Behavior of Neurology

Dr. Barrett is bringing behavioral neurology to UMass Chan through the direct tutelage and legacy of her mentors, Kenneth Heilman, MD, and Norman Gerschwind, MD, the founders in the practice of behavioral neurology as a discipline, the focus on brain-behavior relationships. Dr. Kenneth Heilman, dedicated his practice and research to behavioral neurology for over fifty years at the University of Florida College of Medicine. His beliefs have empowered neurology students worldwide for generations. Dr. Heilman, passed away in July 2024. Norman Geschwind, MD, was the first physician-scientist to revive the study relating to the behaviors of the brain in the 1960s. The topic was so new at the time, he offered his brain-behavior class as a not-for-credit course, with a series of 10 lectures on the neurology of behavior at Harvard Medical School during the 1970s and into 1984, the time of his passing. Dr. Gerschwind was an eloquent speaker, his lectures were always full, and students from a variety of medical specialties would gather to hear him share his theories and research.   

Viewing neurology as a set of behaviors that impact the rest of the body, changes the perspective about how the brain is organized to induce behavior. When the organization is not structured correctly, those behaviors manifest themselves in different ways. For some, it induces creativity, the ability to create, while in others, it may affect speech systems, cognitive abilities, motor function, or spatial disfunction.    

Dr. Barrett’s background in behavioral and cognitive neurology combines the focus of cognitive neuroscience, brain development, neurorehabilitation and neuropsychiatry to increase the effectiveness for our patients and caregivers, to live successfully in their communities.    

The vision for Alzheimer Disease is built on her history of success in integrating clinical, research and education missions in memory disorder programs over 25 years, and the platform for developing innovative translational therapeutics here at UMass. It is important to make neurorehabilitation an essential part of early intervention care, starting with admittance to the hospital and diagnosis. Coupled with cognitive assessments, to address cognitive, thinking-issues, memory loss, and post-stroke treatment services. With earlier intervention, access to neurorehabilitation care, clinical trials, and treatment plans coupled with specialty neurologists and neuropsychiatrists the neurodegenerative disease survivors will develop changes at a better quality of life.  Dr. Barrett’s research focuses on spatial cognition and rehabilitation of hidden disabilities. Her team provides patient-centered care relevant to function and life participation by identifying and correcting the spatial deficits they experienced.