Faculty | Professors

Clinical & Research Interests

Dr. Björn Oskarsson's objectives are to help people with neuromuscular diseases by finding the correct diagnosis, utilizing the best medications and other interventions available today, and developing better treatment for the future.

Dr. Oskarsson directs the UCDavis ALS clinic, a multidisciplinary clinic that provides comprehensive ALS care according to national guidelines. Dr. Oskarsson collaborates with therapists and other specialists, and connects patients with resources in the community.

Dr. Oskarsson is Board certified in Electrodiagnostic Medicine and performs EMG/NCS.  Dr. Oskarsson is Board certified in Neuromuscular Medicine and performs and interprets muscle and nerve biopsies.

Dr. Oskarsson’s research interests include studies developing better treatments of ALS and studies aimed at gaining a better understanding of why ALS occurs. Dr. Oskarsson works with the UCD Center for Regenerative Cures to develop stem cell treatments for ALS.

Other Languages

Swedish

Education

Lund University Faculty of Medicine
Lund
Sweden
M.D. 1999

Gothenburg University Faculty of Medicine
Gothenburg
Sweden
Pre-Med 1996

Internships

University of Colorado
Denver, Colorado
2001
Medicine

Residency

University of Colorado
Denver, Colorado
2004
Neurology

Fellowships

University of Colorado
Denver, Colorado
2005
Electrodiagnostic Medicine

University of Colorado
Denver, Colorado
2006
Neuromuscular Medicine

Professional Memberships

ALS Research Group - Board member
American Academy of Neurology
American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic
North Eastern ALS (NEALS) study group
Western ALS (WALS) study group
World Federation of Neurology Research group on Motor Neuron Diseases

Select Recent Publications

Gordon, P.H., Moore, D.H., Miller, R.G., Florence, J.M., Verheijde, J.L., Doorish, C., Hilton, J.F., Spitalny, G.M., Macarthur, R.B., Mitsumoto, H., Neville, H.E., Boylan, K., Mozaffar, T., Belsh, J.M., Ravits, J., Bedlack, R.S., Graves, M.C., McCluskey, L.F., Barohn, R.J., Tandan, R.; for the Western ALS Study Group (Oskarsson, B. as a member of the Western ALS group) (2007). Efficacy of minocycline in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A phase III randomised trial. Lancet Neurology, 6(12), 1045-1053.

Oskarsson, B., Pelak, V.S., Quan, D., Hall, D., Foster, C., Galetta, S. (2008). Stiff eyes in stiff person syndrome. Neurology, 71(5), 378-379.

Buchsbaum, R., Kaufmann, P., Barsdorf, A.I., Arbing, R., Montes, J., Thompson, J.L., for The QALS Study Group (Oskarsson, B. as a member of the QALS group) (2009). Web-based data management for a phase II clinical trial in ALS. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, 10(5-6), 374-7.

Oskarsson, B., Zawadzki, L., Benke, T., Quan, D. (2009). Neuromuscular hyperexcitability associated with acetylcholine receptor antibodies in a child. Journal of Child Neurology, 24(1), 90-2.

Kaufmann, P., Thompson, J.L., Levy, G., Buchsbaum, R., Shefner, J., Krivickas, L.S., Katz, J., Rollins, Y., Barohn, R.J., Jackson, C.E., Tiryaki, E., Lomen-Hoerth, C., Armon, C., Tandan, R., Rudnicki, S.A., Rezania, K., Sufit, R., Pestronk, A., Novella, S.P., Heiman-Patterson, T., Kasarskis, E.J., Pioro, E.P., Montes, J., Arbing, R., Vecchio, D., Barsdorf, A., Mitsumoto, H., Levin, B.; QALS Study Group. (Oskarsson, B. as a member of the QALS group) (2009).  Phase II trial of CoQ10 for ALS finds insufficient evidence to justify phase III. Annals of Neurology, 66(2), 235-44.

Oskarsson, B., Quan, D., Rollins, Y.D., Neville, H., Ringel, S.P., Arciniegas, D.B. (2010). Using the frontal assessment battery to identify executive function impairments in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A preliminary experience. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, 11(1-2), 244-7.

Pioro, E.P., Brooks, B.R., Cummings, J., Schiffer, R., Thisted, R.A., Wynn, D., Hepner, A., Kaye, R. (2010). Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy Results Trial of AVP-923 in PBA Investigators. (Oskarsson B as a member of the PBA Investigators). (2010) Dextromethorphan plus ultra low-dose quinidine reduces pseudobulbar affect. Ann Neurol. Nov;68(5):693-702.

Oskarsson, B. (2011). Myopathy: Five new things. Neurology (Clinical Practice Suppl 2), 76(7),S14-19.

 
Deane, K.D., Tyler, K.N., Johnson, D.W., Tanabe, J.L., Oskarsson, B., Nitka, E., Brass, E., Davies, J.K., Striebich, C.C. (2011). Susac's syndrome and pregnancy: A case report and discussion of disease management. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology. Mar;17(2):83-8.