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Dementia Research Centre

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What the clinic visit involves

Patients are assessed in a consultant-led multidisciplinary clinic, including neurology, psychiatry, psychology, imaging, neurophysiology and speech and language therapy.  

What can I expect from clinic?

Where appropriate, patients are investigated on the same day with MRI, psychology, EEG tests, and lumbar puncture. Other types of imaging are also available.

In addition to clinical care, all patients are offered the opportunity to participate in clinical trials and other studies at the DRC.

MRI 

This is a scan of your brain which takes place within a specialist (loud) machine and the process should take under an hour. You will be asked some questions to make sure there is no reason why you cannot have a scan (e.g. you have a pacemaker). 

Psychology

These are tests of memory and thinking and may take around one and a half hours.

EEG

This is a record of the brain’s electrical activity, and involves special electrodes being attached, painlessly to the scalp. It may take an hour.

Lumbar Puncture (LP)

If necessary, patients can be admitted for further investigations to the Day Case Unit at the NHNN and we have a dedicated lumbar puncture clinic for rapid access to spinal fluid assessment. This can be an important part of the diagnostic process.

A lumbar puncture is a procedure used to obtain a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear, colourless bodily fluid found in the brain and spine. The procedure involves inserting a hollow needle in the lower back to obtain CSF speciment to be sent to the laboratory for analysis. The appointment will last about 2 hours, which includes consent for the procedure, the procedure itself, taking bloods, and resting in the Day Care Unit.

The CSF laboratory at Queen Square is a national referral centre, offering measurement of neurodegeneration markers including amyloid beta (1-42) and tau.