At the UCSF Memory and Aging Center Clinic, each patient goes through an extensive neurological, neuropsychological and nursing assessment, usually lasting about three hours. The input of the caregiver is sought in every case. Because memory loss and other related symptoms are often complex, we believe that a multidisciplinary and comprehensive evaluation is necessary for most patients. This extensive initial evaluation accomplishes an assessment that may take two or three visits in a traditional medical setting.
The purpose of this comprehensive evaluation is to determine the cause or causes of the patient's symptoms and to recommend treatment. After the initial evaluation, the clinicians involved with each case hold a conference during which they discuss the diagnosis and potential treatments. Following this conference, the clinicians discuss their findings with the patient and the family. In some cases, a diagnosis will be deferred until more information (such as blood tests or brain imaging) is collected. A written report is sent to the primary care physician and/or referring physician.
