UT Physicians behavioral neurologists and neuropsychiatrists in Houston, TX specialize in the evaluation and treatment of people with changes in thinking, behavior, and mood. Symptoms of these neurocognitive disorders can be caused by various neurological or psychiatric challenges. Because treatments differ dramatically and a misdiagnosis can lead to delays in treatment, early and accurate evidenced-based information is critical.

Symptoms Evaluated in a Clinic Setting

• Changes in thinking, such as memory loss, getting lost frequently, increased difficulty with activities of daily living (e.g., washing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and eating)
• Changes in mood due to neurological illness, particularly for symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, mania) that first appeared later in adulthood
• Changes in behavior, such as hallucinations, delusions, aggression/agitation, judgment errors, lacking insight, lacking empathy

Patient Care

Our evaluation process usually requires two to three visits. Our initial visit will be used to establish the patient’s main concern and order the proper testing. We may use one of several diagnostic tools, such as Brain MRIs, blood work, neuropsychological testing, and PET scans. After receiving the results of the initial tests, we will see the patient to finalize our assessment and recommend a treatment plan. We ask that all of our patients are accompanied by a family member or anyone else who can help provide us with any additional information about the patient’s chief complaint.

Please keep in mind that we are typically a consulting service. Upon completion of the diagnostic process and formulation of a treatment, we will let your referring physician know of our recommendations, so they can continue your care. If you do not have a referring physician, we can help you find one with whom you are comfortable. If you are interested in and meet entrance criteria for a treatment trial, we will ask you to please participate while remaining under the day-to-day care of your referring physician.

Scope of Expertise

• Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
• Corticobasal degeneration (CBD)
• Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
• Huntington’s disease (HD)
• Lewy Body’s disease (LBD)
• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
• Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)
• Parkinson’s disease (PD)
• Prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)
• Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
• Vascular dementia

Research

As faculty members at McGovern Medical School, our team is working to solve the greatest medical challenges of our time.

Qualified patients are able to enroll in a range of clinical trials for both investigational drugs and procedures.

Visit our clinical trials information to learn more.