Publications:211
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David M Simpson, MD
Neurology
About Me
David M. Simpson, MD, FAAN, is Professor of Neurology at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Neurology. He is Director of the Neuromuscular Diseases Division, Director of the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratories, and Director of the Neuro-AIDS Program.
Author of more than 300 publications, Dr. Simpson is the principal investigator for many research studies. He led the studies that demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of the high concentration capsaicin patch in the treatment of certain types of painful peripheral neuropathy.
Dr. Simpson also led a research team that performed and published the first placebo-controlled study demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of botulinum toxin in the treatment of post-stroke spasticity. Additional studies by Dr. Simpson's group demonstrated the superiority of botulinum toxin over oral anti-spasticity medications. He has also led several studies to enhance the technique of the botulinum toxin injection. Dr. Simpson has lectured and published extensively in this area and trained physicians in these injections throughout the world.
In addition to his spasticity studies, Dr. Simpson chaired a panel chartered by the American Academy of Neurology to develop evidence-based guidelines on the use of botulinum toxin for a wide range of neurological diseases, including movement disorders such as cervical dystonia and blepharospasm; pain, including migraine; and autonomic disorders, such as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).
Dr. Simpson is a member of the American Neurological Association and the American Pain Society. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Academy of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. He is on the editorial board of AIDS Patient Care and Current HIV/AIDS Reports.
For more information, contact Dr. Alexandra Nmashie at 212-241-3193 .
Dr. Simpson offers telemedicine appointments when appropriate. Please call his office to schedule a video visit.
The state of Florida requires out-of-state professionals who are registered to provide telehealth services to display a hyperlink to the Florida Department of Health telehealth web page. This allows Florida patients who are receiving medical care by telehealth to confirm the provider’s licensure and Florida registration.
Research Links
Pianist Finds Relief for Common, Yet Underdiagnosed Muscle Condition with Botox
Language
English, Hebrew
Position
PROFESSOR | Neurology, Neuromuscular Diseases
Hospital Affiliations
- Mount Sinai Beth Israel
- Mount Sinai Brooklyn
- The Mount Sinai Hospital
Research Topics
HIV/AIDS, Immune Deficiency, Infectious Disease, Motor Control, Neurology, Neuromuscular System, Neurophysiology, Neurotoxicology, Pain, Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord, Stroke, Viruses and Virology
Clinical Focus
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Bell's Palsy
- Benign Essential Tremor
- Botulinum Toxin Injections
- Botulism
- Brachial Plexopathy
- Burning Sensation in Limbs
- Cancer Pain Syndromes
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Cauda Equina Syndrome
- Cervical Myelopathy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Neuropathy
- Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
- Chronic Neck Pain
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- Dermatomyositis
- Diabetic Neuropathy
- Dystonia
- Electrodiagnostic Testing (EMG/NCS)
- Electromyography
- Electromyography (EMG)
- Electrophysiology Study
- Essential Tremor
- Focal Dystonia
- Foot Drop
- Gait Impairment
- Gaucher Disease
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- HIV Neuropathy
- HIV and AIDS
- Hemifacial Spasm
- Herniated Disk
- Impaired Gait
- Inclusion Body Myositis
- Infectious Neurology Consultation
- Inflammatory Myopathy
- Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome
- Leukodystrophy
- Limb Dystonia
- Limb Pain
- Low Back Pain
- Lumbar Radiculopathy
- Lyme Disease
- Metabolic Myopathy
- Mitochondrial Myopathy
- Mononeuropathy Multiplex
- Morton's Neuroma
- Motor Neuron Disease
- Movement Disorders
- Multifocal Motor Neuropathy
- Muscle Biopsy
- Muscle Weakness / Palsy
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Myelitis
- Myopathy
- Nerve Biopsy
- Nerve Conduction Study
- Nerve Inflammation / Neuritis
- Nerve conduction study (NCS)
- Neuralgia/Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
- Neuro-AIDS
- Neuroinfectious Disease
- Neurologic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Neurological (Botox, IFN, Trigger Point) Injection
- Neuromuscular Disease
- Neurosarcoidosis
- Pain
- Pain in Extremities
- Paraneoplastic Syndrome
- Paraplegia
- Paresthesia
- Periodic Paralysis Syndrome
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Peroneal Nerve Injury
- Phantom Limb Syndrome
- Polymyositis
- Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN)
- Post-Polio Syndrome
- Post-Stroke / Neurology Therapy
- Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
- Radiculopathy
- Sarcoidosis
- Sciatica
- Sensory Ganglionopathy
- Shingles
- Skin Biopsy
- Small Fiber Neuropathy
- Spasticity
- Spinal Cord Disorder
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spondylolysis
- Spondylosis
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
- Tardive Dyskinesia
- Temporal Arteritis
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Tingling / Numbness / Weakness
- Toxic Myopathy
- Tremor
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Ulnar Neuropathy
- Viral Meningitis
- Vitamin B12 Deficiency
- Wrist Drop / Radial Nerve Palsy
- Writers' Cramp
Education
MD, SUNY at Buffalo-School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Residency, Neurology
New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Center
Fellowship, Clinical Neurophysiology
Massachusetts General Hospital
Certifications
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Am Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine
Awards
2018
America’s Top Doctors (Castle Connolly Medical)
2018
Mitchell B Max Award in Neuropathic Pain
American Academy of Neurology
2016
Best Doctors in New York, New York Magazine
2010
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
1997
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Service Award
1977
Alpha Omega Alpha
1976
James A. Gibson Anatomical Society
Research
Musician’s dystonia is a movement disorder that impacts the hands and arms. Approximately 1% of highly trained musicians face challenges associated with this disorder, which can be career-ending. Causes of Musician’s Dystonia are not well understood, and oral medications and rehabilitative measures rarely provide the results suffering musicians need. Dr. Simpson and his colleague Dr. Steven Frucht have begun a novel research project that provides patients with small doses of botulinum toxin (BoTN). Musicians from all over the world have participated in this study. The study has completed enrollment. The results are still being analyzed, but many patients have reported improvements that have allowed them to continue playing their instruments. Recently, one patient was able to begin playing the violin after giving it up for many years, and a drummer who was teaching has now returned to performing.
