BenjaminDavidTolchinMDMS FAAN FAES

Neurology • New Haven, CT

Epilepsy, Neurophysiology

Director, Yale New Haven Health System Center for Clinical Ethics

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Office
15 York Street
New Haven, CT 06510
Phone+1 203-785-3865

Summary

Dr. Tolchin is the Director of the Yale New Haven Health System Center for Clinical Ethics, and Associate Professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine. His research focus is on the impact of crisis standards of care and triage protocols on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities. In addition, Dr. Tolchin has a clinical and research focus on functional neurological disorders and epilepsy. He investigates the use of motivational interviewing, smartphone apps, and other novel behavioral and technological interventions to improve treatment adherence and outcomes for patients.

Dr. Tolchin completed medical school at Harvard University, neurology residency at Columbia University Medical Center, and fellowships in medical ethics, clinical neurophysiology, and epilepsy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. His research has been recognized with Young Investigator Awards from the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society and the American Epilepsy Society, the Rebecca Goldberg Kaufman Honor from the American Epilepsy Society (AES), the Emerging Leaders Fellowship from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the OHER Award for Yale Research Excellence, and the Epilepsia Clinical Science Prize from the International League Against Epilepsy. Dr. Tolchin is President of the New England Epilepsy Society, and a Fellow of the AAN and of the AES. He serves on the AAN's Guidelines Subcommittee and Ethics, Law, and Humanities Committee.

Education & Training

Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolFellowship, Epilepsy, 2016 - 2017
New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus)Residency, Neurology, 2011 - 2014
NYU Grossman School of MedicineResidency, Internal Medicine, 2010 - 2011
Harvard Medical SchoolClass of 2010
Pace School of EducationMS, 2003
Harvard CollegeAB, Philosophy, Magna Cum laude, 2001

Certifications & Licensure

CT State Medical License 2017 - 2025
MA State Medical License 2014 - 2018
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Neurology
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Epilepsy

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum Advisor American Academy of Neurology, 2017
Statement Maker Fellow Yale University, 2017
Emerging Leader American Academy of Neurology, 2017
Rebecca Goldberg Kaufman Honor American Epilepsy Society, 2016
Young Investigator Award American Epilepsy Society, 2016
Research Highlight American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, 2016
Young Investigator Award American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, 2016
Palatucci Advocacy Leader American Academy of Neurology, 2016
Harvard Fellowship in Medical Ethics Harvard Medical School, 2015
Epilepsy Patient Oriented Training Fellowship American Epilepsy Society, 2014
Quest for Success Certificate of Achievement Columbia University Medical Center, 2014
Neurologist in Training Clinical Ethics Fellowship American Academy of Neurology, 2012
Henry K. Beecher Prize in Medical Ethics Harvard Medical School, 2007
John Ware Memorial Fellowship Harvard Medical School, 2007
PASTEUR Clinical Research Fellowhsip Harvard Medical School, 2007
Best Master�s Thesis Pace University School of Education, 2003
Champions of Active Learning JPMorganChase, 2002
Thomas Hoopes Prize Harvard College, 2001
Magna Cum Laude Harvard College, 2001
Phi Beta Kappa Harvard College, 2000
Detur Book Prize Harvard College, 1998
Robert C. Byrd Scholarship for Academic Excellence New York State, 1997
Dean�s List Harvard College, 1997
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Publications & Presentations

PubMed

35 citations
Adherence with psychotherapy and treatment outcomes for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.
Benjamin Tolchin, Barbara A. Dworetzky, Steve Martino, Hal Blumenfeld, Lawrence J. Hirsch
Neurology. 2019-02-12
3 citations
Functional Seizures.
Evie Marcolini, Benjamin Tolchin
Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2021-02-01
35 citations
Randomized controlled trial of motivational interviewing for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
Benjamin Tolchin, Gaston Baslet, Joji Suzuki, Steve Martino, Hal Blumenfeld
Epilepsia. 2019-05-01

