Martin L. Albert, MD, PhD

Professor of Neurology

  • Title Professor of Neurology
  • Phone 617-480-7333
  • Education Medical School: Tufts Medical School 1963
    Graduate School: University of Paris 1971
    Residency: Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine

Board Certification: Neurology
Special Interests: Behavioral Neurology/Geriatric Neurology/Neuropsychiatry/Aphasia/Dementia

Research

Dr. Albert’s  research falls within the broad arena of brain-behavior relations, with a special emphasis on language and language disorders, and dementia and the cognitive changes of aging. Within the domain of language and language disorders, his research focuses on 1) creation of a neurochemical model of language disorders, 2) development of new approaches to aphasia therapy, especially pharmacotherapy, and 3) attempts to understand neurobiological and cognitive aspects of recovery of function in aphasia. Within the domain of dementia and the aging brain, Dr. Albert’s research focuses on 1) cognitive and neurobiological explanations of lexical retrieval deficit in normal and pathological aging; 2) health-related factors contributing to language decline in normal aging.

Selected Publications

Cahana-Amitay D, Spiro A 3rd, Sayers JT, Oveis AC, Higby E, Ojo EA, Duncan S, Goral M, Hyun J, Albert ML, Obler LK. How older adults use cognition in sentence-final word recognition. Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn. 2015 Nov 16:1-27.

Cahana-Amitay D, Albert ML. Neuroscience of aphasia recovery: the concept of neural multifunctionality. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2015 Jul; 15(7):568.

Cahana-Amitay D, Oveis AC, Sayers JT, Pineles SL, Spiro A, Albert ML. Biomarkers of “Linguistic Anxiety” in aphasia: A proof-of-concept case study. Clin Linguist Phon. 2015 May; 29(5):401-13.

Cahana-Amitay D, Spiro A, Cohen JA, Oveis AC, Ojo EA, Sayers JT, Obler LK, Albert ML. Effects of metabolic syndrome on language functions in aging. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2015 Feb; 21(2):116-25.

Cahana-Amitay D, Albert ML, Oveis A. Psycholinguistics of Aphasia Pharmacotherapy: Asking the Right Questions. Aphasiology. 2014 Jan 1;28(2):133-154.

Cahana-Amitay D, Albert ML, Pyun SB, Westwood A, Jenkins T, Wolford S, Finley  M. Language as a Stressor in Aphasia. Aphasiology. 2011;25(2):593-614.

Cahana-Amitay D, Albert ML, Ojo EA, Sayers J, Goral M, Obler LK, Spiro A 3rd. Effects of hypertension and diabetes on sentence comprehension in aging. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2013 Jul;68(4):513-21. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbs085.

Albert ML, Berger J. Delusions and the cognitive neuroscience of false beliefs. Cognitive Neuroscience of Delusions. Japanese Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience11:268-281, 2010

Obler LK, Rykhlevskaia E, Clark-Cotton MR, Schnyer D, Hyun J_M, Kim D-S, Spiro A, Goral M, Albert ML. Bilateral brain regions associated with naming in older adults. Brain and Language, 113:113-123, 2010

Albert, ML, Spiro A 3rd, Sayers K.J., Cohen J.A., Brady C.B., Goral M., Obler L.K., Effects of health status on word finding in aging. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Dec;57(12):2300-5

Pekkala S, Albert ML, Spiro A, Erkinjuntti T. Perseveration in Alzheimer’s Disease. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 25(2), 109-114, 2008

Tanaka Y, Albert ML, Fujita K, Nonaka C, Oka T. Beta blocker improves language output in aphasia. Neurological Medicine (Japan), 67, 277-281, 2007

Goral M, Spiro A, Albert ML, Obler LK, Connor LT. Change in Lexical Retrieval Skills in Adulthood. The Mental Lexicon, 2(2), 215-240, 2007

Klein R, McNamara P, Albert ML. Neuropharmacological approaches to cognitive rehabilitation: Behavioural Neurology, 17, 1-3, May 2006

Holt A, Albert ML. Cognitive neuroscience of delusions in aging. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2 (2), 181-189, May 2006

McNamara P, Benson E, McGeeney B, Brown A, Albert ML. Modes of remembering in patients with chronic pain: relation to current pain. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2005 Jan;193(1):53-7.

McNamara P, Albert ML. Neuropharmacology of verbal perseveration. Semin Speech Lang. 2004 Nov;25(4):309-21. Review.

Klein RB, Albert ML. Can drug therapies improve language functions of individuals with aphasia? A review of the evidence. Semin Speech Lang. 2004 May;25(2):193-204. Review.

Mackay AI, Connor LT, Albert ML, Obler LK. Noun and verb retrieval in healthy aging. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2002 Sep;8(6):764-70.

Connor LT, Obler LK, Tocco M, Fitzpatrick PM, Albert ML. Effect of socioeconomic status on aphasia severity and recovery. Brain Lang. 2001 Aug;78(2):254-7.

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