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Paul-Vespa Photo

Is Super
Southern California Super Doctors
Specialty:
Neurology, Neurocritical Care
Neurology
Department Affiliation:
Neurosurgery
Hospital Affiliation:
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
State License:
G79459
Phone:
310-267-9448
Health Plans:
Accepted Plans
  • About Me
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About Me

Preferred Name: Paul M. Vespa, MD, FCCM, FAAN, FANA, FNCS

Assistant Dean of Critical Care Medicine, Research
Gary L. Brinderson Family Chair in Neurocritical Care
Professor In Residence of Neurosurgery and Neurology
Director of the Neurocritical Care Program.

As a neurointensive care specialist, Dr. Vespa focuses on critical care for the treatment of neurosurgical and stroke patients. Dr. Vespa is a Diplomate of the UCNS in Neurocritical Care and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pyschiatry and Neurology.

Hospital Position

  • Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine
  • Director of Neurocritical Care

Membership, Medical Organizations

  • United Council of Neurologic Subspecialties, Chair Person
  • Neurocritical Care Society, Board of Directors, Executive Committee
  • University of California Brain Injury Association
  • National Stroke Association
  • American Heart Association - Section on Stroke
  • NACABI Founding Member, North American Consortium of Acute Brain Injury
  • American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
  • AAN Section of Emergency and Critical Care Neurology
  • AAN Section on Clinical Neurophysiology
  • AAN Section on Stroke
  • Society of Critical Care Medicine
  • California Chapter of The Society of Critical Care Medicine
Links
stroke.ucla.edu
neurosurgery.ucla.edu/neurocritical-care-fellowship-ucla
neurosurgery.ucla.edu/ucla-neurosurgery-neural-systems-and-dynamics-laboratory-nsdl
neurosurgery.ucla.edu/neurocritical-care-program
uclahealth.org/neurology
Primary Office
Neurosurgery
300 Stein Plaza
Suite 420
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Get Directions
View Map
Phone
310-267-9448
Fax
310-825-7245
Medical Board Certifications
Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 1998
Fellowship
Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, 1994-1996
Residency
Neurology, University of Virginia Medical Center, 1991-1994
Internship
Internal Medicine, Riverside Methodist Hospitals, 1990-1991
Degree
Ohio State University College of Medicine, MD, 1990
Interests
  • Brain Trauma
  • Electroencephalogram (EEG)

    Electroencephalogram (EEG)

    An EEG is a procedure that detects abnormalities in your brain waves, or in the electrical activity of your brain. During the procedure, electrodes consisting of small metal discs with thin wires are pasted onto your scalp. The electrodes detect tiny electrical charges that result from the activity of your brain cells. 
    Learn more >
  • Head Trauma

    Head Injury

    A head injury is a broad term that describes many injuries that occur to the scalp, skull, brain, and underlying tissue and blood vessels in the head. Head injuries are also commonly referred to as brain injury, or traumatic brain injury (TBI), depending on the extent of the head trauma.
    Learn more >
  • Hydrocephalus

    Hydrocephalus

    A baby with hydrocephalus has extra fluid around the brain. This fluid is called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Too much CSF can increase the pressure in your baby’s head. This causes the bones in your baby’s skull to expand and separate. The baby's head may look larger than normal.
    Learn more >
  • Intracerebral Hemorrhage
  • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

    Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

    A subarachnoid hemorrhage means that there is bleeding in the space that surrounds the brain. Most often, it occurs when a weakened area in a blood vessel (aneurysm) on the surface of the brain bursts and leaks. The blood then builds up around the brain and inside the skull increasing pressure on the brain. This can cause brain cell damage, life-long complications, and disabilities.
    Learn more >
Research Interests
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Intracerebral Hemorrhage
  • Coma
  • Seizures
  • Brain Imaging (PET and MRI)
  • Stroke
Publications

Link to complete list of publications >

  1. Glenn TC, Martin NA, McArthur DL, Hovda D, Vespa PM, Horning MA, Johnson ML, Brooks GA. Endogenous nutritive support following traumatic brain injury: peripheral lactate production for glucose supply via gluconeogenesis. J Neurotrauma 2015 March PMID:25279664
  2. Chmayssani M, Stein NR, McArthur DL, Vespa PM. Therapeutic Intravascular Normothermia Reduces The Burden of Metabolic Crisis. Neurocrit Care. 2014 Oct 28. PMID:25348249.
  3. Goh SY, Irimia A, Torgerson CM, Tubi MA, Real CR, Hanley DF, Martin NA, Vespa PM, Van Horn JD. Longitudinal quantification and visualization of intracerebral haemorrhage using multimodal magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging. Brain Inj. 2015; 29(4):438-45. PMID: 25518865
  4. Glenn TC, Martin NA, Horning MA, McArthur DL, Hovda DA, Vespa P, Brooks GA. Lactate: Brain Fuel in Human Traumatic Brain Injury: A Comparison with Normal Healthy Control Subjects. J Neurotrauma. 2015 Mar 31. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 25594628.
  5. Neville TH, Wiley JF, Holmboe ES, Tseng CH, Vespa P, Kleerup EC, Wenger NS. Differences between attendings' and fellows' perceptions of futile treatment in the intensive care unit at one academic health center: implications for training. Acad Med. 2015 Mar;90(3):324-30. PMID:25517700.
  6. Muschelli J, Ullman NL, Mould WA, Vespa P, Hanley DF, Crainiceanu CM. Validated automatic brain extraction of head CT images. Neuroimage. 2015 Apr 7. PIM: 25862260.
  7. Webb AJ, Ullman NL, Morgan TC, Muschelli J, Kornbluth J, Awad IA, Mayo S, Rosenblum M, Ziai W, Zuccarrello M, Aldrich F, John S, Harnof S, Lopez G, Broaddus WC, Wijman C, Vespa P, Bullock R, Haines SJ, Cruz-Flores S, Tuhrim S, Hill MD, Narayan R, Hanley DF; MISTIE and CLEAR Investigators. Accuracy of the ABC/2 Score for Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Systematic Review and Analysis of MISTIE, CLEAR-IVH, and CLEAR III. Stroke. 2015 Sep;46(9):2470-6. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.114.007343. Epub 2015 Aug 4.
  8. Muschelli J, Ullman NL, Sweeney EM, Eloyan A, Martin N, Vespa P, Hanley DF, Crainiceanu CM. Quantitative Intracerebral Hemorrhage Localization. Stroke. 2015 Nov;46(11):3270-3. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.010369. Epub 2015 Oct 8.
  9. Vespa P, Tubi M, Claassen J, Blanco M, McArthur D, Velazquez AG, Tu B, Prins M, Nuwer M. Metabolic Crisis occurs with Seizures and Periodic Discharges after Brain Trauma. Ann Neurol. 2016 Jan 27. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 26814699
In The News
Hypothermia saves girl from carbon monoxide poisoning - abc7.com
Therapeutic hypothermia used to treat L.A. Marathon cardiac arrest victim - UCLA Newsroom
Awards
  • Neurocritical Care Society Presidential Citation 2019
  • Presidential Citation from the Neurocritical Care Society
  • Board of Directors of Unified Council of Neurologic Subspecialities
  • Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine
  • SCCM Neuroscience Award Winner
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