Bhaskar Roy, MBBS, (a medical degree awarded in several countries outside of the U.S.), is a neurologist who specializes in neuromuscular disorders and has deep expertise in using electromyography (EMG), a medical test that measures electrical activity in a patient’s nerves and muscles, to diagnose diseases. Dr. Roy cares for patients with muscular dystrophies, inflammatory myopathies (myositis), neuropathy, and autoimmune neuromuscular disorders. He is interested in rare and complex neuromuscular disorders, including inclusion body myositis (IBM) and other hereditary muscle diseases.
“Neuromuscular disorders are complex,” Dr. Roy says. “The challenge of diagnosis is what drew my attention to this field. These patients are a unique group of people who really need help. Some of them have gone undiagnosed for a long time.” Specialized neuromuscular care can help ensure that therapy is given as early as possible when applicable, he adds.
In addition to EMG, Dr. Roy is also trained in using neuromuscular ultrasound. “This is a relatively newer mode of technology that allows a physician to see some of the nerves and muscle tissue.”
Neuromuscular medicine has advanced rapidly in recent years and new drugs are available for patients with diseases that were previously not treatable, Dr. Roy says. His research on biomarkers—which are measurable markers that indicate a status of disease or health in the body—could help neurologists better understand a patient’s response to a treatment. In his studies, Dr. Roy uses electrical impedance myography (EIM), a painless test that assesses muscle health in a noninvasive way.
Dr. Roy is an assistant professor of neurology at the Yale School of Medicine.
