Name
Dr. Annu Aggarwal

Designation
Consultant, Neurology, Specialist Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology

Qualifications
MBBS, MD (Gen Medicine), DNB (Neurology), MRCP (UK)

Fellowships

• Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia

• Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India

Speciality Interests
Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology

Experience

KH Experience

Dr. Annu Aggarwal is a neurologist and specialist in Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology. At the Kokilaben Hospital, she is involved in caring for people with cognitive and behavioural problems. Such problems can develop with aging, as a result of neurodegenerative dementias, such as Alzheimer, Fronto-Temporal Dementias (FTDs), Diffuse Lewy Body Disease (DLB), Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), or vascular dementias (following stroke). These problems are also seen in younger patients due to neurodegeneration or neuro-metabolic diseases like Wilson disease, head injuries, epilepsy and infections among others. Dr. Aggarwal runs the Wilsons Disease Clinic and Alzheimer & Memory Clinic at the Kokilaben Hospital.

The Alzheimer and Memory Clinic at the KH is a specialist clinic for people with neurological problems resulting in decline in memory, confusion, difficulty in speech and understanding, change in personality, aggressive behaviour, hallucinations or depression. The clinic offers a comprehensive dementia care program including neurology consultation, physical and cognitive rehabilitation, psychotherapy, speech therapy and gait training. Since cognitive and behavioural problems affect the family along with the patient, we also offer family counselling services, help target rehabilitative goals and equip the family for KH supported long-term home care.

The Wilson Disease Clinic at KH is among the first clinic in the world to devoted to treatment and care of people with Wilson disease and their families. The aim of the Wilson Disease Clinic is to ensure that no person in India goes undiagnosed or untreated. The Clinic offers a comprehensive care program including neurology and liver specialist consultation, physical and cognitive rehabilitation, psychotherapy, speech therapy and gait training. Since Wilson disease is a familial we also offer family counseling services, screening of siblings and genetic counseling.

Early Experience
Dr. Aggarwal graduated with an MBBS from LTM Medical College, Mumbai and obtained her postgraduate degree in Internal Medicine from TN Medical College, Mumbai. She worked as Intensive Care Unit Associate at Hinduja Hospital before joining Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai. There she specialised in neurology and was awarded the Diplomate of the National Board (Neurology) from the NBE, New Delhi. Recently she was awarded the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of UK (MRCP (UK)) by the Royal College of London.

After being awarded DNB (Neurology) Dr Aggarwal continued at Jaslok Hospital as a postdoctoral fellow, and developed a new paradigm to diagnose and treat people with Wilsons Disease, including a clinical scale to assess disease progression and treatment response. Her other work during this period involved the management of neurological diseases resulting from liver failure and iron deposition in the brain, and an epidemiological study of Parkinsons Disease among Parsees residing in Mumbai.

In 2008-09, Dr. Aggarwal was a postdoctoral fellow in cognitive and behavioural neurology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), Adelaide. She was also affiliated with the University of Adelaide, Department of Medicine and the South Australian brain rehabilitation services at the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre. At RAH she studied the problems of hallucinations in people with Parkinsons Disease, violent behaviours in sleep (REM behaviour disorders), memory impairment, problems of mobility in patients with Downs Syndrome, and respiratory problems in people with neurodegenerative diseases.

Achievement

ACADEMICS/RESEARCH/AWARDS

Dr. Aggarwal has won several awards for her academics and research, including the highly competitive Hargobind Foundation Scholarship, Dr Jane Page Scholarship, and several conference grants from the Movement Disorders Society and other organizations. She has published numerous papers in leading neurology and medical journals, and given over 40 presentations in international conferences.

At the Kokilaben Hospital Dr Aggarwal complements her clinical practice with active research in partnership with fellow neurologists and other specialists in India, as well as at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Australia, Westphalian Wilhelms-University, Munster, Germany, University of Lubeck, Lubeck, Germany, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece, University College of London, Queen Square, London, UK, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, USA Dr. Aggarwal and her colleagues received numerous awards for their work including,

• Best Paper award at the 21st Annual Indian Academy of Neurology Conference, Indore, India, for their work entitled, "Deep Brain Stimulation in Neuroacanthocytosis and Tardive Dyskinesia."

• Shortlisted for Best Paper at the 113th Annual Meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), Washington DC, USA, 2013, for their work entitled, "Correlation of brain MRI abnormalities in Wilson disease with clinical disability"

• Best paper award at the 5th International Dystonia Symposium, Barcelona, Spain, 2011 for their work on Brain Iron deposition disorders entitled, "Indian-subcontinent NBIA: Unusual phenotypes, novel PANK2 mutations, and undetermined genetic forms.

Dr.Aggarwal has been invited as Guest Faculty to numerous International and National Conferences and Workshops. She is a member of several national and international organizations including the Royal College of Physicians of London, Medical Council of Maharashtra, Diplomate of National Board, American Academy of Neurology, Indian Academy of Neurology (IAN), International Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders Society Neurological Society of India, Maharashtra Association of Neurology (MAN), Bombay Neuroscience Association, and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Society of India.

