Laura Lacritz, Ph.D.

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Dr. Lacritz obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology at UT Austin in 1989 with highest honors. She went on to obtain her doctorate at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Clinical Psychology where she served as Chief Resident. After completing a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at UT Southwestern in Neuropsychology (1995-1997), she joined the UT Southwestern Faculty in 1997 and is currently a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is the Director of the Neuropsychology Clinic and Neuropsychology Training Director. Departmental activities include neuropsychological/cognitive evaluation of persons with known or suspected neurological disorders, involvement with the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at UT Southwestern, and teaching/training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. She serves as a member of the Steering, Clinical Training, Admissions, Research, and Diversity and Inclusion Committees in the doctoral Clinical Psychology program.

Dr. Lacritz’s clinical expertise is in the area of neuropsychological assessment, with particular interest in working with individuals who have dementia, epilepsy, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis and head injury. Dr. Lacritz’s research foci are in the areas of early detection and risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment, cognitive function in movement disorders, and psychometric assessment.

Undergraduate School

University of Texas at Austin (1989), Psychology

Graduate School

UT Southwestern Medical Center (1994), Clinical Psychology

Postdoctoral Fellowship

UT Southwestern Medical Center (1997), Clinical Neuropsychology

• Detection of cognitive change with interventions
• Early detection of dementia
• Movement Disorders
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Test development and interpretation
• Traumatic Brain Injury

Featured Publications

Patient Satisfaction with Telephone Neuropsychological Assessment.

Lacritz LH, Carlew AR, Livingstone J, Bailey KC, Parker A, Diaz A, Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2020 Nov 35 8 1240-1248

Cognitive Assessment via Telephone: A Scoping Review of Instruments.

Carlew AR, Fatima H, Livingstone JR, Reese C, Lacritz L, Pendergrass C, Bailey KC, Presley C, Mokhtari B, Cullum CM, Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2020 Nov 35 8 1215-1233

Risk factors for earlier dementia onset in autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer's disease, mixed Alzheimer's with Lewy bodies, and pure Lewy body disease.

Schaffert J, LoBue C, White CL, Wilmoth K, Didehbani N, Lacritz L, Nguyen T, Peters ME, Fields L, Li C, Cullum CM, Alzheimers Dement 2020 03 16 3 524-530

Education and training and clinical neuropsychology: Recent developments and documents from the Clinical Neuropsychology Synarchy

Smith, G., Roper, B., Shear, Pl, Vasterling, J., Pliskin, N., ?Lacritz, L., et al. ACN 2019 34 418-431

Traumatic Brain Injury History Is Associated With an Earlier Age of Dementia Onset in Autopsy-Confirmed Alzheimer's Disease.

Schaffert J, LoBue C, White CL, Chiang HS, Didehbani N, Lacritz L, Rossetti H, Dieppa M, Hart J, Cullum CM Neuropsychology 2018 Feb

Population health solutions for assessing cognitive impairment in geriatric patients

Perry, W., Lacritz, L., Roebuck-Spencer, R., Silver, C., Denney, R.L., Myers, J., et al. ACN 2018 33 655-675

Montreal Cognitive Assessment Performance among Community-Dwelling African Americans.

Rossetti HC, Lacritz LH, Hynan LS, Cullum CM, Van Wright A, Weiner MF Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2017 Mar 32 2 238-244

Predictors That a Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment Will Remain Stable 3 Years Later.

Clem MA, Holliday RP, Pandya S, Hynan LS, Lacritz LH, Woon FL Cogn Behav Neurol 2017 Mar 30 1 8-15

Traumatic brain injury history is associated with earlier age of onset of Alzheimer disease.

LoBue C, Wadsworth H, Wilmoth K, Clem M, Hart J, Womack KB, Didehbani N, Lacritz LH, Rossetti HC, Cullum CM Clin Neuropsychol 2017 Jan 31 1 85-98

Predictors of Reversion from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Normal Cognition.

Pandya SY, Lacritz LH, Weiner MF, Deschner M, Woon FL Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2017 43 3-4 204-214

 Featured Books

Mentoring. In The Neuropsychology Roadmap: A Complete Training Guide

Cullum, CM, McClintock, SM & Lacritz, LH (In press). Washington DC, APA Press

Differential Diagnosis in the Elderly. In Clinical Neuropsychological Report Preparation

Lacritz, LH & Rossetti, H (2016). New York, Guilford Press

Movement Disorders. In Neuropsychology Board Review Book: 2nd Edition

Lacritz, LH & Woolston, D. (In press). New York, Oxford University Press

Dementia and differential diagnosis. In Neuropsychological Conditions Across the Lifespan

Lacritz, LH, Rossetti, H, & LoBue, C (2018). Cambridge, Cambridge University Press

• Distinguished Career Service Award
  National Academy of Neuropsychology (2020)
• Distinguished Psychologist of the Year
  Dallas Psychological Society (2019)
• Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award
  The University of Texas System (2017)
• Distinguished Teaching Professor
  UT Southwestern Medical Center (2016)
• UT Kenneth I Shine, MD Academy of Health Science
  UT System, Elected Member (2016)
• Southwestern Academy of Teachers (SWAT)
  UT Southwestern Medical Center, Selected Member (2015)
• Most Influential Mentor
  UT Southwestern Clinical Psychology Program (2013)
• Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology
  American Psychological Association (2011)
• Outstanding Teacher Award
  UT Southwestern Clinical Psychology Program (2009)
• Distinguished Alumni Award
  UT Southwestern Clinical Psychology Program (2008)
• Fellow
  National Academy of Neuropsychology (2005)
• PACT
  Patient Care and Service Recognition, UTSW (2005)
• Chief Resident
  UT Southwestern Clinical Psychology program (1993)

• American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology
• American Psychological Association (Division 40)
• International Neuropsychological Society
• National Academy of Neuropsychology