Assessed properly,
not dismissed.
Concentration, mental clarity and memory concerns — assessed properly rather than dismissed as age or stress.
What this
usually looks like.
Usually noticed first at work, and usually noticed by you before anyone else.
In meetings, in reading, in conversations you care about.
Needing to write down what you used to simply retain.
Moving between tasks costs more than it used to.
Cognitive effort tiring you in a way it did not before.
Which is itself a legitimate reason to have it assessed.
Often reversible,
usually assessable.
Cognitive symptoms have a wide range of contributors, and a substantial proportion of them are treatable. Thyroid disease, B12 deficiency, sleep apnoea, hormonal transition, depression and medication effects all present as cognitive change — and all of them are identifiable.
The reason to assess early is not alarm. It is that the treatable causes are the ones most easily missed when symptoms are attributed to age.
Structured assessment, so change can be measured rather than estimated.
Both common, both treatable, both present as cognitive change.
Including apnoea, which impairs cognition substantially.
Depression and anxiety affect concentration and recall directly.
Perimenopause commonly presents with brain fog and word-finding difficulty.
Several common prescriptions have cognitive effects.
Attributing symptoms to age is the most common way a treatable cause is missed.
How we
assess it.
Objective measurement first, so that any future change has something to be compared against.
Consultant consultation
What you have noticed, when it started, and how it affects your day.
Cognitive assessment
Structured testing across memory, attention and executive function.
Medical screen
Thyroid, B12, metabolic, inflammatory and hormonal markers.
Review and baseline
Findings explained, with a documented baseline for future comparison.
Who would
see you.
This concern is held by Mental Health & Brain Health. If assessment points elsewhere, you are introduced to the right consultant rather than redirected to find one.
When more than one
system is involved.
Cognitive symptoms sit across psychiatry, endocrinology, sleep and metabolic health. Assessing them in one place means the treatable contributors are identified rather than each specialty finding nothing within its own boundary.
Before you
get in touch.
Does this mean I am developing dementia?
In most patients who present with these symptoms, no. The great majority of cognitive complaints at this stage have contributors that are identifiable and frequently treatable. Assessment is how that is established rather than assumed.
Is it not just age?
Age is a factor, but it is a conclusion to reach after assessment rather than a reason to avoid one. Attributing symptoms to age is the most common way a treatable cause is missed.
What does cognitive testing involve?
Structured tasks covering memory, attention and executive function. It is not an examination you can fail, and it takes under an hour.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book directly.
Start with
a conversation.
Nothing on this page is a diagnosis. An assessment is how you find out what is actually happening.
Four fields. A coordinator calls you back.
Low-pressure. Ask anything first.
Speak to a coordinator directly.
This page explains how Lavora approaches a concern. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a consultation.