4th Annual Conference on
Brain Disorders, Neurology and Therapeutics

Biography:

Lawson is recently retired as  Associate Dean for Health Disparities and professor of psychiatry, at the Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, where he also held appointments in psychology and pharmacy. He was also Professor of psychology at Huston-Tillotson where he was Director of Community Health Programs at the Sandra Joy Anderson Community Health and Wellness Center and also the Director of Health Disparities Policy and Research at Austin Travis County Integral Care.  He received a PhD in Psychology from the University of New Hampshire and MD from the Pritzker School of Medicine University of Chicago, did his residency at Stanford University and a fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health. He has held faculty positions at the University of Illinois, Urbana, University of California, Irvine, Vanderbilt University, University of Arkansas, and Howard University. He has held numerous senior positions and received national recognition including past President of the DC chapter of Mental Health America, Past President of the Washington Psychiatric Society, past Chair of the Section of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of the National Medical Association, and past president of the Black Psychiatrists of America. He  received  the American Psychiatric Foundation Award for Advancing Minority Mental Health, the Solomon Carter Fuller Award by the American Psychiatric Association, the Sigma XI the scientific honor society and Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honor society, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Exemplary Psychiatrist Award and Outstanding Psychologist Award, the Jeanne Spurlock Award from the American Psychiatric Association, and the E.Y. Williams Clinical Scholar of Distinction Award from the NMA, and  the  George Winokur Clinical Research Award from the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists. He has over 200 publications, and is the editor in chief of the Journal of the National Medical Association. He has continuously received federal, industry, and foundation funding to address mental and substance abuse disparities. He has incorporated to address to use research, education, and clinical care to reduce racial disparities in mental health outcomes.

 

Abstract:

Close head injuries have been recognized as an important public health and issues that in the past was ignored or minimized in some settings. In the United States combat veterans returning to the community often were unable to function effectively due to a spectrum of residue effects including frank neuropsychological impairment, attentional problems, irritability, and a host of executive function issues. More recently such issues have gotten publicity in the National Football League where veterans of the game retire with a host of neuropsychological consequences. Public awareness campaigns have led to various programs for screening and recognizing these individuals. Moreover various interventions have been introduced including the use of potential cognitive enhancing agents, educational and employment accommodation, peer support programs. A history of head injury is often found in individuals in the correctional system. Part of the problem may be related to the socioeconomic status of individuals in the system, but it may related to why people are incarcerated in the first place. Those with known mental disorders are overrepresented in the correctional system. It should not be a surprise that individuals with neuropsychological impairments would be over represented.  We will present cases showing how unrecognized impairment may lead to more frequent incarcerations and failure to abide by rules of parole. We will discuss potential cognitive enhancing agents that may be effective and the use of odorants and nasal stimulation to improve function.