Neurology

Amy K. Heffelfinger, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology

Specialty: Neuropsychology

Sub-Specialty:

• Pediatric Neuropsychology
• Infant and Preschool Children

Education:

• PhD, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 1997
• Masters in Psychiatric Epidemiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 1999

Training:

• Internship, Pediatric Psychology and Child Neur, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 1996-1997
• Fellowship, Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, 1997-2000

Brief Clinical/Research Interest Statement:

Dr. Heffelfinger specializes in the evaluation and treatment of infants and preschool children with neurological, behavioral, and developmental disorders through the Preschool and Infant Neuropsychological Testing (P.I.N.T.) Clinic.

Dr. Heffelfinger's current research involves the study of early development of neuropsychological function, with a focus on attention and executive functioning. Her work includes investigation of neuropsychological abilities in clinical patients, development and implementation of attention tests to identify need for intervention following early neurological injury, the effects of glucocorticoid levels in response to stress, outcomes of adolescents with spina bifida, and twin studies of early development. Her work is currently funded with the Medical College of Wisconsin's Clinical Research Training Award and several grants from the National Institute of Health. She presents her research at national conventions and publishes in peer review journals.

Publications:

1. Heffelfinger, A., Craft, S. & Shyken, J. (1997). Visual attention in children prenatally exposed to cocaine. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 3, 237-245.
2. Ablow, J., Measelle, J., Kraemer, H., Harrington, R., Luby, J., Smider, N., Dierker, L., Clark, V., Dubika, B., Heffelfinger, A., Essex, M., & Kupfer, D. The MacArthur Three-City Outcome Study: Evaluating Multi-Informant Measures of Young Children's Symptomatology. (1999). Journal of Adolescent and Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 1580-1591.
3. Heffelfinger, A. & Newcomer, J. 2001. Glucocorticoid effects on the development of memory throughout the lifespan. Development and Psychopathology, 13: 491-513.
4. Heffelfinger, A., Craft, S. White, D., & Shyken, J. 2002. Visual attention in preschool children prenatally exposed to cocaine: Implications for behavioral regulation. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 8: 12-21.
5. Luby, J.L., Heffelfinger A., Measelle, J.R., Ablow, J.C., Essex, M.J., Dierker, L., Harrington, R., Kraemer H.C., Kupfer, D. 2002. Differential Performance of the MacArthur HBQ and DISC-IV in Identification of DSM-IV Internalizing Psychopathology in Young Children. Journal of Adolescent and Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41(4): 458-466.
6. Luby, J.L., Heffelfinger, A., Mrakotsky, C., Hessler, M., & Brown, K. 2002. Preschool Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): Validation for developmentally modified DSM-IV criteria. Journal of Adolescent and Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41(8):928-937.
7. Luby, J.L., Heffelfinger, A., Mrakotsky, C., Brown, K., Hessler, M., Wallis, J., & Spitznagel, E. (2003) The Clinical Picture of Depression in Preschool Children. Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 42(3):340 - 348.
8. Luby, J.L., Mrakotsky, C., Heffelfinger, A., Brown, K., Hessler, M., Spitznagel, E. (2003) Modification of DSM-IV Criteria for Depressed Preschool Children. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160:1169-1172.
9. Luby, J.L., Heffelfinger, A., Mrakotsky, C., Brown, K., Hessler, M., Spitznagel, E. (2003). Alterations in Stress Cortisol Reactivity in Depressed Preschoolers Relative to Psychiatric and No Disorder Comparison Groups. Archives of General Psychiatry, 60(12):1248-1255.
10. Luby, J.L., Heffelfinger, A., Koenig-McNaught, A.L., Brown, K., Spitznagel, E. (2004). The Preschool Feelings Checklist: A Brief and Sensitive Screening Measure for Depression in Young Children. Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry.
11. Luby, J.L., Mrakotsky, C.M., Heffelfinger, A., Brown, K., & Spitznagel, E. (2004). Characteristics of depressed preschoolers with and without anhedonia: Evidence for a melancholic depressive sub-type in young children. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 161:1998-2004.
12. Heffelfinger, A.K. and Mrakotsky, C.M. Normative Cognitive Development during the Preschool Age. in Preschool Mental Health. Ed. Luby, J.L. In press.
13. Mrakotsky, C.M. and Heffelfinger, A.K. Neuropsychological Assessment of Preschoolers in Preschool Mental Health. Ed. Luby, J.L. In press.