Dr. Ignacio L. Pita García
Contact Info
Education
Degree: M.D. UPR, School of Medicine, 2001
Degree: B.A. (Sciences), Tulane University, 1997
INTERNSHIP: University District Hospital, 2001-02
RESIDENCY: Neurology, UPR, School of Medicine, 2002-05
FELLOWSHIP: Clinical Neurophysiology/Epilepsy, University Hospital of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University. 2005-06
SPECIALTY: Neurology
SUBSPECIALTY: Clinical Neurophysiology, Epilepsy, and Sleep Medicine
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
Assistant Professor, UPR, Neurology Section, 2006-2013
Assistant Professor, Child Neurology Section, 2007-09
RESEARCH EXPERIENCES
2013- present L. Sanchez, I. Pita Health Disparities in Access to Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in Puerto Rico based on Health Insurance System: Private versus Medicaid
2011-present I. Pita (Site PI) A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, MULTICENTER, PARALLEL-GROUP STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF BRIVARACETAM IN SUBJECTS
(≥16 TO 80 YEARS OLD) WITH PARTIAL ONSET SEIZURES
2011- present I. Pita (Site PI) AN OPEN-LABEL, MULTICENTER, FOLLOW-UP STUDY TO EVALUATE THE LONG-TERM SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF BRIVARACETAM USED AS ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT IN
SUBJECTS AGED 16 YEARS OR OLDER WITH PARTIAL ONSET SEIZURES
2009- 2012 J. Arias, I. Pita. Hear rate variability in patients with epilepsy and non-epileptic events.
2008-2010 L. Román, I. Pita. Reliability in recognizing non-epileptic seizures among nursing staff.
2005-2009 S. Amina, I. Pita, MA Werz. Tolerability and Efficacious Serum Concentrations of Levetiracetam Two Hours After Single 1500 mg Dose in Adult Epilepsy Patients.
2006- Present I. Pita, J. Kralewski. “Health Disparities in epilepsy patients: “Reforma” versus Private Health Insurance.
2005-Present A Multicenter, open-label trial to investigate the safety and tolerability of intravenous SPM 927 as replacement for oral SPM 927 in subjects with partial seizures with or without secondary generalization (SCHWARZ BIOSCIENCES protocol SP 757)
2005-2006 An open-label extension trial to determine safety and efficacy of long term oral SPM 927 in patients with partial seizures (SCHWARZ BIOSCIENCES protocol SP 756)
2005-2006 An open-label extension trail to determine tolerability and efficacy of long-term oral SPM 927 as adjunctive therapy in patients with partial seizures (SCHWARZ BIOSCIENCES protocol SP 615)
PUBLICATIONS
M. Koubeissi, S. Amina, I. Pita, G. Bergey, and MA Werz. Tolerability and Efficacy of Oral Loading of
Levetiracetam Neurology 2008: 70: 2166-2170
Guiot, I. Pita, J. Bertran, G. Alfonso. Cytomegalovirus polyradiculomyelopathy in AIDS: a case report and review of literature. PRHSJ Vol 25, No. 4 p. 359.
Pita, A. Jelaso, and C. Ide, Ph.D. “IL-1β Increases Intracellular Calcium Through an IL-1 Ty pe I Receptor Mediated Mechanism in C6 Astrocytic Cells.” International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 1999, Vol. 17, No. 8, pp. 813-820.
Montalvo, I. Pita, M.Rios, M. Vazquez, K. Acevedo Identification of Clinical and Genetic Factors Associated with Pharmacoresistance in Childhood-Onset Epilepsy
Jocelyn Montalvo, Miriam Rios-Motta, Sahily Gonzalez-Crespo, Lorena Gonzalez-Sepulveda, Karina Acevedo, Marisel Vazquez and Ignacio Pita “Association between polymorphism in genes involved in pglycoprotein regulation and pharmacoresistance in childhood-onset epilepsy”. American Epilepsy Society, December 2014
J. Montalvo, I. Pita, M.Rios, M. Vazquez, K. Acevedo “No association between C3435T polymorphism in MDR1 gene and anti-epileptic drug resistance in Puerto Rican children with epilepsy” 11th European
Congress on Epileptology, Stockholm, July 2014
L. Sanchez, I. Pita Health Disparities in Access to Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in Puerto Rico based on Health Insurance System: Private versus Medicaid. American Epilepsy Society, Washington D.C., 2013
R. Lopez, I. Pita. EEG Misinterpretation in Patient with Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Events. American
Epilepsy Society, San Diego, 2012
J. Arias, M. Rios, I. Pita. Impact of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program in Puerto Rico: Two-year experience. American Epilepsy Society, Baltimore, 2011. Poster.
J. Arias, M. Soto-Salgado, I, Pita. Peri-ictal heart rate variability in subjects with partial epilepsy. American Epilepsy Society, 2011. Top ten percent abstract award.
S. Amina, I. Pita, MA Werz. Tolerability and Efficacious Serum Concentrations of Levetiracetam Two
Hours After Single 1500 mg Dose in Adult Epilepsy Patients. American Epilepsy Society. 2006
I. Pita, M.D., C. Serrano, M.D., V. Wojna, M.D. University of Puerto Rico. “Depression in a Group of Puerto Rican Patients with Parkinson’s Disease”. International Congress of Movement Disorders, Rome, Italy. June 2004.
I. Pita, M.D., J. Velez-Borras, M.D., V. Wojna, M.D., University of Puerto Rico. Epileptiform activity in Children with Attention Deficit Disorder. 1st Congress of Chronic Diseases, San Juan PR June 2004
I. Pita, M.D., C. Serrano, M.D. University of Puerto Rico. Demographic Profile of Movement Disorders in Puerto Rico. 1st Congress of Chronic Diseases, San Juan PR June 2004
I. Pita, M.D., C. Serrano, M.D., V. Wojna, M.D. University of Puerto Rico. “Depression in a Group of Puerto Rican Women with Parkinson’s Disease”. International Behavioral Neuroscience Society. San Juan, P.R. 2003. Poster presentation.
I. Pita, M.D., V. Wojna, M.D., C. Serrano, M.D., University of Puerto Rico. “Estrogen Effect on Parkinson’s Disease Severity”. Sixteenth Annual Symposia on Etiology, Pathogenesis, and Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and Other Movement Disorders. Parkinson Study Group. New York, New York. 2002. Poster presentation.