Memory Assessment Service

If you are concerned about your memory please consult your GP surgery first. There are many reasons for changes in memory and thinking skills, some of these relate to physical health and your doctor can check this for you.

When you attend the Memory Clinic we will try to give you an answer to the questions you have about your memory changes. We offer comprehensive assessment of memory and thinking skills to help you and those around you understand the nature of any changes to your memory.

We are called the Memory assessment service, but we check for more than just memory problems. We look for brain conditions like dementia that get worse over time. Brain changes can affect how well someone thinks, remembers, and makes decisions. Sometimes these changes can be fixed, and the person can get much better. We need to check for and treat any fixable problems before we can tell if someone truly has dementia.

What is dementia?

The two most common types of dementia are Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Alzheimer's happens when harmful proteins build up in the brain, damaging nerve cells and disrupting brain signals. Vascular dementia occurs when blood vessels in the brain become damaged. While there's no cure for either type, some medications can help slow down Alzheimer's progression.

We understand that looking into memory problems can be worrying. Our nurses are here to support you, answer your questions, and guide you through each step with care and understanding.

There are five steps in assessing memory problems, these are:

Step 1

You will see your GP who will complete a short cognitive screening test. They will take some bloods and assess to see if there are any physical or mental confounders which may be mimicking the symptoms of dementia. They may also complete an ECG, which will aid in prompt commencement of medication should it be appropriate. Your GP will refer you to the memory clinic.

Step 2

You will be sent an appointment to meet with a nurse specialist. It is helpful to take someone who knows you well to this assessment as the nurse will also be interested in what concerns others have.  Generally the appointments are in clinic, but for those who are house bound a home visit can be arranged. The nurse will chat with you to find out more about the difficulties you’ve been having and how long they have been going on. There is likely to be a lot of questions. They will also go through a more detailed cognitive test with you. This can sometimes be a bit challenging, but really useful to show which areas in your thinking are struggling.

Step 3

Neuro-imaging is an important part of our investigations. In our area, if you can tolerate it, we prefer to refer you for an MRI scan. This scan can be quite close and noisy.  Some people find they can only cope with a CT scan, which is quicker and less enclosed. This can also provide us with helpful information.

Not only do these scans allow us to rule out other pathology, but also aid to identify structural changes suggestive of a dementia.

Step 4

Once we have gathered all the information, this will be discussed with the specialist clinical team, including a consultant psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, nurse specialist and medical secretary.  

Sometimes, we may wish to complete a different type of scan which will involve an injection. This allows us to see how the brain is functioning rather than showing us the structures. This can support us with diagnosing or ruling out some specific dementias.

You may be invited for some more in depth cognitive testing with the psychology team. This can sometimes support in identifying early changes to the cognition.

Step 5

Unless you are in a care home, we will invite you to a post discharge meeting, where you will have the opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns and we will provide you with details of local information and support.