Judith Drenthen
Clinical neurophysiologist
My background
I studied medicine at the University of Antwerp, and later at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Following my medical studies, I specialized in Neurology at the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, where I obtained my PhD in 2022.
Since 2014, I have been practicing as a neurologist/clinical neurophysiologist at the Erasmus MC, with a special interest in patients with neuromuscular diseases. Since 2022, I am sector head and medical coordinator of the clinical neurophysiology department.
My projects
As a clinical neurophysiologist, I am engaged in various projects involving neurophysiological investigations, such as nerve conduction studies and nerve ultrasound, in patients with diseases of the nerves.
An important part of my projects focusses on neurophysiology in various polyneuropathies, such as immune mediated neuropathies. With the outcomes of these investigations, we hope to identify neurophysiological parameters that can help unravel underlying pathophysiological processes, be of prognostic value and potentially, predict response to various therapies. Another aim is to unravel risk factors for chronic (idiopathic axonal) polyneuropathies. I am involved in the polyneuropathy screening study which is imbedded in the prospective population-based Rotterdam Study (ERGO study). Hopefully someday, with these results steps can be made towards treatment, and even help prevent this common form of polyneuropathy.
Another area of research involves analysing the effects of plexiform neurofibromas, which are nerve sheath tumours, on the peripheral nerve function of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. Using nerve conduction studies, high-resolution ultrasound, and clinical parameters, our aim is to gain deeper insights into the impact of these tumours. We strive to identify patients who may be at risk of developing malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours in the future.
My thesis | April 2022
You will find an overview and description of my projects in my thesis:
