CLINICIANS

ARE YOU A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL INVOLVED WITH THE CARE OF OLDER PEOPLE WITH, OR AT RISK OF DEMENTIA?

A/Prof Alex Bahar-Fuchs is a clinical and research neuropsychologist who specializes in the early detection of dementia and in the delivery of tailored, person-centred therapy, based on principles of enablement. He works collaboratively with patients, their close others (e.g., family), and medical team to improve meaningful everyday outcomes for people living with or at risk of dementia and other age-related conditions (e.g., stroke).

We now know that dementia or significant cognitive decline are not part of usual ageing, and changes associated with neurodegenerative conditions that often lead to dementia can be detected much earlier with a thorough clinical evaluation including a neuropsychological assessment.

Although symptomatic drug treatments remain important, none can prevent, stop, or reverse dementia. Indeed, the Dementia Practice Guidelines of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners maintain that care for people with dementia should focus on the promotion of dignity and independence through non-pharmacologic treatment approaches. Thankfully, evidence-based, non-pharmacological treatments have been shown to improve cognition, promote functional independence and wellbeing, and reduce care burden.

Dr Bahar-Fuchs has published extensively on this topic.

  • For a brief overview on cognitive rehabilitation as an enablement approach for people with dementia by Dr Bahar-Fuchs and colleagues, published in the Australian Journal of Dementia Care, Click Here >
  • For the findings from a trial on cognitive training for older people with mild cognitive impairment led by Dr Bahar-Fuchs, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Click Here >
  • For a Cochrane Review on cognitive training for people with dementia, led by Dr Bahar-Fuchs, Click Here >
  • For an umbrella review (systematic overview) of all cognition-oriented treatment approaches across the spectrum of ageing, led by Dr Bahar-Fuchs and published in Neuropsychology Review, Click Here >

Dr Bahar-Fuchs offers the following services:

  • Neuropsychological assessments. A neuropsychological assessment may be appropriate for several indications, including for diagnostic purposes, to characterise a patients’ cognitive and psychological strengths and weaknesses, for decision-making capacity evaluation, and for treatment planning. Assessments are usually completed in 2-3 sessions and include a combination of an interview, cognitive tests, questionnaires, and direct observations. A summary of the assessment findings is provided in a report.
  • Cognitive remediation/rehabilitation therapy. Cognitive remediation involves the goal-directed use of evidence-based techniques drawn from the neuroscientific, health, and psychological therapeutic traditions to optimize a persons’ cognitive, psychosocial, and functional outcomes. Therapy is usually offered in blocks of 10 sessions, and relevant outcomes are routinely assessed before, during, and following treatment.

REFER A PATIENT

Referrals are accepted from GPs and medical specialists (e.g., neurologists, psychiatrists), and clients may also self-refer. For clients referred for support and strategies in adjusting to a diagnosis, Medicare rebates are available if they are referred using a Mental Health Treatment Plan.

Make a referral online

SUPERVISION

Dr Bahar-Fuchs is an Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Board Approved Supervisor in Clinical Neuropsychology. He is available to provide supervision to other neuropsychologists and students completing their neuropsychology training and interested in neuropsychologically-informed interventions.

Learn more about Dr. Alex Bahar-Fuchs

FAQ’S

A neuropsychological assessment can help in various ways, depending on the specific circumstances. It may provide a clearer picture of a person’s relative strengths and weaknesses, assist in arriving at a diagnosis, understand a person’s prognosis, and guide treatment planning.
In some cases, concerns regarding changes in memory and thinking arise due to common age-related processes or psychological issues such as stress, depression, or anxiety. In other cases, such concerns may be due to actual but subtle changes in cognition only detected by the individual and/or their close others. Sometimes, basic psychoeducation is sufficient to relieve some concerns a person might have, however, if this isn’t helpful, a formal assessment may be required to clarify the nature of such concerns and a referral might be helpful.
The services offered are usually relevant for people with pre-clinical, mild or moderate dementia. I therefore do not usually see clients with severe dementia.
No. Although these terms are similar and some overlap in approaches exists, the goals of CBT are usually to address maladaptive patterns of thinking that underlie emotional and behavioural challenges experienced by people who may or not have neurological issues. Cognitive rehabilitation/remediation is a therapeutic approach typically relevant for people with a known or suspected neurological injury or illness resulting in cognitive impairments or decline. The goals of cognitive rehabilitation/remediation is to either restore/improve deficient cognitive processes (e.g., memory or attention), or apply strategies to compensate for those, within a goal-directed framework.
Where there is a mental health condition, including but not limited to depression and anxiety, treatment sessions may be partially covered by Medicare through a Mental Health Treatment Plan which may be requested from your GP.

TRAINING & EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

EDUCATION


SCREENING & DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS


TREATMENT RESOURCES