Insurance Information
Accepted insurance may vary by the doctor’s office location. Please contact the office directly to obtain the most up-to-date insurance information.
- 1199 SEIU
- AETNA - Commercial
- AETNA - Medicare
- CIGNA Healthcare
- Centivo
- EmblemHealth - GHI-PPO
- EmblemHealth - HIP
- EmblemHealth - HIP-Medicaid
- EmblemHealth - HIP-Medicare
- Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield - Commercial/Exchange
- Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield - HealthPlus Medicaid
- Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield - Medicare
- Fidelis Health Care
- HealthFirst Medicaid
- HealthFirst Medicare
- Horizon NJ
- Medicare - NJ
- Medicare - NY
- Multiplan PHCS
- NJ Medicaid
- NY Medicaid
- Oscar
- Oxford - Freedom and Liberty
- Partners Health Plan
- United Health Care - Commercial
- United Health Care - Oxford Care
- United Health Care - Top Tier
Physicians who provide services at hospitals and facilities in the Mount Sinai Health System might not participate in the same health plans as those Mount Sinai hospitals and facilities (even if the physicians are employed or contracted by those hospitals or facilities).
Information regarding insurance participation and billing by this physician may be found on this page, and can also be obtained by contacting this provider directly. Because physicians insurance participation can change, the insurance information on this page may not always be up-to-date. Please contact this physician directly to obtain the most up-to-date insurance information.
Insurance and health plan networks that the various Mount Sinai Health System hospitals and facilities participate in can be found on the Mount Sinai Health System website.
Publications
Selected Publications
- Botulinum Toxin in Pain-Related Post-Stroke Limb Spasticity: A Meta-Analysis of Early and Late Injections. Frances Marie Tamayo, Raymond Rosales, Jörg Wissel, Bo Biering-Sørensen, Joshua Nathaniel Ellano, David Simpson. Toxins
- Anemia and red blood cell indices predict HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment in the highly active antiretroviral therapy era. Asha R. Kallianpur, Quan Wang, Peilin Jia, Todd Hulgan, Zhongming Zhao, Scott L. Letendre, Ronald J. Ellis, Robert K. Heaton, Donald R. Franklin, Jill Barnholtz-Sloan, Ann C. Collier, Christina M. Marra, David B. Clifford, Benjamin B. Gelman, Justin C. McArthur, Susan Morgello, David M. Simpson, J. A. McCutchan, Igor Grant, J. Allen McCutchan, Thomas D. Marcotte, Donald Franklin, Terry Alexander, Edmund Capparelli, J. Hampton Atkinson, Steven Paul Woods, Matthew Dawson, David M. Smith, Christine Fennema-Notestine, Michael J. Taylor, Rebecca Theilmann, Anthony C. Gamst, Clint Cushman, Ian Abramson, Florin Vaida, Jennifer Marquie-Beck, Vincent Rogalski, David Simpson, Letty Mintz, Will Toperoff, Ann Collier, Christina Marra, Trudy Jones, Benjamin Gelman, Eleanor Head, Muhammad Al-Lozi, Mengesha Teshome. Journal of Infectious Diseases
- HIV-associated distal neuropathic pain is associated with smaller total cerebral cortical gray matter. John R. Keltner, Christine Fennema-Notestine, Florin Vaida, Dongzhe Wang, Donald R. Franklin, Robert H. Dworkin, Chelsea Sanders, J. Allen McCutchan, Sarah L. Archibald, David J. Miller, George Kesidis, Clint Cushman, Sung Min Kim, Ian Abramson, Michael J. Taylor, Rebecca J. Theilmann, Michelle D. Julaton, Randy J. Notestine, Stephanie Corkran, Mariana Cherner, Nichole A. Duarte, Terry Alexander, Jessica Robinson-Papp, Benjamin B. Gelman, David M. Simpson, Ann C. Collier, Christina M. Marra, Susan Morgello, Greg Brown, Igor Grant, J. Hampton Atkinson, Terry L. Jernigan, Ronald J. Ellis. Journal of NeuroVirology
Patient Experience Star Ratings and Comments
The Patient Experience Star Rating reflects our patients’ perception of how well their Mount Sinai provider communicated with them during an office visit. The Star Rating is based on patient responses to three questions on a patient experience survey, a standardized questionnaire sent to verified patients and distributed by a third party vendor, Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score.
Care Provider’s Explanation
4.6 out of 5
Care Provider’s Concern
4.5 out of 5
Likelihood to Recommend Care Provider
4.4 out of 5
Industry Relationships
Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology companies, and other outside entities to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their outside financial relationships.
Below are financial relationships with industry reported by Dr. Simpson during 2024 and/or 2025. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.
Consulting or Other Professional Services Examples include, but are not limited to, committee participation, data safety monitoring board (DSMB) membership
- Grunenthal
- ArgenX BV
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
- AbbVie, Inc.
- Alexion Pharmaceuticals
- Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
Mount Sinai’s faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.