For more than 20 years, the Division of Neuropsychology in the Department of Neurology at UAB has offered clinical psychology interns, medical psychology graduate students at UAB a rotation, practicum, or assistantship in geriatric and adult neuropsychology. The Neuropsychology Division also offers a two year postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology. The UAB Clinical Neuropsychology Fellowship is a member program of the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN). Fellows receive broad and intensive training in adult clinical neuropsychology, with specialty experience in the areas of geriatric neuropsychology, movement disorders, and epilepsy.

The role of clinical neuropsychology in care and treatment of the elderly has become increasingly important in the last three decades. As the population of the United States ages, it is essential that clinical psychologists receive training in the assessment and treatment of older adults with cognitive impairment. Geriatric neuropsychology, a subspecialty of neuropsychology, focuses on the assessment of normal and abnormal cognitive, functional, and psychological changes which accompany the adult aging process.

Clinical training focuses on outpatient assessment of adults and older adults with a wide variety of neurological disorders. These  disorders include mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease, frontal lobe dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, stroke/vascular dementia, brain cancer, multiple scleroses, as well as other disorders seen in neurology. Emphasis is placed on diagnosis and report writing. The Division also evaluates a large number of patients with movement disorders being considered for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery.

In addition to clinical training, there is a wide variety of research opportunities available for trainees. This research includes several large studies funded by the NIH and the American Cancer Society focusing on cognitive and functional change in MCI, AD, TBI, and cancer.

Training programs in the Division of Neuropsychology are directed by Dr. Amy Knight. For more information, click here.