Education

PhD, University of California San Diego, Medical Center, 2014,PhD, San Diego State University, 2011

Home Department

Psychiatry

Joint Appointments

Psychological Science

Clinical Profile (opens in new window)

Ariel Neikrug, PhD

Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Human Behavior
Associate Director of Research, Train New Trainers Psychiatry Fellowship Program

Research Interests

Chronic Disease
Circadian Rhythms
Functioning
Mood
Physical Activity
Quality of Life
Sleep

Publications

Individual differences in medial temporal lobe functional network architecture predict the capacity for sleep-related consolidation of emotional memories in older adults. Sleep. 2025 May 30. Chappel-Farley MG, Adams JN, Betzel RF, Sattari NS, Berisha DE, Meza NJ, Janecek JT, Niknazar H, Kim S, Dave A, Chen IY, Lui KK, Neikrug AB, Benca RM, Yassa MA, Mander BA. PMID: 40442306.
6th Annual Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (SBSM) Scientific Conference Catalog of Oral Poster Presentations. Behav Sleep Med. 2025 May 14; 1-41. McCrae CS, Stearns MA, Crabtree V, Neikrug A, Lichstein K, Owens J. PMID: 40369938.
Association of Hypoxemia Due to Obstructive Sleep Apnea With White Matter Hyperintensities and Temporal Lobe Changes in Older Adults. Neurology. 2025 Jun 10; 104(11):e213639. Berisha DE, Rizvi B, Chappel-Farley MG, Tustison N, Taylor L, Dave A, Sattari NS, Chen IY, Lui KK, Janecek JC, Keator DB, Neikrug AB, Benca RM, Yassa MA, Mander BA. PMID: 40334140.
Engagement in moderate-intensity physical activity supports overnight memory retention in older adults. Sci Rep. 2024 12 30; 14(1):31873. Chappel-Farley MG, Berisha DE, Dave A, Sanders RM, Kline CE, Janecek JT, Sattari N, Lui KK, Chen IY, Neikrug AB, Benca RM, Yassa MA, Mander BA. PMID: 39738288.
Improving Behavioral Healthcare Access Disparities by Training Providers in Disadvantaged Communities – Evidence of Strategy Effectiveness. J Gen Intern Med. 2025 Jan; 40(1):102-112. Neikrug AB, Cho SS, Nguyen ES, Stehli A, Huo S, Garcia C, Au S, Masoumirad M, Cant W, Le-Bucklin KV, Gagliardi JP, Xiong GL, McCarron RM. PMID: 39482475.
Corrigendum: Preventing sleep disruption with bright light therapy during chemotherapy for breast cancer: a phase II randomized controlled trial. Front Neurosci. 2024; 18:1386314. Rissling M, Liu L, Youngstedt SD, Trofimenko V, Natarajan L, Neikrug AB, Jeste N, Parker BA, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 39420984.
Cerebrovascular pathology mediates associations between hypoxemia during rapid eye movement sleep and medial temporal lobe structure and function in older adults. bioRxiv. 2024 Jan 28. Berisha DE, Rizvi B, Chappel-Farley MG, Tustison N, Taylor L, Dave A, Sattari NS, Chen IY, Lui KK, Janecek JC, Keator D, Neikrug AB, Benca RM, Yassa MA, Mander BA. PMID: 38328085.
Cardiorespiratory fitness and circadian rhythms in adolescents: a pilot study. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2024 Feb 01; 136(2):372-384. Chen IY, Radom-Aizik S, Stehli A, Palmer JR, Lui KK, Dave A, Chappel-Farley MG, Vinces KG, Gealer D, Lim A, Mander BA, Benca RM, Neikrug AB. PMID: 38126092.
Medial temporal lobe functional network architecture supports sleep-related emotional memory processing in older adults. bioRxiv. 2023 Nov 01. Chappel-Farley MG, Adams JN, Betzel RF, Janecek JC, Sattari NS, Berisha DE, Meza NJ, Niknazar H, Kim S, Dave A, Chen IY, Lui KK, Neikrug AB, Benca RM, Yassa MA, Mander BA. PMID: 37961192.
