Daniel O. Claassen MD

Dr. Daniel Claassen is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University and a neurologist specializing in the care of patients with neurodegenerative disorders, with a 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, and his work is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health. He is the director of the Huntington Disease and Chorea Multidiscipline Clinic at Vanderbilt. Also, he is the Principle Investigator of research studies and clinical trials in Parkinson's and Huntington's Disease.

Dr. Claassen’s research focus is to understand brain-behavior relationships in the context of the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. His research studies assess therapeutic outcomes in neurodegenerative disorders, using innovative cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging tools. In Parkinson's disease, he examines how dopaminergic medications can alter behavior, and his current studies address cognitive changes that account for impulsive compulsive behaviors. His research uses multimodal imaging studies, including assessments of blood flow (arterial spin labeling), resting-state BOLD connectivity, MR spectroscopy, and Positron Emission Tomography, as well as novel cognitive neuroscience tools assessing medication effects on risk, reward-learning, and impulsivity.