MS Treatment Center
The Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center offers a comprehensive program for the evaluation and treatment of multiple sclerosis and related conditions. The Center is operated by Joseph B. Guarnaccia MD, in partnership with Griffin Hospital, which is known nationally and internationally for its patient-centered health care under the Planetree Model of Care.
The Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center
at Griffin Hospital
130 Division Street, 1st Floor
Derby, CT 06418
Joseph B. Guarnaccia, M.D., Director
(203) 732-1290 Fax: (203) 732-1299
email: mstreatmentcenters@griffinhealth.org
About Dr.Guarnaccia
Joseph B. Guarnaccia, MD
Born: April 19, 1955. Boston, MA
Married: Rajita Sinha, Ph.D.
Education
M.D. University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, OklahomaAugust 1983 to June 1987
B.A. University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Major: political science & geology
September 1973 to June 1977
Postgraduate Training
August 1993 Fellow in electrophysiology, Department of Neurology,Yale University School of Medicine
July 1992 to July 1993 Chief Resident, Neurology,
Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine July 1990 to June 1992 Resident, Neurology
Department of Neurology,
Yale University School of Medicine
July 1987 to June 1990 Resident in Internal Medicine,
Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, OU Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73190
Clinical Appointments
July 2000 to present Director, Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center Griffin Hospital, Derby, CT August 1993 to June 2000 Director of Multiple Sclerosis Clinic,
Co-director, Yale Multiple Sclerosis Program Department of Neurology, Yale University
Director, Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, VA Connecticut, West Haven Campus West Haven, CT
Attending Physician Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT Attending Physician, VA Connecticut, West Haven Campus West Haven, CT
Yale University Appointments
July 2000 to present Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Neurology,Yale University July 1994 to June 2000
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology Yale University August 1993 to June 1994 Associate Research Scientist
Department of Neurology Yale University August 1993 Clinical Instructor, Department of Neurology Yale University
Certification Boards and Licensure
December 1995 Diplomat. American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry
December 1990 Diplomat. Internal Medicine
1990 to present Connecticut
Medical License #031179
Research Publications:
Interferon beta-1b neutralizing antibodies in MS patients block JAK-STAT signaling pathways. Xie B, Rinder HM, Qin H, Fu XY, Guarnaccia JB. Submitted January 2000.
Rice GPA, for the Cladribine Clinical Study Group, and Filippi M and Comi G for the Cladribine MRI Study Group. Cladribine and progressive MS. Clinical and MRI outcomes of a multicenter controlled trial. Neurology 2000;54:1145-1155.
Cook SD, Devereux C, Troiano R, Wolansky L, Guarnaccia JB, Haffty B, Bansil S, Goldstein J, Sheffet A, Zito G, Jotkowitz A, Boos J, Dowling P, Rohowsky-Kochan C, Vollmer T. Modified total lymphoid irradiation and low dose corticosteroids in progressive MS. J. Neurol Sci 1997; 152: 172-181.
Solimena M, Dirkx, R, Butler M, Hermel J-M, Guarnaccia JB, Marek K, David C., DeCamilli P. Stiff-man syndrome and glutamic acid decarboxylase: an updated view. GABA Symposium '95. Satellite Meeting of the 15th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Neurochemistry. Kyoto, Japan. July, 1995.
Vollmer T, Guarnaccia J, Harrington Wm, Pacia S, Petroff O. Idiopathic granulomatous angitis of the central nervous system: diagnostic challenges. Arch Neurol 1993; 50:925-930.
Holloway S, Fayad P, Kalb R, Guarnaccia J, Waxman S. Painless aortic dissection: a case study. J. Neurol Sci 1993; 120:141-144.
Slater L, Makintubee S, Istre G, Guarnaccia J. Bactermic disease in adults due to Haemophilus influenzae capsular type f: a report of 5 cases and a survey of the literature. Reviews of Infectious Diseases 1990; July-August.
