David Brian Wexler |
| Psychiatrist |
| California |
|
United States |
About David Brian Wexler
A graduate of Harvard University, David Wexler earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biology and studied foreign languages before matriculating at the University of California, San Diego, for his Doctorate in Medicine. David Wexler completed his internship and psychiatric residency at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center in 1994.
David Wexler is now in private practice in Portola Valley, California, where he particularly excels in the care of patients with complex psychiatric conditions, especially those that have been resistant to previous treatment. Drawing on his extensive background in Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry, David Wexler works side by side with other medical professionals to devise optimal treatment strategies. Much lauded for his compassionate, dedicated, creative, state-of-the-art clinical care, David Wexler received Patients’ Choice Awards in 2008 and 2009.
Since entering his field, David Wexler has dedicated time to educating clinicians, patients, and patients' families. David Wexler has presented seminars and spoken on a variety of topics, including trends in psychopharmacology, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, chronic pain, and depression, at Stanford University and in other forums.
Presently, David Wexler pursues a number of hobbies, especially foreign language study, to balance his dynamic professional life. Notably, David Wexler completed graduate coursework at the University of California, San Diego, in Linguistics in addition to his medical studies.
David Brian Wexler Links
About California
Dr. David Wexler Portola Valley: University of California, San Diego’s School of Medicine
I graduated from the University of California, San Diego’s School of Medicine, an institution that continues to perform remarkable research. With depression affecting well over 300 million patients around the world, psychiatrists at the School of Medicine have recently been focusing on new treatments for depression that will hopefully help those who are resistant to current treatments. One study involves the effect of intravenous infusion on patients who have not responded to traditional oral administration. The new intravenous medication operates through a pharmacological mechanism distinct from any other medicine on the market, holding out hope that it will provide relief to the one out of five patients that is unresponsive to other therapies. The novel drug operates on glutamate, a common neurotransmitter. Other accepted depression therapies have thus far focused on catecholamines. A similar drug called ketamine, frequently used as an anesthetic, is being studied at the National Institutes of Health and has shown promising results.
Another treatment that is being tested and used at UCSD -- among other institutions -- is repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This therapy involves exposing patients to focused MRI-strength magnetic pulses that target specific regions of the brain that have been proven to regulate mood. These magnetic pulses help to stimulate these parts of the brain in a non-invasive manner. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a simple 40-minute outpatient procedure that does not require any sedation or anesthesia; in fact, most patients comfortably watch television as they are exposed to the treatment. Current tests administer the magnetic pulses daily for a period of four to six weeks. While this treatment will surely not provide relief for every patient, it has shown a great deal of promise and, more importantly, marks a new generation of research into mood-supporting treatments. As we continue to expand the available treatments and methods, we grow closer to the goal of providing relief to everyone who is suffering from depression.