Our Expertise
Our Memory Clinic team is comprised of Consultant Psychiatrists and Clinical Psychologists with expertise in the field of memory, cognition, dementia, and neuropsychology.
A memory clinic consultation may be helpful to consider if you may have noticed a change in yourself or a loved one, in one or more of the following areas:
- Altered states of consciousness
- Attention
- Cognitive difficulties following a head injury (e.g. sports injuries)
- If you think yourself or a loved one may have dementia
- Language abilities
- Memory
- Problem solving skills
- Visuospatial abilities
If you think you or a loved one may have dementia it can be helpful to receive a diagnosis as early as possible as this allows you and your family to have the best chance to prepare for the future and provides access to any treatments which could be helpful.
With early diagnosis and treatment and support from health care professionals, people with dementia can live lives which are fulfilling, active and in line with their values.
Alternatively, if you or a loved one is concerned that dementia may be underlying any difficulties, it can be helpful and re-assuring to have an assessment which may conclude that this is not the underlying cause.
Difficulties with cognition, including memory, are not always due to dementia and can be due to mental health difficulties (e.g. depression, anxiety, stress), side effects of medication, head injuries, and certain physical health problems, including pain and delirium.
At the practice we have expertise in working with high performance athletes. A consultation at our Memory Clinic can be utilised to assess for potential cognitive impairment, as a result of sports related head injuries.
The Assessment Process
Memory Clinic Consultation
Upon reviewing your referral, we can offer a 90-minute Consultation with our Consultant Psychiatrist. This appointment will include taking a detailed history of your difficulties, gathering collateral information from someone who knows you well and completing some tasks in session to formally assess cognition. Our Consultant will then gather all of this information together and consider what the next best steps are for you.
Based on the Memory Clinic consultation with our Consultant Psychiatrist we may at this stage be able to provide a diagnosis if appropriate, and suggest potential medical and/or psychological treatment options. You will also be provided with a report summarising the assessment and future recommendations.
Alternatively, the Memory Clinic consultation may conclude that further in-depth neuropsychological testing and/or scanning is required to establish the potential underlying cause of cognitive impairment. If this is the most helpful next step you will then meet with one of our Clinical Psychologists to carry out a detailed Neuropsychological Assessment and we can arrange for fast access to any brain scans that may be required.
Comprehensive Memory Clinic Assessment
This includes a 90-minute consultation with our Consultant Psychiatrist, neuropsychological assessment with our Clinical Psychologist and brain scanning if appropriate. A feedback appointment and detailed report are also included.
A Neuropsychological Assessment will involve an initial clinical interview where further assessment information will be gathered from you and someone who knows you well. You will then meet with the Clinical Psychologist for further appointments to undertake standardised neuropsychological assessments, this can take approximately 3-4 hours. Undertaking a neuropsychological assessment will involve answering a range of questions, completing some written assessments and practical tasks.
Following the comprehensive assessment our team will bring together all of the information gathered, analyse and interpret this and provide a written report which outlines the assessment process, findings and any diagnosis which is suitable, as well as future recommendations for psychological and psychiatric treatment. You will have a feedback appointment to discuss the outcome of the assessment and potential future treatment options.
Our Fees
£560
90-minute Memory Clinic Consultation
£2500
Comprehensive Memory Clinic Assessment
(Memory Clinic Consultation, Neuropsychological Assessment & CT/MRI brain scan)