• Home
• Facilities and Services
• Services
• Clinics

What is the MIND Clinic?

Horizon's MIND Clinic is New Brunswick's first and only cross-specialty collaborative precision medicine clinic for neurocognitive disorders affecting adult patients of any age.

The team's primary goal is to assess, diagnose, and provide ongoing care and treatment to patients with progressive neurodegenerative diseases to improve their quality of life, and provide family support.

The MIND Clinic also:

• Helps patients and families access community resources and supports.
• Facilitates education for patients/families and health care workers on the ethical and practical issues of living and working with neurodegenerative diseases.
• Conducts research into neurodegenerative conditions affecting New Brunswickers to understand the impact in New Brunswick; studies the ethical issues of these types of diagnoses for patients and families; and facilitates access to clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies where available.

How to access the MIND Clinic

A referral from your primary care provider is required. Referrals are accepted from within New Brunswick for adults of any age with progressive neurocognitive symptoms.

All primary care providers that refer patients to Horizon's MIND Clinic have received information on how/when to refer patients.

The MIND Clinic team

The MIND Clinic team currently consists of two geriatricians, two neurologists, a registered nurse, a neuropsychologist, a social worker, a research manager, and an administrative assistant. There is also an associate neurologist and an associate psychiatrist.

What to expect at your first visit

Prior to your first clinic visit you will be contacted by the clinic RN for a telephone pre-assessment to gather information from you and explain what will happen at your clinic visit.

The purpose of your first in-person visit is to allow us to gather as much information as possible to aid in the diagnosis of your condition and the development of your care plan.

This initial visit can take 2-3 hours. You will be asked about the progression of your symptoms, any other health conditions you have, past medical procedures, and similar illnesses in your biological relatives.

The diagnosis may involve brain imaging such as a MRI and/or an electroencephalogram (EEG), a non-invasive test that measures electrical activity in the brain, and laboratory testing, such as blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (the clear liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord). The specific purpose, benefits, and risks of each test will be explained to you and your consent will be obtained before any test or intervention occurs.

We will do our best to answer all of your questions and will provide you with a clear explanation of the steps in the diagnostic and care plan.

Prepare for your first visit

Prior to your appointment, we suggest starting a symptom diary to record your symptoms and any changes that occur. We suggest that you collect information from your family members about any medical conditions on both sides of your family. We also suggest that you write down your questions and any concerns you have before your visit.

We recommend bringing a family member or a trusted friend to your appointment, one who can help answer questions or take notes if needed.

Please bring:

• Current medication list
• List of any past surgeries
• Family medical history
• Symptom diary (if you have one)
• List of questions and concerns

Research is an important part of our work because it can help us better understand these types of conditions, and the effect on patients and their families. At your first visit, you will be asked to consent to have your clinical information included in the clinic research database and your consent will also be requested for screening for future research. With all research, consent is voluntary, and all details will be provided to you so you can make an informed decision.

Where We Are

The MIND Clinic is located within The Moncton Hospital on the main floor of the hospital, located at 135 MacBeath Avenue, Moncton.

Who is referred to the clinic?

Patients referred to the MIND Clinic are adults of any age who have a combination of signs and symptoms that are progressive and difficult to assess, diagnose and care for by a single physician.

The types of conditions ("neurodegenerative diseases") that are assessed are those that cause changes in the brain and spinal cord that lead to progressive problems with mental functioning and physical movements.

A referral from your primary care provider is required.