Parkinson's Disease

Part 2 of my interview with Daniel Claasen, MD Dr. Daniel Claassen is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University and a neurologist specializing in the care of patients with neurodegenerative disorders, with particular interest in patients with cognitive dysfunction and movement disorders. He earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and completed his Neurology residency training at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, MN and postdoctoral training at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA. He is a past recipient of the American Academy of Neurology clinical research training grant. Dr. Claassen's research focuses on understanding brain-behavior relationships in the context of the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Since 2009, he has focused his research efforts on behavioral studies in neurodegenerative disorders, evaluating the influence of medications on behavior and cognition. His current studies address cognitive changes that account for impulsive compulsive behaviors. Furthermore, he maintains an active clinical and research interest in the utility of functional neuroimaging. Clinically, his expertise in FDG PET quantitation enables improved recognition and diagnostic certainty of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.