Faculty

DOUGLAS R. DENNEY
Professor of Psychology
Research Professor of Neurology (courtesy appointment)
Research Professor of Psychiatry (courtesy appointment)
BA  (Psychology) - Lehigh University
PhD (Psychology) - University of Washington  emphasis in Clinical Psychology
denney@ku.edu

Related Links
Clinical Psychology Program

Research Interests
Although trained as a clinical psychologist, for most of my career my interests have centered on biological psychology.  I have long believed that the field of psychology is best served by aligning itself with the compelling progress occurring in our understanding of the human nervous system.  My teaching has been concerned primarily with what might be called "clinical neuroscience," the biological bases of various neurological and psychiatric disorders.  Two subfields of clinical neuroscience having obvious relevance to psychologists are neuropsychology and psychopharmacology.  My teaching provides students with introductions to both of these areas.

My recent research has centered on multiple sclerosis.  I have published papers focusing on depression and fatigue in conjunction with this disease, and these features of multiple sclerosis continue to capture my attention. However, my principal interest centers on cognitive impairment in MS.  In general, this latter area of research has attempted to answer questions concerning both "what" and "why."  What is the nature of the cognitive deficits associated with MS?  Why do some patients have substantial cognitive impairment with their disease while others have little or no impairment - even though their levels of physical disability may be the same? 

I believe we have made substantial progress in understanding the nature of the cognitive deficits we observe in patients with MS; several of the articles listed below provide what I believe to be the best answer to this first question.  Why such deficits are so severe in some patients and virtually absent in others remains at present a fascinating enigma.

Selected Publications

Denney, D. R., Lynch, S. G., Parmenter, B. A., Horne, N. (2004). Cognitive impairment in relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis: Mostly a matter of speed.  Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 10, 948-956.

Lynch, S. G., Denney, D. R., & Parmenter, B. A. (2005).  The association between cognitive impairment and physical disability in multiple sclerosis.  Multiple Sclerosis, 11, 469-476.

Denney, D. R., Sworowski, L. A., & Lynch, S. G. (2005).  Cognitive impairment in three subtypes of multiple sclerosis.  Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 20, 967-981.

Parmenter, B. A., Denney, D. R., Lynch, S. G., Middleton, L. S., & Harlan, L. M. (2007).  Cognitive impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis: Association with the APOE gene and promoter polymorphisms.  Multiple Sclerosis, 13, 25-32.

Denney, D. R., Lynch, S. G., & Parmenter, B. A. (2008).  A 3-year longitudinal study of cognitive impairment in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis: Speed matters. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 267, 129-136.

Aupperle, R. L., Denney, D. R., Lynch, S. G., Carlson, S. E., & Sullivan, D. K. (2008).  Omega-3 fatty acids and multiple sclerosis: Relationship to depression. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 31, 127-135.

Bodling, A. M., Denney, D. R., & Lynch, S. G. (2008).  Rapid serial processing in patients with multiple sclerosis: The role of peripheral deficits. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 14, 646-650.

Denney D. R., & Lynch, S. G. (2009).  The impact of multiple sclerosis on patients’ performance on the Stroop Test: Processing speed vs. interference. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 15, 451-458.