The Operative Unit of Clinical Neurology and Neurophysiology of the Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Hospital is characterised by its commitment to managing diagnostic-therapeutic courses following guidelines and protocols in line with the most modern international standards.

Our striving for excellence is, however, mainly built around the suffering of patients in order to provide them with – as well as high standards of quality – a listening ear and psychological support.

To book specialist examinations, instrumental clinical examinations, please contact the department secretary:
tel. +39 045 60 13 544
Booking in person:
Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 12:30am with the department secretary;
Monday to Thursday from 1:30pm to 5:30pm at the Ticket Office (Entrance F).

 

Our unit is divided as follows:

 

WARD

With 12 beds, it is located on the 2nd floor of the Sacro Cuore Hospital Entrance F.

The ward is accessed either through urgent admission via the First Aid Station or as a planned admission arranged by one of the Neurologists of the Operative Unit: if, during clinical evaluation, we find that a patient requires admission for diagnosis and therapy, the doctor proposing admission will complete a special form with the patient’s personal information, telephone contacts, national insurance number and diagnostic hypothesis/reason for admission, attributing a priority level ranging from low (more than three months), medium (within three months), high (within one month) and very high (within one week).

At the time of booking, the patient will be given the informative brochure Information for admission and clinical services.

 

The Charge nurse will then contact the patient via telephone around 1-2 days in advance to inform them of the availability of the bed.

Medical staff is available for appointments to discuss the state of health of patients on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 12.00pm to 1.00pm.

Visiting hours:
Weekdays: from 3.00pm to 5.00pm and from 7:30pm to 8:30pm.
Sundays and Holidays: from 11.00am to 12.00pm, from 3.00pm to 5.00pm and from 7pm to 8:30pm.

 

STROKE CENTRE

Our Stroke Centre is a multidisciplinary structure dedicated to the treatment and prevention of cerebral ictus.

Founded in 2001 in compliance with the criteria of the Brain Attack Coalition, every year it is subject to specifically developed BVQI Quality Certification.

We coordinate an integrated approach towards the areas of emergency, diagnosis and stay, guaranteeing a suitable and timely approach to the needs of each patient.

We also manage an integrated clinic (Neurological-Internal) aimed at preventing cerebrovascular diseases (Stroke Prevention Clinic).
The Stroke Centre carries out clinical research, participating in national and international clinical studies. It is active in the systemic administration of Thrombolysis in SITS-MOST, ECASS III and IST-3 protocols.

 

VEGETATIVE nervous system analysis laboratory

The laboratory is accredited by the Italian Association for the Study of the NeuroVegetative System and deals with the evaluation, diagnosis and monitoring of patients affected by autonomic pathologies (primary and secondary dysautonomias, orthostatic hypotension) or the differential diagnostics of transitory loss of conscience (syncope, convulsions).

The laboratory also has a fully equipped room with polygraph systems (including portable ones) for the measuring of neurophysiological (EEG) and cardiovascular signals:
Portable equipment for the continuous monitoring of blood pressure and cardiac frequency (Portapres).

System for continual monitoring of the speed of cerebral blood flow through Transcranial Doppler during autonomic tests and Tilt-Tests.

Off-line analysis of signals to evaluate the quantity of cardiovascular parameters and the baroreceptive reflex using spectral analysis software. The automatic system of control and evaluation of the carrying out of cardiovascular tests (Tilt test, Valsalva Manoeuvre, Deep Breathing, Isometric Exercise, Cold Test).
Laboratory activities include the collaboration with our Cardiologist colleagues in the “Syncope Unit” multispecialist clinic.

 

Sleep medicine clinic

The main pathologies of interest in sleep medicine are insomnia, sleep movement and behaviour disorders, hypersomnia and vigilance disorders and breathing disorders during sleep (snoring and apnoea).

Our clinic activities differentiate between two main chapters of pathologies:

– Sleep Medicine Clinics where we evaluate patients affected by insomnia, sleep movement and behaviour disorders;

– Sleep Breathing Disorders Clinic where we evaluate patients suffering with snoring and/or sleep apnoea and patients affected by hypersomnia or excessive daily fatigue.

 

The Clinics for Sleep Medicine and Sleep Breathing Disorders boast the presence of the Sleep Medicine Laboratory made up of two special wards linked to a registration room, surveillance, analysis and reference of nocturnal polysomnography.

 

Nocturnal polysomnography is performed under the Day Hospital regime, or rather Night Hospital, with admission to hospital at 4:30pm and with discharge the following morning. The patient will then undergo a blood test, haemogasanalysis, ECG and any other examinations that may be required.

 

Sleep medicine laboratory

We work in conjunction with three Neurophysiopathology Technicians who have been specifically trained in the recording and analysis of the polysomnography graphs and sleep medicine.

