SUMMARY
David S. Knopman, M.D., is a clinical neurologist involved in research in late-life cognitive disorders, such as mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Dr. Knopman's specific interests are in the very early stages of Alzheimer's disease, in cognitive impairment due to stroke (cerebrovascular disease) and in cognitive impairment due to frontotemporal degeneration. He is involved in epidemiology, clinical trials and diagnostic studies of these disorders.
Focus areas
- Preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Knopman studies the changes that occur in the brains of people who are at risk of developing cognitive disorders due to Alzheimer's.
- Frontotemporal degeneration. Dr. Knopman's group is particularly interested in the group of patients with frontotemporal degeneration who have the familial form of the disease. He is also involved in the development and testing of therapeutics for frontotemporal degeneration.
- Cerebrovascular cognitive disorders. Additionally, Dr. Knopman is involved as a co-investigator in two National Institutes of Health-funded studies. One is an observational epidemiological study called the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. The other is a therapeutic trial called Carotid Revascularization for Primary Prevention of Stroke (CREST-2), in which carotid surgery is being compared with intensive medical therapy in patients with carotid artery disease. Dr. Knopman's role in CREST-2 involves looking at the impact of therapy on cognition.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Knopman's primary role is as a clinician, and he sees patients with various cognitive disorders nearly every day. Therefore, goals of his research are, first, to improve diagnostic accuracy and, second, to find better treatments for patients with Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal degeneration and cerebrovascular cognitive disorders.
Professional highlights
- Deputy editor, Neurology, 2009-present.
- Research award, Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, 2023.
- Robert H. and Susan M. Rewoldt Professor of Neurology Honoring Bradley F. Boeve, M.D., Mayo Clinic, 2023.
- Vice-chair, Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, the Alzheimer's Association, 2014-2016.
- Chair, Medical Advisory Council, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, 2013-2015.
- Co-chair, Proposed Criteria for Alzheimer's Disease Dementia workgroup, the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association, 2011.