Virginia Commonwealth University · NeuroscienceCognitive Dynamics in Lewy Body Dementia Lab
Matthew James Barrett · Richmond, Virginia
Research Focus
Dr. Matthew Barrett's research lab focuses on understanding cognitive fluctuations in Lewy body dementia, a common but poorly understood symptom causing unpredictable lapses in attention and alertness. The lab investigates how degeneration of cholinergic neurons in the brain contributes to these cognitive impairments and evaluates potential therapeutic interventions. By combining imaging techniques with cognitive assessments, the lab aims to develop new strategies to better monitor and treat patients suffering from this condition.
Lewy body dementiacognitive fluctuationscholinergic degenerationEEGMRItherapeutic developmentcholesterase inhibitors
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the association between cholinergic degeneration and cognitive fluctuations in Lewy body dementia.
AIM 02Evaluate the effects of cholinesterase inhibitors on cognitive fluctuations in patients with Lewy body dementia.
AIM 03Examine the longitudinal progression of cognitive fluctuations and cholinergic degeneration over a two-year period.
Skills the Lab Values
MRI imagingdiffusion tensor imagingresting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI)electroencephalography (EEG)psychomotor vigilance task (PVT)clinical assessmentsdata analysislongitudinal studiespre-post intervention studies
Output against the department
Publications170top 44% of dept.296th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.1kbottom 23% of dept.515th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.