Our neuropsychology service has a well-established international reputation for its clinical service and its research and is one of the largest and best established neuropsychology departments in Britain. It provides a unique and highly specialised clinical neuropsychological diagnostic and therapeutic service.
The diagnostic service involves a detailed assessment of cognitive functions such as memory, language, perception, planning, reasoning and attention as well as behaviour in patients with suspected or confirmed brain pathology. Conditions such as amnesia, aphasia, dyspraxia, agnosia and dyscalculia are routinely assessed in the department.
We offer group neuropsychology-led interventions for patients with a variety of neurological conditions. These workshops, for patients with stroke, Parkinsons disease, deep brain stimulation, low grade brain tumours, and sub-arachnoid haemorrhage, comprise five or six 2-hour fortnightly sessions. Psychoeducational issues related to further the understanding of the neuropsychological consequences of acquired brain injury, as well as specific strategies to reduce the impact of memory; planning and other cognitive disorders on daily living, are provided. The aim is to help patients and their families learn more about the condition; to give patients and carers an opportunity to explore the impact of living with the condition including strategies to assist problems with memory, attention, and planning and organisation; to help in coping with anxiety and depression; and to be able to share and hear from others facing the same issues.
Highly specialised neuropsychological input is also given on an individual basis for the treatment and management of the neuropsychological effects of acute, neurodegenerative and neuro-oncological conditions. For example we give input to patients suffering from Prion disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, acute brain injury and various forms of brain tumours. Counselling for patients with brain pathology and their relatives is also available.
We care for patients with:
- Neurological conditions
- Epilepsy
- Head injury
- Multiple sclerosis
- Stroke
- Parkinson’s disease
- Neurodegenerative conditions such as prion disease, spinocerebellar, ataxia
- Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal and vascular dementias
- Neurosurgical conditions
- Brain tumours
- Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease and dystonia
- Hydrocephalus
- Neurovascular procedures (eg. clipping or coiling for subarachnoid haemorrhages)
We treat approximately 2,400 patients annually. There is a waiting time of approximately six to eight weeks for outpatients.
Aftercare is individualised. In some cases aftercare may involve a period of treatment in the department, in other cases itmay be continued by the GP, other health professionals (e.g. occupational or speech therapist) or referral to other rehabilitation team is made to provide treatment (e.g. residential, community).