Outpatient clinic for Brain and Mental Health

The outpatient clinic for brain and mental health is the result of a joint initiative between the Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, supported by the HUG NeuroCentre. It associates care and research to offer a treatment approach that combines several areas of expertise: neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, neuropsychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy. Other specialties, such as ORL, will also be involved in the future.

Thanks to this synergy, a more comprehensive assessment of brain and mental disorders can be performed, integrating new research protocols to refine diagnoses and improve therapeutic strategies.

The proposed cross-disciplinary approach contributes to a better understanding and treatment of persistent cognitive, motivational, and neuropsychological disorders in the broader sense. This complementarity of disciplines promotes care more tailored to the specific needs of each individual. Furthermore, the integration of research will advance practices in neurology and psychiatry for the benefit of patients.

The consultation is aimed at people with persistent cognitive (memory, attention, etc.) or motivational (interest, pleasure, engagement) disorders, alone or associated with major neuro-psychological disorders, in particular:

• related to psychosis (such as acute psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorders, bipolar disorders, etc.)

• following a mild to moderate head injury with symptoms persisting for several weeks after the accident (concentration problems, sleep disturbances, fatigue, motor and balance disorders).

It is intended for those whose health does not require hospitalization, but who still experience difficulties in their daily lives.

• Optimize diagnostics using cutting-edge equipment
• Perform systematic and in-depth diagnosis and characterization of motivational and cognitive disorders, as well as other psychotic symptoms
• Anticipate the onset of late sequelae related to head trauma, including neuro-psychological or vestibular disorders
• Improve treatments by integrating multidisciplinary and personalized solutions
• Provide access to clinical research protocols to enrich scientific knowledge and define new therapeutic approaches

The team is composed of neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, neuro-psychologists, scientists, nurses or research coordinators, and administrative and technical staff.

Care is personalized according to the specific needs of each patient and may include:

• medical and care consultations: general monitoring and treatment adjustment (medications, symptom monitoring).

  • psychiatric assessment: standardized interviews and tests for an accurate diagnosis and better characterization of symptoms in order to adapt follow-up.

  • neuropsychological assessment: standardized tests to identify cognitive deficits and adapt rehabilitation.

  • neurosurgical evaluation: exploration of surgical or interventional options in specific cases (focal lesions, post-traumatic epilepsy, etc.).

  • additional examinations: 7 Tesla MRI (precise visualization of brain structure, detection of microlesions)

• neuromodulation techniques: transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), neurofeedback, etc.

Services are grouped together on a single site, the Campus Biotech, to promote coordination, improve communication between teams, and support clinical research. Personalized follow-ups are planned to ensure continuity of care and assess progress.

Patients are referred by a physician: a neuropsychologist or neurosurgeon in cases of head trauma, and by a psychiatrist for mental health disorders.

Physicians can refer a patient by writing to the consultation secretariat at secretariat.opc-cb@hug.ch. Contacting the secretariat is possible in advance for any questions regarding the organization of the consultation, as well as a preliminary discussion with a member of the medical team to assess the appropriateness of the referral.

Patients can benefit from the consultation without participating in a research protocol. However, their participation in a research protocol contributes to the advancement of knowledge about neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as transcranial magnetic or electrical stimulation, as well as personalized cognitive interventions, have shown promising potential in promoting the recovery of motivational functions. These studies support the development of therapeutic approaches based on sound scientific data and facilitate the implementation of personalized treatments for patients.