Franklin C. Brown PhD, ABPP-CN
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Research Interests
Visual memory; Alzheimer's Disease; Cognitive effects of medication; Multiple Sclerosis; Epilepsy
Research Summary
Dr. Brown studies memory difficulties with neurological disorders. He is studying different cognitive tests to determine which seem to best differentiate Alzheimer's related cognitive decline from non-Alzheimer's causes such as the chronic effects of medical difficulties (cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, etc.). This is important in that a patient with a medically caused form of cognitive impairment may be able to reduce decline through better control of their conditions, whereas Alzheimer’s Disease may require other forms of intervention or have different expectations for patients. Though biomarkers are also being studied, cognitive markers are also important for identifying actual symptoms of the disorder, and the need for treatment.
Though he has a general interest in cognition, Dr. Brown is most known for the development of the Brown Location Test which is a test of visual memory that does not require drawing skills, is not verbally encodable, and lacks a clear pattern, unlike many of the well-established visual memory tests. This has demonstrated validity in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients, and is currently being studied in a variety of other patient populations.
He is also further exploring measures of cognitive efficiency. The inability to think efficiently may help explain why some individuals with cognitive complaints from the real world may do well on some test batteries; even though objective third party observers have noticed their difficulties. Many neuropsychological tests may have difficulty measuring thinking efficiency because they are designed to measure one key function; whereas thinking efficiency requires multiple functions working together. This tends to rely on connectivity between areas of the brain, which is heavily reliant on white matter pathways. Thus, cognitive efficiency is an important area to study in disorders with white matter abnormalities (e.g., Multiple Sclerosis).
Extensive Research Description
Dr. Brown studies memory difficulties with neurological disorders. He is studying different cognitive tests to determine which seem to best differentiate Alzheimer's related cognitive decline from non-Alzheimer's causes such as the chronic effects of medical difficulties (cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, etc.). This is important in that a patient with a medically caused form of cognitive impairment may be able to reduce decline through better control of their conditions, whereas Alzheimer’s Disease may require other forms of intervention or have different expectations for patients. Though biomarkers are also being studied, cognitive markers are also important for identifying actual symptoms of the disorder, and the need for treatment.
Though he has a general interest in cognition, Dr. Brown is most known for the development of the Brown Location Test which is a test of visual memory that does not require drawing skills, is not verbally encodable, and lacks a clear pattern, unlike many of the well-established visual memory tests. This has demonstrated validity in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients, and is currently being studied in a variety of other patient populations.
He is also further exploring measures of cognitive efficiency. The inability to think efficiently may help explain why some individuals with cognitive complaints from the real world may do well on some test batteries; even though objective third party observers have noticed their difficulties. Many neuropsychological tests may have difficulty measuring thinking efficiency because they are designed to measure one key function; whereas thinking efficiency requires multiple functions working together. This tends to rely on connectivity between areas of the brain, which is heavily reliant on white matter pathways. Thus, cognitive efficiency is an important area to study in disorders with white matter abnormalities (e.g., Multiple Sclerosis). There is some evidence that the Brown Location Test’s delayed rotated recall trial seems to tap into cognitive inefficiency, but further study is certainly warranted.
Selected Publications
- Katz, L. J., Brown, F. C. Roth, R. M., & Beers, S. R. Processing Speed and Working Memory Performance in those with both ADHD and a Reading Disorder compared to those with ADHD alone. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology 2011 17:215-220.
- Brown, F. C., Tuttle, E, Westerveld, M, Ferraro, F. R., Chmielovweic, T., Gibson-Beverly, G, Bemus, L, Roth, R. M., Blumenfeld, H., Spencer, D. D., & Spencer, S.S. Visual Memory in Post-Anterior Right Temporal Lobectomy Patients and Adult Normative Data for the Brown Location Test (BLT). Epilepsy and Behavior 2010. 17: 215-220.
- Brown, F. C., Roth, R. M., Saykin, A. J., & Gibson-Beverly, G. A New Measure of Visual Location Learning and Memory: Development and Psychometric Properties for the Brown Location Test (BLT). The Clinical Neuropsychologist 2007, 21: 231-237.
- Brown, F. C., Buboltz, W. C., Jr., & Soper, B. Development and Evaluation of the Sleep Treatment and Education Program for Students (STEPS). Journal of American College Health 2006, 54:231-237.
