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Dr. James Okonkwo
MD, FAAN · Neurologist
Chicago, Illinois · 21 years in practice
About
Behavioral neurology and early diagnosis
Dr. James Okonkwo trained in neurology at Northwestern and completed a behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.
His practice concentrates on younger-onset presentations — people in their fifties dismissed as stressed or depressed — where the diagnostic delay is often three to five years. He uses plasma p-tau217, volumetric MRI, and full neuropsychological batteries to reach an answer inside one cycle rather than across years.
He is a site investigator on two anti-amyloid therapy trials and spends part of each week on differential diagnosis second opinions for patients who have already been told nothing is wrong.
Specialties
Approach
A three-phase model, so you know what happens at each stage and what you leave with.
01
Assessment
Structured cognitive history with an informant interview, neurologic exam, plasma p-tau217 and NfL, and volumetric MRI.
02
Strategy
A written differential with confidence levels, plus what each remaining test would and would not change about management.
03
Execution
Diagnosis disclosure done with the family present, a staged care plan, and warm handoff to nutrition, coaching, and therapy partners in the network.
What clients say
Three doctors told my husband he was burned out. Dr. Okonkwo had a biomarker-confirmed answer in six weeks. Devastating news, delivered with more care than I thought possible.
He explained the MRI to me on the screen, region by region, until I understood it. Nobody had done that.
Credentials & Affiliations
American Academy of Neurology
Alzheimer's Association
American Neurological Association
Society for Behavioral Neurology