Key Publications at the KH 2009-2014

2014

• Aggarwal A, Bhatt, "The pragmatic treatment of Wilson disease', Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, 2014

• Aggarwal A, Bhatt, "Hyperkinetic movement disorders & Wilson disease', Neurological Practice: An Indian perspective, Edition 2, Editors: Khadilkar S, Wadia, NH, Elsevier, 2014

• Aggarwal A, Bhatt M, "Complete Neurological Recovery in Wilson disease: experience with 100 consecutive patients seen from 2005-2013", AAN, Philadelphia, USA, 2014

• Aggarwal A, Munshi M, Sanghvi D, Ravan A, Parekh S, Rane P, Bhatt M, "A novel objective brain MRI Assessment Scale for Wilson disease (MAS for WD)", AAN, Philadelphia, USA, 2014

2013

• Chhabria MA, Bhatt M, Aggarwal A. 2013a, Pantothenate Kinase Associated Neurodegenration from Lys478glu- Pantothenate Kinase 2 mutation presenting as adult onset focal dystonia", Ann Indian Acad Neurol, 2013.

• Chhabria MA, Bhatt M, Balasubramanium A, Aggarwal A. 2013b, "Deep Brain Stimulation in Neuroacanthocytosis and Tardive Dyskinesia", Ann Indian Acad Neurol, 2013/h3>

• Chhabria MA, Bhatt M, Aggarwal A. 2013a, "Pantothenate Kinase Associated Neurodegenration from Lys478glu- Pantothenate Kinase 2 mutation presenting as adult onset focal dystonia", Ann Indian Acad Neurol, 2013.

• Chhabria MA, Bhatt M, Balasubramanium A, Aggarwal A. 2013b. "Deep Brain Stimulation in Neuroacanthocytosis and Tardive Dyskinesia", Ann Indian Acad Neurol, 2013

• Chhabria M, Todorov T, Chandhok G, Tilve S, Zibert A, Bhatt M, Schmidt HH, Aggarwal A. "Wilson disease mutation pattern with genotype-phenotype correlations from Western India: confirmation of p.C271* as a common Indian mutation and identification of 14 novel mutations", Ann Indian Acad Neurol, 2013

• Aggarwal A, Bhatt M, "Wilson Disease: an update", In Metals Related Neurodegenerative Diseases, International Reviews of Neurobiology, Editors: Bhatia KP and Scheinder SA, Elsevier, 2013

• Aggarwal A, Bhatt M, "Neurologic Aspects of Gastrointestinal / HepatoBiliary Diseases: Commonly used gastrointestinal drugs", In Neurological Aspects of Systemic Disease, Volume 1, Editors: Biller J and Ferro JM. Handbook of Clinical Neurology Series, Third Series Editor: Aminoff MJ, Boller F, Swaab DF, Elsevier, 2013

• Aggarwal A, Todorov T, Chandhok G, Tilve S, Zibert A, Bhatt M, Schmidt HH "Wilson disease mutation pattern with genotype-phenotype correlations from Western India: confirmation of p.C271* as a common Indian mutation and identification of 14 novel mutations", In print Annals of Human Genetics, 2013

• Aggarwal A, Thompson PD, Fung V, "Movement Disorders", In Clinical Neurology, Second edition. Editors: Gorelick P and Testai F. Mason Publishers. In print 2013

• Stamelou M, Lai SC, Aggarwal A, Schneider SA, Houlden H, Yeh TH, Batla A, Lu CS, Bhatt M, Bhatia KP "Dystonic opisthotonus: A 'red flag' for neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation syndromes?", In print Movement Disorders, 2013

• Aggarwal A, Munshi M, Sanghvi D, Ravan A, Parekh S, Bhatt M, "A novel objective Brain MRI Assessment Scale for Wilson disease (BMAS for WD)", 113th Annual Meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), Washington DC, USA, April , 2013

• Munshi M, Aggarwal A, Sanghvi D, Ravan A, Parekh S, Bhatt M, "Correlation of brain MRI abnormalities in Wilson disease with clinical disability", 113th Annual Meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), Washington DC, USA, April, 2013.

2012

• Aggarwal A, Todorov T, Chandhok G, Tilve S, Zibert A, Schmidt HH, Bhatt M, "Study of mutational pattern of patients with Wilson Disease from Western India", MDS 16th Intl. Cong. Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, Dublin, Ireland, June 2012

• Aggarwal A, Geschwind MD "Rapidly progressive dementias", In Reviews in Neurology Editors: Khadilkar S, Singh G Indian Academy of Neurology, pp. 307-28, 2011

• Aggarwal A. "Wilson Disease",Pharma Bio World Magazine, pp. 36-38, 2011

2010

• Aggarwal A, Schneider SA, Houlden H, Silverdale M, Paudel R, Paisan-Ruiz C, Desai S, Munshi M, Sanghvi D, Hardy J, Bhatia KP, Bhatt M, "Indian-subcontinent NBIA: Unusual phenotypes, novel PANK2 mutations and undetermined genetic forms", Movement Disorders, vol. 25(10), pp. 1424-31, 2010

2009

• Aggarwal A, Aggarwal N, Nagral A, Jankharia G, Bhatt M, "A novel Global Assessment Scale for Wilson's Disease (GAS for WD)", Movement Disorders, vol. 24, pp.509-18, 2009.