Antidepressant Prescription Behavior Among Primary Care Clinician Providers After an Interprofessional Primary Care Psychiatric Training Program. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2023 11; 50(6):926-935. Huo S, Bruckner TA, Xiong GL, Cooper E, Wade A, Neikrug AB, Gagliardi JP, McCarron R. PMID: 37598371.
Actigraphy in clinical sleep medicine. Sleep Med Rev. 2023 04; 68:101767. Neikrug AB. PMID: 36893499.
Train New Trainers Primary Care Psychiatry Fellowship-Optimizing Delivery of Behavioral Health Care Through Training for Primary Care Providers. J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2022 04 01; 42(2):105-114. Neikrug AB, Stehli A, Xiong GL, Suo S, Le-Bucklin KV, Cant W, McCarron RM. PMID: 35439771.
Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are associated with less frequent exercise and worse subjective cognitive function across adulthood. Sleep. 2022 03 14; 45(3). Chappel-Farley MG, Mander BA, Neikrug AB, Stehli A, Nan B, Grill JD, Yassa MA, Benca RM. PMID: 34604910.
Preventing Sleep Disruption With Bright Light Therapy During Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial. Front Neurosci. 2022; 16:815872. Rissling M, Liu L, Youngstedt SD, Trofimenko V, Natarajan L, Neikrug AB, Jeste N, Parker BA, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 35356054.
Reductions in sleep quality and circadian activity rhythmicity predict longitudinal changes in objective and subjective cognitive functioning in women treated for breast cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2022 Apr; 30(4):3187-3200. Ancoli-Israel S, Liu L, Natarajan L, Rissling M, Neikrug AB, Youngstedt SD, Mills PJ, Sadler GR, Dimsdale JE, Parker BA, Palmer BW. PMID: 34957532.
Aerobic fitness and the sleeping brain of adolescents-a pilot study. Sleep Adv. 2021; 2(1):zpab005. Neikrug AB, Mander BA, Radom-Aizik S, Chen IY, Stehli A, Lui KK, Chappel-Farley MG, Dave A, Benca RM. PMID: 33981996.
Characterizing Behavioral Activity Rhythms in Older Adults Using Actigraphy. Sensors (Basel). 2020 Jan 19; 20(2). Neikrug AB, Chen IY, Palmer JR, McCurry SM, Von Korff M, Perlis M, Vitiello MV. PMID: 31963889.
Update and future perspective of behavioral medicine in the treatment for chronic pain. Pain Manag. 2019 Mar 01; 9(2):161-173. Okifuji A, Neikrug A. PMID: 30785366.
Nighttime Sleep and Daytime Sleepiness Improved With Pimavanserin During Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2018 Nov/Dec; 41(6):210-215. Patel N, LeWitt P, Neikrug AB, Kesslak P, Coate B, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 30303817.
Activity rhythms and clinical correlates in fibromyalgia. Pain. 2017 08; 158(8):1417-1429. Neikrug AB, Donaldson G, Iacob E, Williams SL, Hamilton CA, Okifuji A. PMID: 28328573.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cognition in Parkinson’s disease. Sleep Med. 2016 05; 21:28-34. Harmell AL, Neikrug AB, Palmer BW, Avanzino JA, Liu L, Maglione JE, Natarajan L, Corey-Bloom J, Loredo JS, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 27448468.
Behavioral Sleep Medicine Services for Hypersomnia Disorders: A Survey Study. Behav Sleep Med. 2017 Mar-Apr; 15(2):158-171. Neikrug AB, Crawford MR, Ong JC. PMID: 26788889.
Parkinson’s disease and REM sleep behavior disorder result in increased non-motor symptoms. Sleep Med. 2014 Aug; 15(8):959-66. Neikrug AB, Avanzino JA, Liu L, Maglione JE, Natarajan L, Corey-Bloom J, Palmer BW, Loredo JS, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 24938585.
