Expert, compassionate care for Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease
Some of neurology's most complex conditions demand not only clinical expertise but patience, coordination and a commitment to the people living with them. Matthew J. Barrett, M.D., M.Sc., brings these traits to his work caring for patients with Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and related movement and cognitive disorders.
A movement disorders neurologist at VCU Health, Dr. Barrett specializes in the cognitive impairment caused by Lewy body dementia. This encompasses both Parkinson's disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies, which together represent the second most common cause of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease. He also cares for patients with progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome.
Beyond memory and thinking changes, Dr. Barrett notes, patients with Lewy body dementia may experience visual hallucinations, fluctuations in alertness and attention, acting out of dreams and difficulty regulating blood pressure. His approach emphasizes early, accurate diagnosis to guide treatment and long-term planning, and collaboration is central to his practice.
"I work closely with a multidisciplinary team that includes neuropsychology, social work, nursing, rehabilitation specialists and other neurologists to provide comprehensive care," Dr. Barrett says. That team also includes physical, occupational and speech therapists and a palliative care physician for patients facing the most challenging diagnoses. "We focus not only on medications to improve cognition and manage symptoms, but also on supporting patients and caregivers with education, safety planning and strategies to maintain quality of life throughout the course of the disease."
Dr. Barrett's dedication to this field is rooted in personal experience, as his grandmother suffered from Parkinson’s disease. That early exposure grew into a career defined equally by patient care and discovery. As director of the Lewy Body Disease Association Research Center of Excellence at VCU’s Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center (PMDC), Dr. Barrett leads federally funded research into why cognitive symptoms fluctuate in dementia — work he hopes will translate into better treatments.
The open questions in his field are, for Dr. Barrett, a source of motivation rather than frustration. "There is still so much we don't know about Parkinson's disease: how it begins, how it spreads and why it is so different across individuals," he says. "These questions animate me to better understand the disease, and my patients inspire me to develop better treatments now."
Patients consistently describe Dr. Barrett as thorough, empathetic and unhurried — a physician who listens closely, explains options clearly and treats them as genuine partners in their care. He is drawn to VCU Health's mission as both a tertiary care and safety net hospital. "We see patients with challenging diseases and are able to provide all patients with the highest level of care," he says.
Dr. Barrett earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and a master's degree in clinical research from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University. He completed his neurology residency at UVA and a movement disorders fellowship at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. He is certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Barrett serves as a professor of neurology at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he holds the Joan Massey Endowed Chair in Neurology. He also directs the university’s movement disorders fellowship program and is associate director of the PMDC’s Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence. He was named one of Virginia's Top Doctors by Virginia Business magazine in 2026.
Dr. Barrett's commitment to patients extends into the community as well. He serves on the Board of Directors of The Parkinson’s Activity and Resource Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people with Parkinson's disease through exercise classes, education, support groups and social connection.
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