Browse All Providers

Find a Provider Near You

Find A Provider
Browse All Specialties

Learn more about a specialty

Find A Specialty
Accepted Insurance

Check to see if your insurance plan is accepted by CU Medicine Clinics.

Check for Insurance

Practice Locations

CU Memory Disorders Clinic - Central Park
3055 Roslyn Street Suite 120, Denver, CO 80238

720-848-2080

Samantha Holden, MD

Neurology

Board Certified

Schedule Appointment

  • Position Name

    Associate Program Director, Behavior Neurology & Neuropsychiatry Fellowship, Program Director, Behavior Neurology & Neuropsychiatry Fellowship

  • Title(s)

    Clinical Director, Outpatient Neurology, Medical Director, Memory Disorders Clinic, Director, Lewy Body Dementia Association Research Center of Excellence at the University of Colorado

  • Gender

    Female

  • Languages

    English

  • Department

    Associate Professor, Neurology

  • Specialty

    Behavioral Neurology, Neurology

  • Primary Clinic Phone

    720-848-2080

  • Hospital Affiliations

    University of Colorado Hospital
Print Share

Referring Provider Info

Locations

Practice Locations

CU Memory Disorders Clinic - Central Park
3055 Roslyn Street, Suite 120, Denver, CO 80238

720-848-2080

Provider Expertise

Clinical Interest for Patients

I am interested in conditions that present with symptoms affecting both cognition and movement, such as Parkinson's disease dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Alzheimer's disease with parkinsonism. I have fellowship training in both Movement Disorders and Behavioral Neurology, which has laid the foundation for these interests.


Care Philosophy

I hope to ensure that my patients are living their best life possible, even in the face of a chronic neurologic disease. I emphasize the importance of physical exercise, diet, social activities, and cognitively stimulating activity to not only improve quality of life, but to help delay the progression of the neurodegenerative diseases I treat.


Specialties

  • Behavioral Neurology
  • Neurology ( 2014 )

Conditions & Treatments

  • Brain and Nervous System

    Alzheimer's Disease, Movement Disorders, Parkinson's Disease

Interests & Activities

Personal Interests

I enjoy reading historical fiction, especially anything that focuses on Eleanor of Aquitaine.


Education & Training

Medical Schools

MD, The School of Medicine at Stony Brook University Medical Center (2010)


Undergraduate Schools

BS, New York University (NY) (2006)


Graduate Schools

MSCS, University of Colorado Denver (2018)


Internships

Rush University Medical Center Program (2011)


Residency Program

Rush University Medical Center Program (2014)


Fellowships

University of Colorado (2017)

Professional Memberships

Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment, Member


American Academy of Neurology, Member


American Neuropsychiatric Association, Member


Colorado Society of Clinical Neurologists, Member


International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, Member


Research & Grants

Grants

Validation of a performance-based assessment of functional ability related to cognition in Parkinson’s disease (2015)

Home-based neurologic music therapy for management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (2015)

Can baseline functional abilities predict future cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease? (2017)

The eyes have it: a pilot study of wearable eye tracking metrics as a clinical marker of cognitive fluctuations in dementia with Lewy bodies (2020)

Deep sleep in Parkinson's disease and its relationship to cognition, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration (2020)


Research Interests for Patients

My research is focused on how to best evaluate cognition as it relates to daily functioning. Paper and pencil tests done in clinic do not always fully evaluate how thinking and memory problems can affect someone's day-to-day function. I hope to validate a new type of assessment that directly evaluates daily activities that require higher levels of cognitive function. In the future, I hope to work on developing non-pharmacologic treatments for cognitive impairment that focus on improving independence and functionality, such as an exercise program that also involves cognitive training.

information for referring providers

Referral Contact Phone

720-848-2080

Clinical Interests for Referring Providers

My clinical interests include the overlap between Behavioral Neurology and Movement Disorders, with fellowship training in both sub-specialties. The neuropsychiatric symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including cognitive impairment, psychosis, apathy, depression and fatigue, are a particular interest. My clinical research focuses on better evaluating functionality and independence as related to cognition in Parkinson's disease, as well as discovering new methods of measuring and improving quality of life for people with cognitive impairment. I am the site co-principal investigator for the University of Colorado's Lewy Body Dementia Association Research Center of Excellence, focusing on providing examplary clinical care, education and outreach, and new research studies for Parkinson's disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.

Research Interest for Referring Providers

My clinical research focuses on determining how to best diagnose dementia, particularly in Parkinson's disease. A diagnosis of dementia relies on demonstrable impairment in activities of daily living, yet there is no accurate method for doing so. In addition, neuropsychological testing does not fully evaluate a patient's day-to-day functioning. My current study seeks to validate a performance-based assessment of functionality as related to cognition. Future research would seek to develop non-pharmacologic treatment methods to improve patients' daily functioning, such as enriched exercise.