Ralph H. Benedict PhD

Ralph Benedict

Ralph H. Benedict
PhD

Professor

Department of Neurology

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences


Specialty/Research Focus

Alzheimer Disease / Memory Disorders; Geriatric Psychiatry; Multiple Sclerosis; Neurodegenerative disorders; Neurology; Neuropsychology; Psychiatry; Psychology

Contact Information
Dept. of Neurology
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
1001 Main St., 4th floor
Buffalo, New York 14203
Phone: (716) 323-0556
Fax: (716) 829-3010
benedict@buffalo.edu


Patient Care

This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, practicing physicians who are also professors in the Jacobs School.

View this physician on UBMD


Professional Summary:

I direct the Neuropsychology Service at UBMD Neurology, at the Conventus building on the Buffalo Niagara Medical campus. I also provide an inpatient consultation service at the Erie County Medical Center. Chief among my specific clinical activities are the neuropsychological services for patients at the Jacobs Multiple Sclerosis Center and the UB Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center. I provide concussion management consultations for the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.

Our clinical mission is to provide compassionate, state-of-the-art care for patients and families affected by a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Our top-rate neuropsychological services are based on the integration of neurological, psychiatric and imaging findings and structured to meet the needs of our patients and their caregivers.

Our Neuropsychology Service is dedicated to the teaching mission of Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and the Psychology and Counseling Psychology program at UB. We support the departments of neurology and psychiatry, and practicum and internship placements for UB graduate students. Students, residents and fellows have a rich learning experience with us and see a wide range of diseases such as personality disorder, malingering, depression, head trauma, concussion, multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke, dementia, epilepsy and pervasive developmental disorders. Medical students have the opportunity to work with both children and adults during didactic rounds, and they may choose to focus on the evaluation of either patient population based on their clinical focus.

My research mission is to employ behavioral psychometrics to understand how cerebral disease affects personality, cognition, and psychiatric stability. Two memory tests I developed, the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test Revised (BVMTR) and the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Revised (HVLTR), are widely used in neuropsychology, especially in the areas of multiple sclerosis, head injury, and schizophrenia, and they are included in consensus panel test batteries for athlete concussions in the NHL and NFL. I work to develop new tests in order to understand the effects of cerebral injuries and disease.

I also focus on the disease multiple sclerosis (MS) and have conducted several studies on pharmacological and behavioral treatments for cognitive function in MS patients. I have contributed in noteworthy studies as the lead author on a consensus battery for MS patients (the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in MS), which is a gold standard in the literature, and as a major contributor to the idea that brain atrophy is the primary driver of cognitive impairment in MS, and in particular, deep gray matter atrophy. Other research contributions in MS include [a] personality changes and employment, MS dementia, and associations with clinical outcomes, [b] self-report is not a valid indicator of neuropsychological status in MS, [c] Symbol Digit Modalities Test is a reliable and valid marker for cognitive outcomes in clinical trials.

Education and Training:

  • Fellowship, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (1992)
  • PhD, Psychology, Arizona State University (1990)
  • BS, Ohio State University (1983)

Employment:

  • Director, Neuropsychology, UBMD
  • Staff Neuropsychologist, Erie County Medical Center, Psychiatry
  • Staff Neuropsychologist, University Neurology Inc
  • Professor, Neurology, Psychiatry, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (1999-present)

Awards and Honors:

  • Stockton Kimball Award, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2021)
  • Fred Foley Award (2019)
  • Arthur Benton Award (2016)
  • Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship (2015)

Research Expertise:

  • Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders
  • Concussion Assessment: Sports concussion
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Neuropsychological Testing: Test Development and Validation

Research Centers:

  • Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center
  • Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC)
  • Jacobs Neurological Institute

UB 2020 Strategic Strengths:

  • Cultures and Texts
  • Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan

Grants and Sponsored Research:

  • June 2021–June 2021
    Role of cognitive dysfunction in defining MS relapses
    National MS Society
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • June 2021–June 2021
    Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test Benchmarks of Employment Status and Deterioration
    Biogen
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • June 2021–June 2021
    BAC App Metrics in Multiple Sclerosis
    Verasci
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • June 2021–June 2021
    Benchmarks of meaningful Improvement on Neurocognitive Tests in MS
    Celgene
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • June 2021–June 2021
    Internet Delivered Lifestyle Physical Activity Intervention for Cognitive Processing Speed in Multiple Sclerosis
    NIH
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • June 2021–June 2021
    ICLIC-MS for Enhancing Outcomes Research and Clinical Care in MS
    NIH
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • June 2017–June 2020
    The effects of working memory training on brain function, structure, and cognition in MS
    National Multiple Sclerosis Society
    Role: Co-Investigator
    $622,839
  • August 2013–July 2018
    The effect of aerobic exercise on cognition in multiple sclerosis
    National Multiple Sclerosis Society
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • October 2014–September 2017
    Fall risk and incidence reduction in multiple sclerosis
    National Multiple Sclerosis Society
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • August 2013–July 2016
    Effects of adenocorticotropic hormone (Acthar gel®) on recovery from cognitive relapses in MS
    Questcor
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • March 2013–February 2016
    Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cell Delivery for Restoration of Function in Multiple Sclerosis
    New York State Health Department
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • October 2011–December 2015
    Effects of Dalfampridine on Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • September 2014–August 2015
    Does working memory training improve brain function and cognition in MS?
    National Multiple Sclerosis Society
    Role: Co-Investigator
    $44,000
  • June 2005–December 2007
    Predicting neuropsychological defects in MS with regional MTR using a semi-automated extraction technique
    National Multiple Sclerosis Society
    Role: Principal Investigator
See all (4 more)

Patents:

  • Brief Visuospatial Memory Test revised Psychometric Test
  • Buffalo Vocational Monitoring Survey
  • Conscientiousness Coach App Application for Smart Phone
  • Hopkins Verbal learning Test revised Psychometric Test
  • MS Neuropsychological Screening Questionnaire Psychometric Test

Journal Articles:

See all (296 more)

Professional Memberships:

  • American Psychological Association; Fellow
  • American Academy of Neurology
  • New York State Association for Neuropsychology
  • International Neuropsychological Society

School News:

In the Media:


Clinical Specialties:

Clinical Offices:

Insurance Accepted:



Contact Information

Dept. of Neurology
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
1001 Main St., 4th floor
Buffalo, New York 14203
Phone: (716) 323-0556
Fax: (716) 829-3010
benedict@buffalo.edu

This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, practicing physicians who are also professors in the Jacobs School.

View this physician on UBMD