This page provides some information about the routine cognitive and mood screening appointment that takes place as part of the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) care pathway at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. If you have further questions about the appointment after reading this information, speak to any member of your MND care team or contact the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology using the contact details provided.
Cognition and MND
Many people with MND do not experience any changes in their thinking skills (cognition). However, a proportion of people do experience changes in their thinking or behaviour. For many people, these changes are mild and have limited impact on daily life. For other people these changes can be more severe. Here is a list of some of the most common difficulties that people report:
- Word-finding and spelling
- Attention and concentration
- Taking in information
- Planning, organising and decision making
- Motivation
- Responding appropriately in social situations and to other people’s feelings
What role can Clinical Psychology play in my care?
Clinical Psychologists work as part of the MND care team because they have a specialist understanding of the brain and how illnesses such as MND can affect people’s thinking, behaviour and emotions. They can offer support and advice for patients who may be experiencing difficulties in these areas including providing individuals and their families with strategies for managing cognitive, behavioural or mood changes.
Why should I attend my cognitive and mood screening appointment?
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on MND recommends that neuropsychological assessment should be administered for all individuals with MND.
The MND service at Leeds aims to administer a screening assessment within the first few months after diagnosis and further assessment can be carried out, if requested. This ensures that we can provide you with the best care possible.
This screening assessment provides the MND team with a baseline for your cognition and mood so that we can monitor this over the course of your treatment.
What does the screening appointment involve?
A member of the Clinical psychology team will contact you to arrange a suitable time for your cognitive and mood screening appointment. This may be on a day where you may be seeing other members of the MND care team at Seacroft Hospital, or it can be carried out at an alternative time.
We ask that a relative or carer accompany you during this appointment as they will be asked to comment on whether they have noticed any changes in your thinking or behaviour.
You will be asked to complete a short number of tasks to look at your thinking skills. These tasks include identifying objects, spelling some words and remembering a short story. You will also be asked to comment on how you have been feeling recently and whether you have noticed any changes in your thinking or behaviour.
What happens after the screening appointment?
Following your appointment, your results will be reviewed by the Clinical Psychology team. If there is any indication that further assessment or support could be useful, we will contact you to discuss this and to arrange a follow-up appointment if necessary. A summary report will be sent to you in the post and a copy will also be sent to your Neurologist, GP and other health professionals involved in your care. If you or a relative have any specific questions about the screening appointment or about your results, you are welcome to contact us using the contact details provided in this leaflet.
Sharing your information
By attending your cognitive and mood screening appointment, you will be agreeing for your results to be shared with other professionals involved in your care. If you have any concerns about this, we can discuss them with you. If there is anyone else that you would like to be informed of the results, please feel free to contact our service to request that an extra copy of the report is sent out.
Further information
Motor Neurone Disease Association
If you would like some more information about thinking and behaviour in MND, the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) have developed a guide on this topic which includes links to further organisations that offer support. Scan the QR code to see the guide or visit their website.
Contact Information
Motor Neurone Disease Service
E Floor, Martin Wing
Leeds General Infirmary
Great George Street
Leeds
LS1 3EX
Tel: (0113) 392 6078
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology
Fielding House
St James’s University Hospital
Leeds
LS9 7LN
Tel: (0113) 206 5897