Abstracts
The Cladribine Clinical Study Group. Cladribine and Chronic Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: The Results of a Multicenter Trial. Poster Presentation. American Academy of Neurology Meeting. Toronto. April, 1999.
Kier L, Guarnaccia JB, Bronen RA. The abnormal Meyer's Loop: implications for multiple sclerosis management. Poster presentation accepted at the Radiological Society of N. Am. Annual Meeting. Nov. 1998.
Hogans B, Guarnaccia JB, Solimena M, Marek K, Camilli P. Stiff man syndrome: clinical characteristics and anti-GAD antibody status. Poster presentation accepted at the American Neurological Association Annual Meeting. Montreal. Oct. 1998.
Guarnaccia JB, Vollmer T. Combination therapy of multiple sclerosis. Poster presentation accepted at the American Neurological Association Annual Meeting. Montreal. October. 1998
Auld E., Guarnaccia JB, Stripling T, Bernheim A, Booss J. Veterans with MS in the VA Health Care System. Poster presentation at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting. Cleveland, OH, Sept. 1998.
Guarnaccia JB, Kazis L, Kashner TM, Collins D, O'Connor T, Hope MA, Brennan J, Booss J. Costs, Quality of Life and Functional Outcomes of Veterans with Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Interferon Beta. Poster presentation at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting. Cleveland, OH. Sept. 1998.
Cohen J, Goodman A, Guarnaccia JB, Jacobs L, Sirdofsky M, Blanchard N, Campion M, Simonian N. An open-label, tolerability study of interferon beta-1a (AVONEX) in combination with steroids and pentoxyfylline, in patients with moderate to severe multiple sclerosis. Poster presentation at the American Association of Neurology Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN. April, 1998.
Zhong J, Graham GD, Guarnaccia JB, Hadeishi Y, Gore JC. Quantitative Apparent Diffusion Coefficient and Diffusion Anisotropy Analysis of Multiple Sclerosis Plaques. Submitted to International Society For Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Sixth Scientific Meeting. Sydney, Australia. April 18-24, 1998.
The Cladribine Study Group. Cladribine and Chronic Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: the results of a Multi-Center Trial. Presented at American Neurological Association Annual Meeting. April, 1997.
Graham GD, Zhong J, Guarnaccia JB, Gore JC. Brain Water Direction Diffusion Coefficient Imaging in Patients with Chronic Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Society of Magnetic Resonance Fourth Scientific Meeting. May 1996.
Graham GD, Zhong J, Guarnaccia JB, Gore JC. Echo-Planar Imaging of Water Directional Diffusion and Diffusion Anisotropy Within Multiple Sclerosis Plaques. Society of Magnetic Resonance Third Scientific Meeting. Nice, France. August 1995
Boos J, Guarnaccia J, Selwyn P, Friedlander G. HIV Disease in an Outpatient Neurological Clinic. Abstract presented at World Congress on AIDS, Berlin, June 1993.
Guarnaccia J, Slater L, Istre G, Makintubee S. Adolescent and adult cases of invasive Haemophilius influenzae disease in Oklahoma, 1985-1986 (abstract). Clinical Research 35 (6): 857 A, October, 1987.
Book Chapters
Multiple Sclerosis – Overview by Joseph Guarnaccia, MD & John Booss, MD. In Handbook of Multiple Sclerosis. Edited by Nancy Holland. Raven Press. 1998.
Multiple Sclerosis by Joseph Guarnaccia, MD, Timothy Vollmer, MD, Stephen G. Waxman, MD. In Pharmacological Management of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders. Edited by S.J. Enna & J.T. Coyle. McGraw-Hill. 1998
Research Presentations
Guarnaccia JB, Vollmer T. Combination treatment Regimens Using Interferon Beta and Immunosuppressive/Cytotoxic Drugs in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Poster Presentation at the American Neurological Association Annual Meeting. Montreal, CA. October, 1999.
Guarnaccia JB, Kazis L, Kashner TM, Collins D, O'Connor T, Hope MA, Brennan J, Booss J. Costs, Quality of Life and Functional Outcomes of Veterans with Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Interferon Beta. Platform presentation at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting. Calgary, Alberta. September 5-7, 1997.
