The Bru-BRAIN memory clinic of the UZ Brussel in Jette is included in the ‘European Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium’, thanks to good patient care and scientific research.
That recognition comes a year after the clinic opened and is important according to department head Sebastiaan Engelborghs: “It’s a nice recognition, but it also gives us access to other research.”
The memory clinic is an interdisciplinary center where you will find neurologists, geriatricians and psychiatrists. The goal of the clinic is to be able to give people advice on short notice from various experts and to allow these experts to discuss the matter together.
Depression, for example, is one of the first symptoms of a person suffering from juvenile-onset dementia, so it is important to make a diagnosis through various scientific pathways.
There is a long waiting list in the center, but according to Engelborghs it makes sense: “The population is aging, so it makes sense that more and more people are coming to us.”
There are also some bright spots, says the department head: “The disease is incurable, but not incurable. We can try to keep the disease stable for as long as possible and with recent scientific research we are also focusing on slowing the disease.”
According to Engelborghs, Bru-BRAIN’s international recognition means they meet international standards in terms of patient care, but also scientific research, which is a nice compliment.
Finally, he gives some tips for limiting the risk of dementia: eat healthy, get enough exercise, and control risk factors such as hypertension, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
