Alexander Pope, Epistle iii. The Clinic has been recognised for its ability to enrol subjects and its efficiency in carrying out projects. Patients either have an unusual and complex presentation of a neurodegenerative illness, or are participating in a specific clinical study. All patients are followed longitudinally.
Patients undergo detailed neurological and neuropsychological assessment.
These assessments produce numerical and qualitative data on impairments associated with specific regions of the brain - including sensory motor function, attention, semantic memory, short term and long term memory, language and visuospatial impairments. This data is correlated with neuroimaging and neuropathology results. The correlation of each group of findings is particularly exciting as it provides objective identification of the early symptoms of the dementias of late life. Early diagnosis underpins therapy and prevention, as interventions are clearly most effective prior to the onset of significant cognitive loss. If abnormal scans are to be identified, it is important to know what normal PET scans look like.