Clinical Neurocardiology Section - Division of Intramural Research

 David S.  Goldstein  M.D., Ph.D., Senior Investigator

Dr. Goldstein graduated from Yale College and received an M.D.-Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences from Johns Hopkins. After medical internship and residency at the University of Washington, he came to the NIH as a Clinical Associate in the NHLBI, obtaining tenure as a Senior Investigator in 1984. He joined the NINDS in 1990 to head the Clinical Neurochemistry Section and founded and directs the Clinical Neurocardiology Section, an independent Section. He has received Yale's Angier Prize for Research in Psychology, the Laufberger Medal of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 2 NIH Merit Awards, the Founders Award of the Bakken Heart-Brain Institute, and the NIH Distinguished Clinical Teacher Award. He is author of more than 450 research articles and several books, including "Adrenaline and the Inner World: An Introduction to Scientific Integrative Medicine," the "NDRF Handbook for Patients with Dysautonomias," "Stress, Catecholamines, and Cardiovascular Disease," and "The Autonomic Nervous System in Health and Disease.

Laboratory Staff

Courtney Holmes, C.M.T., Biologist , 301-496- 7832
Tereza Jenkins, , Secretary/Patient Care Coordinator , 301-496- 1115
Irwin Kopin, M.D., Scientist Emeritus , 301-496- 4297
Sandra Pechnik, R.N., Research Nurse , 301-435- 5166
LaToya  Sewell, , Nurse Practitioner , 301-451- 1670
Patti  Sullivan, , Biologist , 301-402- 2052

Research Interests

Dr. Goldstein's research interests are in catecholamine systems, clinical autonomic disorders, and scientific integrative medicine. The Clinical Neurocardiology Section, which he founded and directs, carries out mainly patient-oriented research about disorders of brain regulation of the cardiovascular system. The research emphasizes diseases of the autonomic nervous system in which the sympathetic nervous system or catecholamines play prominent roles, such as autonomic failure syndromes and neurogenetic conditions featuring abnormal catecholamine synthesis or metabolism. The Section operates a renowned Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory for assays of levels of catecholamines and their metabolites. Current research of the Section focuses on biomarkers and mechanisms of central and peripheral catecholaminergic denervation in Parkinson disease and related disorders.

Clinical Protocols

Clinical Laboratory Evaluation of Primary Chronic Autonomic Failure   03-N-0004

Reference Values for Plasma Catechols  06-N-0047

L-Dihydroxyphenylserine (L-DOPS) for Norepinephrine Deficiency: Interactions with Carbidopa and Entacapone   08-N-0012

Biomarkers of Risk of Parkinson Disease  09-N-0010

Selected Recent Publications

Goldstein DS.
Adrenaline and the Inner World: An Introduction to Scientific Integrative Medicine - Johns Hopkins University Press    2006

Goldstein DS, Eisenhofer G, Kopin IJ.
Sources and significance of plasma levels of catechols and their metabolites in humans - J Pharmacol Exp Ther  305 800-811 2003

Goldstein DS, Smith LJ
The NDRF Handbook for Patients with Dysautonomias - Futura    2002

Goldstein DS
The Autonomic Nervous System in Health and Disease - Taylor & Francis    2001

Goldstein DS, Holmes C, Cannon RO III, Eisenhofer G, Kopin IJ
Sympathetic cardioneuropathy in dysautonomias - N Engl J Med  336 696-702 1997

Goldstein DS
Stress, Catecholamines, and Cardiovascular Disease - Oxford Univ. Press    1995

Contact Information

Clinical Neurocardiology Section, CNP, DIR, NINDS, NIH Building 10, Room 5N220  10 Center Drive, MSC 1620  9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda MD  20892-1620

Telephone: 301-496- 2103 (office), 301- 496-7832 (laboratory), 301-402- 0180 (fax), Email: goldsteind@ninds.nih.gov