Professor Emeritus
Area: Clinical

Psychology Office: 480 MED Inn Bldg
Psychology Phone: 734-763-9259

Email: sberent@umich.edu

I study the use of psychometric and brain imaging (chiefly, positron emission tomography) to investigate cognitive and intellectual changes in a variety of progressive neurological disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease). Current studies seek to employ these clinical changes as models to help us understand the relationships between behavior and underlying brain metabolism and their implications for human coping and adaptation. These studies have also allowed for increased understanding of behavioral changes that occur early in the course of progressive disease as well as behavioral variations that exist between different neurodegenerative disorders.

Clinical Interests

Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology. Clinical and psychometric assessment and Psychological treatment primarily in the areas of epilepsy, dementia, degenerative motor disorders, and other neurological and medical conditions affecting cognition and behavior in general. I am also clinically active in diagnosis of psychopathology, especially as manifest in medical disorders and conditions.

Other Appointments

Chief of Psychology and, Director, Neuropsychology Division in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School

Representative Publications

Berent, S., Giordani, B., Minoshima, S., Lajiness-O’Neal, R., Koeppe, R.A., Kuhl, D.E. (1999) Neuropsychological function and cerebral glucose utilization in isolated memory impairment in Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 33, 7-16.

Berent, S., and Giordani, B. Functional neuroimaging correlates of memory deficits in neurodegenerative disease. In: Tr^Úster, A (Ed): Memory in Neurodegenerative disease. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Sackellares, J.C., Berent, S. (1997). Psychological Disturbances in Epilepsy. Boston: Butterworth/Heinemann.

Berent, S., Giordani, B., Gilman, S., Junck, L., Kluin, K.J., Koeppe, R.A. (1996). Psychological factors and PET measured glucose metabolism in olivopontocerebellar atrophy. Assessment, 3 (3), 335?351.