Charcot Marie Tooth Disease - CMT Disease - Hereditary Neuropathy

Associate Professor
Department of Human Performance and Department of Neurology
West Virginia University School of Medicine
Robert D. Chetlin, PhD, CSCS, HFI, is an Associate Professor at the West Virginia University School of Medicine, in Morgantown, West Virginia, where he has a dual appointment in the Departments of Human Performance and Neurology. In 2004, Dr. Chetlin received the Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) Foundation award for distinguished service to peripheral neuropathy patients and their families. He currently holds professional credentials with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) as a Health-Fitness Instructor (HFI) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).
Dr. Chetlin’s research interests focus on several aspects of performance, including the effects of exercise training and nutritional supplement interventions in patients with neuromuscular disease and neuropathy. Earlier in his career, his research focus mainly concerned the effects of resistance training and nutritional supplementation in competitive athletes. Later, his research interests evolved from examining exercise and nutritional effects on performance, biometrics, biochemistry, and muscle morphology in healthy athletes to evaluating such interventions in clinical populations. Specifically, Dr. Chetlin began a series of experiments to study the effects of exercise and nutritional supplementation in patients with neuromuscular disease and neuropathy. He eventually concentrated his investigative efforts on patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, also known as Hereditary Motor and Sensory Neuropathy (HMSN). CMT is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy, affecting approximately one in every 2,500 persons.
Dr. Chetlin is currently investigating the need for and effectiveness of early assessment (i.e. performance, biometric, and psychosocial outcomes) and exercise/activity prescription (one year) in children with CMT. Though virtually no literature exists regarding the use of exercise as a treatment for children with CMT, a professional consensus exists in the literature, which indicates that the highest probability for success with exercise and exercise interventions in patients with CMT occurs in persons with the least amount of disability resulting from the disease process. If planned regular exercise proves effective at promoting normal, healthy physical and psychosocial development in children with CMT, then the ensuing goal would be to establish a clinical trials investigation. Dr. Chetlin’s long-term goal is to develop a therapy services center that will embrace exercise and regular activity as a lifestyle promotion for this pediatric population. This would ensure that these children might have a reasonable opportunity to maintain sufficient levels of physical function when they become adults, as well as reduce potential risk factors for coronary artery disease associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Based upon his previous work in adults with CMT and his present investigations of children with CMT, Dr. Chetlin has committed his career direction to promoting and implementing contemporary exercise and activity guidelines that will improve daily living performance and quality-of-life in CMT patients.