Brockman, who at the time of that visit remained at the helm of the privately held dealership management system provider, had a “take-charge, in-charge persona” consistent with his position, Pool testified. But he also displayed reduced facial expressions, which Pool called “one of the most striking things about our early conversations.”
“The depth of reporting of details when I would ask questions made me concerned during the very first visit that there was impairment of short-term memory,” Pool testified in response to questions from Brockman lawyer Jason Varnado. “I wasn’t getting the kind of responses that I would expect, nor was the entire content of the response what I would expect. So that made me suspicious.”
Brockman had not been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the time of that visit, Pool testified. He made referrals to Baylor colleagues for follow-up testing, including with neurologists who specialize in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease and with a neuropsychologist.
Those physicians’ evaluations led to a diagnosis that Brockman’s symptoms were consistent with Parkinson’s disease or Lewy body dementia, according to court filings in the case, including in defense lawyers’ December 2020 request for a competency hearing.
“In Mr. Brockman’s case, his recent neurological tests show mild to moderate dementia,” Pool wrote in a January 2020 letter submitted at the request of defense attorneys, noting that he did not believe Brockman would be able to assist in his defense. He cited in the letter that Brockman has “undeniable short-term memory limitations” and that his recollection of past events may be affected by his memory filling in gaps with information that may not be accurate.
Prosecutors have noted in court filings that Brockman has donated millions of dollars to the Baylor College of Medicine and contend that Brockman’s presentation to his doctors does not match his behavior in activities outside of exam rooms, including leading Dayton, Ohio-based Reynolds and Reynolds. Brockman had both the motivation and capacity to exaggerate his symptoms in this case, prosecutors maintain.
Under cross-examination by prosecutors, Pool testified that Brockman had not told him he was under criminal investigation and that he did not consider the case as part of his assessment and treatment once he learned of its existence.