Sleep, fatigue, depression, and circadian activity rhythms in women with breast cancer before and after treatment: a 1-year longitudinal study. Support Care Cancer. 2014 Sep; 22(9):2535-45. Ancoli-Israel S, Liu L, Rissling M, Natarajan L, Neikrug AB, Palmer BW, Mills PJ, Parker BA, Sadler GR, Maglione J. PMID: 24733634.
Continuous positive airway pressure improves sleep and daytime sleepiness in patients with Parkinson disease and sleep apnea. Sleep. 2014 Jan 01; 37(1):177-85. Neikrug AB, Liu L, Avanzino JA, Maglione JE, Natarajan L, Bradley L, Maugeri A, Corey-Bloom J, Palmer BW, Loredo JS, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 24470706.
Effects of sleep disorders on the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson disease. J Clin Sleep Med. 2013 Nov 15; 9(11):1119-29. Neikrug AB, Maglione JE, Liu L, Natarajan L, Avanzino JA, Corey-Bloom J, Palmer BW, Loredo JS, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 24235892.
Actigraphy for the assessment of sleep measures in Parkinson’s disease. Sleep. 2013 Aug 01; 36(8):1209-17. Maglione JE, Liu L, Neikrug AB, Poon T, Natarajan L, Calderon J, Avanzino JA, Corey-Bloom J, Palmer BW, Loredo JS, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 23904681.
Fatigue and Circadian Activity Rhythms in Breast Cancer Patients Before and After Chemotherapy: A Controlled Study. Fatigue. 2013; 1(1-2):12-26. Liu L, Rissling M, Neikrug A, Fiorentino L, Natarajan L, Faierman M, Sadler GR, Dimsdale JE, Mills PJ, Parker BA, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 23412418.
Relationships between clinical characteristics and nocturnal cardiac autonomic activity in Parkinson’s disease. Auton Neurosci. 2012 Nov 02; 171(1-2):85-8. Covassin N, Neikrug AB, Liu L, Maglione J, Natarajan L, Corey-Bloom J, Loredo JS, Palmer BW, Redwine LS, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 23141523.
Clinical correlates of periodic limb movements in sleep in Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol Sci. 2012 May 15; 316(1-2):131-6. Covassin N, Neikrug AB, Liu L, Corey-Bloom J, Loredo JS, Palmer BW, Maglione J, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 22277375.
Bright light therapy protects women from circadian rhythm desynchronization during chemotherapy for breast cancer. Behav Sleep Med. 2012; 10(3):202-16. Neikrug AB, Rissling M, Trofimenko V, Liu L, Natarajan L, Lawton S, Parker BA, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 22742438.
Diagnostic tools for REM sleep behavior disorder. Sleep Med Rev. 2012 Oct; 16(5):415-29. Neikrug AB, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 22169258.
Light treatment prevents fatigue in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2012 Jun; 20(6):1211-9. Ancoli-Israel S, Rissling M, Neikrug A, Trofimenko V, Natarajan L, Parker BA, Lawton S, Desan P, Liu L. PMID: 21660669.
Sleep disturbances in nursing homes. J Nutr Health Aging. 2010 Mar; 14(3):207-11. Neikrug AB, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 20191255.
Sleep disorders in the older adult – a mini-review. Gerontology. 2010; 56(2):181-9. Neikrug AB, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 19738366.
Breast cancer patients have progressively impaired sleep-wake activity rhythms during chemotherapy. Sleep. 2009 Sep; 32(9):1155-60. Savard J, Liu L, Natarajan L, Rissling MB, Neikrug AB, He F, Dimsdale JE, Mills PJ, Parker BA, Sadler GR, Ancoli-Israel S. PMID: 19750920.

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