Neurological consultation and assessment
A neurological consultation and assessment is a comprehensive evaluation by a consultant neurologist. It’s the essential first step in identifying the cause of neurological symptoms, such as persistent headaches, dizziness, seizures, memory problems, or movement issues.
The initial consultation is a focused discussion of your symptoms and medical history. This may be followed by a neurological assessment of your brain and nerve function. These are a series of tests evaluating physical function, such as muscle strength, reflexes, and coordination.
As a center of excellence in neurology, we understand how concerning neurological symptoms can be. Our specialist neurological consultants are dedicated to providing reassurance, clarity, and expert guidance to help you feel supported from your very first appointment.
Keep reading to learn what to expect during a neurological consultation and assessment, including the types of tests and how to book an appointment at Affidea neuraCare.
Your consultation pathway
At Affidea neuraCare, patients come to us in different situations. To make sure everyone gets the right care, we follow two clear consultation pathways:
Patients who already know their condition or pathway
If you have a confirmed diagnosis or a referral (for example, epilepsy, memory disorders, or movement disorders), you will go directly to the appropriate pathway specialist for an in-depth consultation and ongoing management.
Patients who do not yet know their condition
If you are experiencing symptoms but don’t yet have a confirmed diagnosis, you will begin with an Assessment & Triage Consultation. This initial review allows our specialists to evaluate your symptoms, medical history, and first test results. You will then be guided to the most appropriate pathway specialist for further care.
This two-step structure ensures that every patient — whether already diagnosed or not — receives tailored, accurate, and timely neurological support. Our triage service is designed to provide clarity and avoid unnecessary delays in accessing the right treatment.
There are several tests used to help assess a range of neurological symptoms. They’re simple, non-invasive and help your consultant neurologist identify areas that may need further investigation.
Depending on your symptoms, your consultant neurologist may ask you to perform:
- Mental ability tests (cognitive screening) – questions designed to assess different mental abilities, such as memory recall, speech and language, and time and spatial awareness
- Reflex tests – checking signs of nerve damage and assessing the automatic response of body parts like the arm or legs to different stimuli, such as a reflex hammer, feather, or fingernail flicks
- A gait assessment – observing you walking in a straight line and around the room to check your balance, coordination, strength, and posture
- Muscle strength tests – this may involve lifting and holding objects to look for signs of muscle weakness in one or both sides of your body
- Coordination tests – performing simple actions to check how well your body and brain are working together, such as walking heel-to-toe or on your tip toes
- A sensory test – looking at your ability to receive different sensations, such as touch, vibration, and temperature
- A physical exam to check your eyesight, hearing, and swallowing
These tests help your neurologist build a clearer picture of your brain health and guide decisions about whether further testing is needed. These can include an MRI or SPECT-CT scan, pathology tests, or neurodiagnostic tests.
What is a neuropsychological assessment?
A neuropsychological assessment is different to a neurological assessment. It’s designed to understand how your condition is affecting your emotional wellbeing, behavior, and thinking skills. It’s usually a separate appointment, and not everyone will need one.
Depending on your condition, this assessment measures how well certain areas of the brain are working, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving. It’s often recommended for conditions such as epilepsy, brain injury, neurodevelopmental disorders, and dementia.
Find out more about neuropsychological services.
You may have a neurological assessment if you have symptoms that could be linked to the brain, spinal cord, or nerves. These symptoms can be sudden or develop gradually, and often affect movement, sensation, memory, or behavior.
Common reasons for a neurological assessment include:
- Persistent headaches or migraines
- Seizures, frequent dizziness or losing consciousness for no clear reason
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness
- Balance or coordination difficulties
- Changes to thinking, such as significant forgetfulness or concentration problems
- Changes to your vision, hearing, taste, speech, or swallowing abilities
- Trouble expressing emotions, such as smiling or frowning
- Unusual movements, such as tremors, tics, or muscle spasms
- Ongoing pain with no known cause
Many of these symptoms could point to an underlying neurological condition. A neurological consultation and assessment by a leading neurologist is often the first step towards clarity and determining the best course of treatment.
We surround our patients with specialists who listen, understand, and care. They include some of Europe's most renowned experts – neurologists,
neuropsychologists, neuroradiographers, microbiologists, nurses, nuclear medicine experts and therapeutic specialists in physiology and occupational health.
We understand that seeing a neurologist for the first time can feel a little daunting. That’s why we aim to make the process as clear and comfortable as possible. Your consultation is a chance to explore your symptoms, ask questions, and begin planning the best way forward.
Here’s what you can expect before, during, and after your initial appointment.
Before your appointment
Ahead of your appointment, it’s a good idea to prepare the following:
- A symptoms diary going back as far as you can remember, including when symptoms began, how long for, and if there were any triggers
- Your complete medical history, including any medication you take and any previous tests, scans, diagnoses, or treatments you’ve had
- Any questions or concerns you’d like to raise
You might find it helpful to go through this with someone you trust, such as a close friend or family member, especially if you’ve been living with your symptoms for some time. They can offer a shoulder to lean on and may also recall details or changes you might not have noticed or remembered.
During your appointment
Your neurologist will take time to talk through your concerns in detail and ask questions about your symptoms, general health, lifestyle, and medical or family history. This can take up to an hour.
This is followed by a neurological physical assessment, which may include checking your reflexes with a hammer, observing the way you walk, or testing your muscle strength and coordination.
Depending on your symptoms, your neurologist may suggest further investigations or a referral to another specialist at the center, such as a neuropsychologist or physiotherapist.
After your appointment
At the end of your consultation, your neurologist will talk you through their initial findings and outline the next steps.
Sometimes it can take time to diagnose a condition after an initial consultation. For complex neurological conditions, a combination of further tests and scans may be needed to confirm a diagnosis. We’ll always make sure you have a clear plan in place and reassurance that things are moving in the right direction.
If you need further testing or follow-up assessments, your neurologist will let you know and arrange this for you. Our goal is to make sure you leave your consultation feeling listened to, understood and confident about the path ahead.