Guarnaccia J, MD, Marek K, MD, Solimena M, MD, DeCamilli P, MD. Clinical and Biochemical Features of Stiffman Syndrome. Platform presentation at the Movement Disorders Symposium of the American Neurological Association annual meeting. Boston, MA, October, 1993.
Guarnaccia J, MD, Whang R, MD, Sinha R, PhD. Ethical Decision-making: Differences in Values Among Internists. Poster presented at the Oklahoma Chapter of the American College of Physicians, Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma, October, 1989.
Guarnaccia J, MD, Whang R, MD, Sinha R, PhD. Ethical Decision-making: Differences in Values Among Internists. Poster presentation at the Oklahoma Association of House Staff Physicians, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, May, 1989. Second prize awarded.
Guarnaccia, J, MD, Makintubee S, MS, Istre G, MD, Slater L, MD. Adolescent and adult cases of Haemophilus influenzae disease in Oklahoma, 1985-1986. Paper presented at the joint meeting of the Oklahoma Society of Internal Medicine and Oklahoma Chapter of the American College of Physicians, Shangri La, Oklahoma, October, 1987.
Guarnaccia J, MD, Makintubee S, MS, Istre G, MD, Slater L, MD. Adolescent and adult cases Haemophilus influenzae disease in Oklahoma, 1985-1986. Paper presented at the Central Society for Clinical Research, regional meeting of the American College of Physicians. Chicago, Illinois, November, 1986.
Awards and Memberships
1998, July Multiple Sclerosis Representative on a VA Neurology Task Force on Clinical Research Trials.
1998 to present VA Spinal Cord Registry Product Improvement Member. An advisory group that meets monthly to revise and improve the spinal cord registry.
1998 Voted “Best Doctors in Connecticut,” Connecticut Magazine Survey
1996 Voted “Best Doctors in Connecticut,” Connecticut Magazine Survey
1995 to present Member Expert Panel on the VA Spinal Cord Registry: sponsored jointly by PVA and HSRD. VAMC, Durham, NC
1993 to present Professional Advisory Committee, Greater Connecticut Chapter and Western Connecticut Chapter National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Presbyterian Harris Health Foundation Student Research Scholarship Award
Research
1998 to present Principal Investigator. Treatment of patients with relapsing remitting MS with 3 doses of CGP77116 vrs. Placebo. Sponsored by Novartis.
1998 to present Principal Investigator. Phase III study of Interferon 1a in the Treatment of Patients with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Sponsored by Biogen.
1997 to present Principal Investigator. A Tolerability Study of AVONEX (Interferon beta-1a) in the Treatment of Subjects with Relapsing and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Phase II clinical study.
1996 to present Principal Investigator. HSR&D Project SDR#91-001 “Costs and Quality of Life and Functional Outcomes in Veterans Treated for Multiple Sclerosis with Beta Interferon 1-B (Betaseron).”
1996 to present Co-principal Investigator. Nancy Davis Center Without Walls. Research consortium of five academic MS Centers (UCSF, UCLA, U. of Portland, CNND, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Yale MS Center) sponsored by the Nancy Davis Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, to conduct collaborative research in multiple sclerosis.
1996 to present Principal Investigator. Use of Interferon Beta-1a (AVONEX) to Treat Patients with an Initial Demyelinating Event and MRI which shows High Risk of Development of Clinically Definite MS.
1995 to present Principal Investigator. Use of Cladribine to treat Patients with Chronic Progressive or Relapsing Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.
1993 to present Principal Investigator. Total Lymphoid Irradiation in the Treatment of Chronic Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.
1993 to present Principal Investigator. Cop-1 in the treatment of Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.
January 1987 to March 1987 Presbyterian Harris Research Scholar. Investigation of Haemophilus influenzae infections in adults in Oklahoma.
The MS Treatment Center is a private practice located within Griffin Hospital.