Women's Health
15 May 2008
Dr. Michael Craig and Professor Declan Murphy have invited NAPS to be associated with the founding of a new multidisciplinary clinic at The Maudsley Hospital.
Dr. Michael Craig and Professor Declan Murphy have invited NAPS to be associated with the founding of a new multidisciplinary clinic at The Maudsley Hospital.
The Centre for Women's Health and Neurodevelopment (WHAND)
Mission and goals
Our aim is to create a centre of excellence that will pioneer new research, provide evidence based treatments and disseminate information relating to women's health and neurodevelopmental disorders. This will be delivered by bringing together a multidisciplinary team of leading clinicians and research scientists with expertise in the fields of women's health and neurodevelopmental disorders.
The clinical arm of the Centre includes a tertiary referral service which aims to provide thorough assessments of (a) women with conditions that have a neuropsychological/psychiatric component and (b) adults with possible neurodevelopmental disorders. The purpose of these detailed assessments is to clarify difficult diagnoses and/or to help local services to provide an appropriate treatment package.
The research arm of the Centre aims to further our current understanding of underlying causes of these disorders and to study the efficacy of new treatment options.
The education arm will aim to improve the dissemination of information to the public, health professionals and the media on issues relevant to women's health and neurodevelopment. It will also offer appropriately approved training courses to professionals interested in developing their skills in these areas.
The women's clinic:
Some women complain of cognitive, mood and neurological difficulties at times of hormonal flux. We are beginning to develop a greater understanding of the biological, psychological and social factors that are likely to influence these difficulties. There is also a growing body of evidence based research that supports the use of specific nutritional, hormonal, and non-hormonal treatments in the management of these disorders.
In many women it is sometimes difficult to assess which type of treatment, or combination of treatments, might serve them best. Further, the nature of training within our healthcare system has hindered the ability of most specialists to accurately assess the potential risks and benefits of treatments that are more commonly used outside their field. Thus, for example, psychiatrists are reluctant to consider prescribing hormonal treatments and gynaecologists are reluctant to consider prescribing anti-depressants. The women's clinic aims to overcome these obstacles by offering a multidisciplinary approach that combines the expertise of professionals within gynaecology, psychiatry, psychology and neurology. The types of disorders that the clinic offers expert advice on includes:
- Premenstrual Syndrome/Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
- Cyclical epilepsy
- Perinatal mood disorders
- Perimenopausal mood disorders
Lecture series:
We have created a series of lectures on women's health and neurodevelopmental disorders that are constantly being updated to keep up with research in these areas. Subjects of future lectures include the following:
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Depression in women and its relation to hormonal status
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Functional evaluation of the brain - neuroimaging and gonadal function
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Neuropsychiatric aspects of premenstrual syndrome
Training on women's health:
We shall be offering workshops in the management of women with the type of disorders described above.
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