantages.

For one thing, Hoffman can read and understand the piles of scientific literature he must dig through in his new undertaking.

And he knows how to make connections in the medical research field.

An opportunity Hoffman sees in the area of movement disorder treatment is transcranial magnetic stimulation.

One of the lead authorities in the field is Hoffman’s friend and Harvard research colleague Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone.

Pascual-Leone was interviewed last week on National Public Radio about his cutting-edge research, which allows scientists to probe tiny areas of the human brain to find out what they do.

“The only way we’re able to really disentangle the functions of this very complicated organ is by tapping here or there,” Pascual-Leone said in the interview.

Hoffman believes Pascaul-Leone’s research could potentially help him achieve his goal of transforming treatments and cures for people who not only suffer from dystonia, but Parkinson’s disease, stroke and stuttering.

He’s able to do a lot of his networking from his Community Hospital office in Grand Junction.

“I’ve introduced myself to more people by Internet than I’m comfortable admitting,” he said.

Connections and persistence is the key.

“You have to look at things realistically,” he said. “You have to give 10 pitches to get one taker.”

Day job

When Hoffman isn’t attempting to enter uncharted territory in the realm of dystonia research, he’s a cardiologist affiliated with both Community Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital.

In this job, he’s committed to bringing advanced three-dimensional, noninvasive cardiac imaging to Grand Valley patients.

He and cardiologist Kurt Spriggs have an interest in the technology that allows for coronary arteries to be imaged non-invasively through a simple intravenous injection.

The technology allows doctors to predict people’s cardiovascular risk, basically showing how cholesterol affects them.

Artery disease can be identified before a patient’s first heart attack.

That’s Hoffman’s day job.

“There’s no time for sleep,” he said.

Education

At 10 p.m. today on PBS, a new documentary about dystonia called “Twisted” will air for the first time.

Shot by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Laurel Chiten, the film provides a glimpse inside the lives of three individuals living with dystonia.

Hoffman believes the film is a critical first step in educating the country and world about dystonia.

“View the film, judge it for yourself and think about it as the tip of the iceberg,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman is excited the world is going to see what people with the disorder must live with on a daily basis, and he wants people to know that he’s made it his personal mission to improve the lives of those people who suffer.

“I’m a believer that you can do something about these disorders,” he said. “If it has a direct or indirect influence on making something happen — good. I’m just trying to do something that I really believe in.”

To learn more about dystonia, visit www.dystonia-foundation.org.