The laboratory provides the following services:

– Nocturnal polysomnography examination using clinical methods (reduced cardiorespiratory monitoring, complete cardiorespiratory monitoring, complete polysomnography)

– Nocturnal polysomnography examination in the laboratory with video control
– Vigilance test: multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), wakefulness maintenance test (MWT) with video control
– Afternoon polysomnography (NAP) with video control
– Nocturnal saturation meter with pulse meter
– Evaluation of night-time movements using clinical methods (actigraph)

 

Epilepsy clinic

In our clinic, we deal mainly with the diagnosis and treatment of primary and secondary epilepsy and epileptic syndromes in adults. The patient is given the opportunity for both a specialist neurological examination and the EEG graph to be performed on the same day.
We also deal with the execution, analysis and referral of:

– “standard” EEG with activation tests (Hyperpnoea and Intermittent Light Stimulation) for external patients, in particular those from the clinics of the Department of Neurological Sciences and for patients admitted to the Neurology and NPI departments.

– EEG after sleep deprivation for external and admitted patients

– prolonged EEG during afternoon sleep

– Prolonged video-polygraphy for monitoring patients with drug resistant epilepsy
– Polygraphy with added extra-cerebral parameters.

 

clinical neurophysiological service

Clinical neurophysiopathology is the branch of Neurology that deals with the functional evaluation of the Central Nervous System (Encephalon and Medulla Spinalis) and the Peripheral Nervous System (Nerve Ends and Peripheral Nerves). Using tools and methods that are able to analyse the electrical activity generated by the Nervous System, it is possible to document the integrity or highlight any suffering in structures such as muscles, the motor and vegetative sensitive nerves, the nerve ends that originate from the marrow and the transmission routes of the nervous signals along the medulla spinalis right up to the brain.

The service works in collaboration with three Neurophysiopathology Technicians who have been specifically trained in the registration and analysis of the various neurophysiological methods applied. The service carries out the following instrumental neurophysiological examinations:

– Electroneurography and Electromyography
– Evoked Potentials (Evoked Somate-Sensitive Potentials, Visual Evoked Potentials, Evoked Trunk-Encephalic Potentials, Evoked Motor Potentials, Evoked Genital-Urinary Potentials, Event-caused Potentials)
– Electroencephalography.

 

Clinic for movement disorders

This clinic is aimed at the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders and diseases of the extra-pyramidal nervous system, paying particular attention to Parkinson’s disease. As well as motor disorders, by applying valid ranges and using instrumental examinations which can be carried out in our clinics, we can evaluate and treat non-motor disorders, such as:

• Sleep disorders such as insomnia, excessive daytime tiredness, sleep behaviour disorders REM (RBD), restless legs syndrome, sleep breathing disorders, etc.;
• Disorders of the Vegetative Nervous System;
• Urinary disorders;
• Cognitive disorders;

In selected cases, for example where there is a doubtful diagnosis between idiopathic Parkinson’s and atypical Parkinson’s which requires further elective diagnosis, admissions are arranged to the Neurology department. In addition, we also select possible candidates for the surgical treatment of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in partnership with the DBS group of Verona. Referring to our hospital’s diagnosis departments for images and nuclear medicine, when necessary we prescribe morphological examinations (encephalic TC or RMN), or functional examinations (SPECT with DAT Scan, cerebral PET). Similarly, those patients in need are directed to the services of rehabilitative medicine and, in the event of dystonia, to the centre for the administration of botulinic toxins.

Specialist of reference: Dr Domenicantonio Tropepi

 

Dementia clinic

This clinic is dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of amnesiac, cognitive and behavioural disorders.

The centre has been accredited by the Veneto Region, and carries out the following activities:
– First specialist neurological examination for clinical-anamnestic and diagnostic evaluation (following the Guidelines of the Italian Society of Neurology and DSM IV)
– Neuropsychological evaluation
– Admission with specific pharmacological treatment with three- and six-month follow-up initially, and then every six months.

The centre organises meetings offering medical information and counselling for caregivers of dementia patients.

We work in collaboration with a specialised neuropsychologist for the diagnostic (testing) phase and for the clinical follow-up with family members, activating support groups (counselling) and individual appointments aimed at the caregiver.

 

Cephalea centre

This centre has been nationally accredited by the SISC Italian Society of the Study of Cephalea and is run by Dr Fabio Marchioretto, member of the SISC Triveneta Section Directive and undertakes the diagnosis and treatment of headache and cranial-facial pain following the guidelines of the International Headache Society.

The centre’s activities include, as well as the clinical-diagnostic approach to the patient, a commitment to the research that has been produced over recent years in publications and prestigious international scientific magazines.
Moreover, the centre has also organised numerous scientific events accredited by the Ministry of Health for the updating and further scientific study for doctors in Verona.

 

multiple sclerosis centre

This centre has regional accreditation for immunomodilating therapies and is run by Dr Fabio Marchioretto and Dr Domenico Tropepi, working in the diagnosis, therapy and admission of MS patients.

The centre has organised scientific events accredited by the Ministry of Health for updating and further scientific training and participates in national multicentre epidemiological clinical studies.

Moreover, the centre has been accredited by the AIFA Italian Drug Agency for the administration of treatments with recombined mono-clonal antibodies.

 

neuromuscular diseases clinic

Run by Dr Carlo Alberto Righetti, this clinic deals with patients with neuromuscular diseases such as polyneuropathy, myasthenia gravis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

 

divisinal clinic

This clinic accepts patients with a variety of neurological disorders, with a wide range of priorities as indicated on the authorisation given by the patient’s GP. Evaluations are carried out by a number of neurologists and it is not possible to advise in advance which doctor will carry out the service.