Overview
The Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology within the Department of Neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation, treatment, and management of complex neurological and behavioral disorders – including issues related to memory, attention, executive functions, language, perception, emotion, or behavior resulting from injury, disease, or developmental disorders of the central nervous system.
Conditions Treated
Services Provided
The Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology offers expertise in:
- Behavioral neurology – Behavioral neurologists focus on the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and neurobehavioral syndromes. These specialists integrate and interpret all of a patient’s available information to develop a comprehensive treatment plan.
Neuropsychology – Neuropsychologists evaluate the relationship between the brain and mental functions, such as attention, language, perception, and memory. Clinical neuropsychologists provide comprehensive evaluation of cognitive and psychological functions in order to determine a diagnosis and help develop a treatment plan.
Neuropsychiatry – Neuropsychiatry brings the full biopsychosocial perspective to bear on the treatment of disorders associated with brain dysfunction. As a group, our clinical neuropsychiatrists, devote their time and effort to understand the neurobiological bases and treatment of behavioral and cognitive manifestations of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, mutiple sclerosis, epilepsy, stroke, brain tumors and status post neurosurgical procedures, inflammatory and infectious diseases of central nervous system, developmental disorders and tramautic brain injury.
Social work – Social workers focus on helping patients to cope with their conditions and to achieve their highest level of functioning and well-being within their communities. Attention and support is also provided to caregivers of patients with neurological illness.
Meet the Team
Behavioral Neurology
Kirk Daffner, MD, Division Chief
Diler Acar, MD
Keith Johnson, MD
Gad Marshall, MD
Scott McGinnis, MD
Jeremiah Scharf, MD, PhD
Dennis Selkoe, MD
Benjamin Seltzer, MD
Reisa Sperling, MD
Christopher Wright, MD, PhD
Neuropsychiatry
Zeina El-Chemali, MD, Chief, Neuropsychiatry
Melissa Frumin, MD, MS
Olivia Okereke, MD, Geriatric Psychiatrist
Ottavio V. Vitolo, MD
Neuropsychology
Aaron Nelson, PhD, ABPP, Chief, Neuropsychology
Mary-Ellen Meadows, PhD, ABPP
Dorene Rentz, PsyD
Meghan Searl, PhD, ABPP
Angeles M. Cheung, PhD
Social Work
Jeffrey Robbins, LICSW
Eileen Salmanson, LICSW
Stacey Schamber, LICSW
Memory Disorders Unit
Reisa Sperling, MD, MMSc, Co-Director
Dennis Selkoe, MD, Co-Director
Kirk Daffner, MD, Co-Director
Keith Johnson, MD
Gad Marshall, MD
Scott McGinnis, MD
Dorene Rentz, PsyD
Martha Vander Vliet, RN
Meghan Frey, MA
Current Clinical Trials and Research Studies
The Memory Disorders Unit includes an active clinical research unit focused on early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive changes in aging. The unit conducts FDA- and NIH-sponsored clinical trials of potential new therapies for Alzheimer's disease, as well as brain imaging, brain function, and neuropsychological studies in aging, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. For more information, please call (617) 732-8085.
Contact Us
Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
221 Longwood Avenue
Mezzanine Floor, M80
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: (617) 732-8060
Fax: (617) 738-9122
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