Focus · Dubai Online
1 hour ago Georgie Docker North West Google The Manchester Brain Health Centre (MBHC) is at Manchester Royal Infirmary A brain health clinic seeking to "transform" how dementia is diagnosed, slowed down and treated has opened on World Alzheimer's Day. The Manchester Brain Health Centre (MBHC) is located at Manchester Royal Infirmary. The first clinic of its kind in the UK, MBHC is bringing together psychiatrists, vascular specialists and academics under a single service to identify and treat memory loss earlier.
"Right now, the system is not set up for people when memory and thinking problems first appear," said Dr Ross Dunne, dementia research lead at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. "That is exactly when early diagnosis and treatment could have the greatest impact." He added: "The Manchester Brain Health Centre is crucial to advancing our understanding and treatment of the diseases that cause dementia." MBHC is a two-year pilot spearheaded by the Alzheimer's Society. It is designed as a scalable model which could be rolled out nationally. 'Early, accurate diagnosis' Dementia is associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning.
Symptoms can include memory loss, slower thinking speed, and lower levels of understanding, judgement and mood, according to the NHS . Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia which, together with vascular dementia, makes up the majority of cases. According to Alzheimer's Society, about one million people are living with dementia in the UK.
On average, diagnosis typically takes three-and-a-half years from the first symptoms being displayed. The charity said the new Manchester clinic was set to transform this process. "What we are looking to do is to bring that right forward so people in Manchester are referred into a specialist team at the earlier symptoms - ensuring they get an accurate diagnosis," said Alzheimer's Society dementia support services director Chris Larkin.
"They'll understand what's happening and then they'll get support to reduce their risks and also to live as well as possible with the diagnosis." The clinic will use MRI scans, lumbar punctures, heart health checks and behavioural assessments to deliver earlier and accurate diagnoses before putting together personalised treatment plans. Patients will be identified through existing memory assessment services and referred directly, the charity said. Related internet links More like this
Source: BBC
