Katharine E. Alter, MD

BA, Environmental Organismic Population Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
MD, University of Toledo School of Medicine (formerly Medical College of Ohio), Toledo, Ohio

Dr. Alter is a Pediatric and Adult Physiatrist at the National Institutes of Health. She is a Senior Research Clinician and serves as the Medical Director of the Functional and Applied Biomechanics Section within Rehabilitation Medicine.

Prior to joining NIH full time in 2014, Dr. Alter worked at NIH part-time while she remained in clinical practice in the Washington DC region.

In her clinical practice, Dr. Alter has served as the Medical Director of Rehabilitation Medicine at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital (1998-2014), an affiliate of Johns Hopkin’s and the University of Maryland and as a staff physiatrist at National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington DC (1989-1998). She continues to serve in a clinical role at MWPH as a senior physiatrist focusing on the treatment of muscle hypertonia and related disorders.

Dr. Alter’s clinical and investigative interests include the assessment and treatment of neurological and musculoskeletal impairments in children and adults including movement disorders, cerebral palsy, stroke, muscle hypertonia, neuromuscular disorders, brachial plexus palsy, patellofemoral pain and other conditions affecting children and adults. Her current research projects include the evaluation and treatment of muscle hypertonia, non-invasive functional brain imaging, botulinum toxin chemodenervation procedures and the development of ultrasound imaging techniques for diagnostic purposes and procedural guidance for a variety of MSK and Neurological disorders.

She has presented Nationally and Internationally on topics within her field and has published numerous peer reviewed articles and book chapters.

• Distinguished Clinician, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2017
• Washingtonian Magazine, “Top Doctors” 2002-2012
• Teacher of the Year, National Rehabilitation Hospital Residency Program 1995
• Department of Pathology Award for excellence in Pathology 1983
• American Medical Women’s Award, 1983
• Pediatric Department Award for Excellence in Pediatrics, 1983
• Mosby Book Award for Excellence in Medical Ethics, 1983
• Phi Beta Kappa, 1977

Walker FO, Cartwright MS, Alter KE, Visser LH, Hobson-Webb LD, Padua L, Strakowski JA, Preston DC, Boon AJ, Axer H, van Alfen N, Tawfik EA, Wilder-Smith E, Yoon JS, Kim BJ, Breiner A, Bland JDP, Grimm A, Zaidman CM. Indications for neuromuscular ultrasound: Expert opinion and review of the literature. Clin Neurophysiol. 2018 Dec;129(12):2658-2679. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2018.09.013.

Alter KE, Karp BI. Reply to Comment on Ultrasound Guidance for Botulinum Neurotoxin Chemodenervation Procedures. Toxins 2018, 10, 18-Quintessential Use of Ultrasound Guidance for Botulinum Toxin Injections. Toxins (Basel). 2018 Sep 28;10(10).

Jha S, Fratzl-Zelman N, Roschger P, Papadakis GZ, Cowen EW, Kang H, Lehky TJ, Alter K, Deng Z, Ivovic A, Flynn L, Reynolds JC, Dasgupta A, Miettinen M, Lange E, Katz J, Klaushofer K, Marini JC, Siegel RM, Bhattacharyya T. Distinct Clinical and Pathological Features of Melorheostosis Associated With Somatic MAP2K1 Mutations.  Bone Miner Res. 2018 Aug 23.

Sukal-Moulton T, de Campos AC, Alter KE, Huppert TJ, Damiano DL. Relationship between sensorimotor cortical activation as assessed by functional near infrared spectroscopy and lower extremity motor coordination in bilateral cerebral palsy. Neuroimage Clin. 2018 Jul 30;20:275-285

Alter KE, Acevedo AT, Jackson A. Regional Rheumatic Disorders and Rehabilitation in Older Adults: An Update. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2018 Aug;44(3):453-473

Ahmad OF, Ghosh P, Stanley C, Karp B, Hallett M, Lungu C, Alter K. Electromyographic and Joint Kinematic Patterns in Runner's Dystonia. Toxins (Basel). 2018 Apr 20;10(4)

Alter KE, Karp BI. Ultrasound Guidance for Botulinum Neurotoxin Chemodenervation Procedures. Toxins (Basel). 2017 Dec 28;10(1).

Karp BI, Alter K. Muscle Selection for Focal Limb Dystonia. Toxins (Basel). 2017 Dec 29;10(1).

Pons C, Sheehan FT, Im HS, Brochard S, Alter KE. Shoulder muscle atrophy and its relation to strength loss in obstetrical brachial plexus palsy. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2017 Oct;48:80-87.