Journal Articles

Editorial: Naming things: Its importance in youth with epilepsy
Hermann B, Tolchin B, Neurology, 1/1/2019
Medical ethics education for neurology residents: where do we go from here?
Traner CB, Tolchin DW, Tolchin B, Seminars in Neurology, 1/1/2018
Altered responsiveness in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures and its implication to underlying psychopathology
Baslet G, Tolchin B, Dworetzky BA, Seizure, 1/1/2017
Diagnostic yield of ambulatory EEGs in the elderly
Tolchin B, Lee JW, Pavlova M, Dworetzky BA, Sarkis RA, Clinical Neurophysiology, 1/1/2017
Periodic and rhythmic EEG patterns in the critically ill: features associated with seizures
Ruiz AR, Vlachy J, Lee JW, Gilmore EJ, Ayer T, Haider HA, Gaspard N, Ehrenberg JA, Tolchin B, Fantaneanu T, Fernandez A, Hirsch LJ, LaRoche S, JAMA Neurology, 1/1/2017
Effect of stimulus type and temperature on EEG reactivity in cardiac arrest
Fantaneanu T, Tolchin B, Alvarez V, Friolet R, Avery K, Scirica B, O�Brien M, Henderson G, Lee JW, Clinical Neurophysiology, 1/1/2016
Child-mediated health communication: A conceptual framework for increasing stroke literacy in hard to reach populations
Williams O, Leighton-Herrmann E, Hecht M, DeSorbo A, Gerin W, Hedmann M, Shelton R, Tolchin B, Noble J, Journal of Health Disparity Research and Practice, 1/1/2016
Psychogenic Seizures and Medical Humor: Jokes as a Damaging Defense
Tolchin B, Baslet G, Dworetzky B, Epilepsy & Behavior, 1/1/2016
Status epilepticus in cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation
Tolchin B, Fantaneanu T, Miller M. Helgager J, Lee JW, Epilepsy and Behavior Case Reports, 1/1/2016
Education research: a case-based bioethics curriculum for neurology residents
Tolchin B, Willey JZ, Prager K, Neurology, 1/1/2015
Human Rights and the Requirement for International Medical Aid
Tolchin B, Developing World Bioethics, 1/1/2008
Mechanical loading differentially regulates membrane-bound and soluble RANKL availability in MC3T3-E1 cells
Kim DW, Lee HJ, Karmin JA, Lee SE, Chang SS, Tolchin B, Lin S, Cho SK, Kwon A, Ahn JM, Lee FY, Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 1/1/2006
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Books/Book Chapters

Status Epilepticus: A Clinical Perspective
Chapter: Nonepileptic psychogenic status
Tolchin B, Dworetzky BAEditors: Drislane F, Kaplan P.Oxford University Press, New YorkEdition 2nd,2017
Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: toward the integration of care
Chapter: Readiness to start treatment and obstacles to adherence
Tolchin B, Baslet GEditors: Dworetzky BA, Baslet G.Oxford University Press, New York2017

Lectures

Seizures and seizure-like events
1/1/2018
Expanding Meaningful Volunteer Opportunities for AAN members
Los Angeles, CA - 1/1/2018
Clinical research recommendations for residents and fellows
Los Angeles, CA - 1/1/2018
Indeterminate admission to the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU)
1/1/2018
Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures as a model for medically unexplained symptoms
West Haven, CT - 1/1/2018
Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
1/1/2017
Presence of multiple comorbid functional symptoms impacts Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES) outcomes
Edinburgh, Scotland - 1/1/2017
Treatment adherence and outcomes in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES)
Washington, DC - 1/1/2017
A randomized trial of motivational interviewing to improve treatment adherence and outcomes among patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
Washington, DC - 1/1/2017
Treatment adherence and outcomes among patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
Boston Children�s Hospital, Boston, MA - 1/1/2017
Seizure and epilepsy classifications
Brigham and Women�s Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA - 1/1/2017
What AES Can Do for You: Professional Development Session
Washington, DC - 1/1/2017
Non-epileptic disorders encountered during long-term monitoring
New Haven, CT - 1/1/2017
Psychogenic seizures and medical humor: the problem of bias in the treatment of conversion disorders
Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, Boston, MA - 1/1/2017
Deception in the diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, Boston, MA - 1/1/2016
Non-adherence with psychiatric treatment among patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA - 1/1/2016
Diagnostic yield of ambulatory EEG in the elderly
Orlando, FL - 1/1/2016
Substituted judgement and disagreement between the care team and family
Boston, MA - 1/1/2015
A case-based bioethics curriculum for neurology residents
New York, NY - 1/1/2015
Status epilepticus in cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation
Boston, MA - 1/1/2015
51-year-old man with syncopal episodes and 1 year of behavioral changes
Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY - 1/1/2014
Surgical re-evaluation in refractory epilepsy secondary to cortical dysplasia
Boston, MA - 1/1/2014
Bioethics Education for Neurology Residents
Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY - 1/1/2013
Diagnosis and management of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: case presentation
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC - 1/1/2012
Brain death and religious accommodation
New York, NY - 1/1/2012
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Press Mentions

Dr. Chatbot Will See You NowSeptember 11th, 2024
YNHHS Researchers Find Racial Disparities in One Mechanism of Assessing Organ FailureSeptember 29th, 2021
‘SOFA’ Triage Protocol Disadvantages Black COVID PatientsSeptember 28th, 2021
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