Damiano DL, Stanley CJ, Ohlrich L, Alter KE. Task-Specific and Functional Effects of Speed-Focused Elliptical or Motor-Assisted Cycle Training in Children With Bilateral Cerebral Palsy: Randomized Clinical Trial. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2017 Aug;31(8):736-745.

Kukke SN, Brewer CC, Zalewski C, King KA, Damiano D, Alter KE, Hallett M. Hearing Safety From Single- and Double-Pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Children and Young Adults. J Clin Neurophysiol. 2017 Jul;34(4):340-347.

Alter KE, Gormley M Jr, Patel AT. Spasticity Video Challenge: A Look at Methods for Addressing Difficult Cases. PM R. 2017 Jun 19.

Mayfield CH, Kukke SN, Brochard S, Stanley CJ, Alter KE, Damiano DL. Inter-joint coordination analysis of reach-to-grasp kinematics in children and adolescents with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2017 Apr 25;46:15-22.

Carlson VR, Boden BP, Shen A, Jackson JN, Alter KE, Sheehan FT. Patellar Maltracking Persists in Adolescent Females With Patellofemoral Pain: A Longitudinal Study. Orthop J Sports Med. 2017 Feb 8;5(2):2325967116686774.

Acevedo AT, Jackson A, Alter KE. Regional Rheumatic Disorders and Rehabilitation in Older Adults. Clin Geriatr Med. 2017 Feb;33(1):53-72.

Carlson V, Boden BP, Shen A, Jackson JN, Alter KE, Sheehan FT. Poster 119 Pathological Patellofemoral Kinematics Contribute to Idiopathic Patellofemoral Pain in Adolescence and Persist at Four Year Follow-up. PM R. 2016 Sep;8(9S):S200.

Jackson JN, Sheehan FT, Boden BP, Shen A, Carlson V, Alter KE. Adolescents and Adults with Patellofemoral Pain Have Different Pathological Knee Kinematics. PM R. 2016 Sep;8(9S):S155.

Chesler, AT, Seczot M, Baharuch-Gobel D, Ceko M, Donkervoot S, Laubacher C, Hotchkiss L, Alter K, Zampieri C, Stanley S, Innes AM, Mah JK, Grossman CM, Bradley N, Nguyen D, Foley AR, Le Pichon CE, Bonnemann CG. The Role of PIEZO2 in Human Mechanosensation. NEJM. 2016 Oct 6;375(14):1355-1364.

Llaneza Ramos VF, Considine E, Karp BI, Lungu C, Alter K, Hallett M. Ultrasound as Diagnostic Tool for Diaphragmatic Myoclonus. Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2016 May-Jun;3(3):282-284.

Kukke SN, Curatalo LA, de Campos AC, Hallett M, Alter KE, Damiano DL. Coordination of Reach-to-Grasp Kinematics in Individuals With Childhood-Onset Dystonia Due to Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng. 2016 May;24(5):582-590.

Brochard S, Mozingo JD, Alter KE, Sheehan FT. Three dimensionality of gleno-humeral deformities in obstetrical brachial plexus palsy. J Orthop Res. 2016 Apr;34(4):675-82.

Karp BI, Alter KE. Botulinum toxin treatment of blepharospasm, orofacial/oromandibular dystonia, and hemifacial spasm.  In press, Seminars in Neurology. Semin Neurol. 2016 Feb;36(1):84-91.

Park JE, Alter K, Hallett M. Isolated Lingual Dyskinesia in Multiple Sclerosis. JAMA Neurol. 2015 Oct 1;72(10):1196-7.

Kukke SN, de Campos AC, Damiano D, Alter KE, Patronas N, Hallett M. Cortical activation and inter-hemispheric sensorimotor coherence in individuals with arm dystonia due to childhood stroke. Clin Neurophysiol. 2015 Aug;126(8):1589-98.

Brochard S, Mozingo JD, Alter KE, Sheehan FT. Three dimensionality of gleno-humeral deformities in obstetrical brachial plexus palsy. J Orthop Res. 2015 Sep 12.

Kukke S, Curatalo L, de Campos A, Hallett M, Alter K, Damiano D. Coordination of reach-to-grasp kinematics in individuals with childhood-onset dystonia due to hemiplegic cerebral palsy. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng. 2015 J Aug;126(8):1589-98.

Kukke SN, de Campos AC, Damiano D, Alter KE, Patronas N, Hallett M. Cortical activation and inter-hemispheric sensorimotor coherence in individuals with arm dystonia due to childhood stroke. Clin Neurophysiol. 2015 Aug;126(8):1589-98.