The Clínic Barcelona Hospital recently added an extension to the Day Hospital for Neurodegenerative Diseases in the Reina Amàlia premises (Raval District of Barcelona). This new area was donated by the Catalunya-La Pedrera Foundation (FCLP) and adapted and equipped thanks to a charitable legacy. This is a leading centre in Catalonia and pioneering in Spain, which offers this service for different types of neurodegenerative disease in a crosscutting manner. The new area, measuring over 1,000 m2, will be used to expand the Day Hospital. Moreover, the space will also increase the amount of clinical research carried out into these diseases.
It was inaugurated by Dr. Josep Maria Campistol, director general of the Hospital Clínic Barcelona and Marta Lacambra, director general of the Catalunya-La Pedrera Foundation. Dr. Josefina Castro, director of the Hospital Clínic Neurosciences Institute and Dr. Albert Lladó, head of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit and neurologist at the Hospital Clínic Day Hospital for Neurodegenerative Diseases also participated in the event.
Over the course of 2023, more than 11,000 sessions were held and more than 150 patients were treated per month. “With this expansion, we could increase the centre’s care capacity to more than 15,000 sessions a year and 200 patients a month”, explains Dr. Albert Lladó. Moreover, the new facilities will have a new physiotherapy room, an occupational therapy room and a speech therapy room.
Over 12 neurodegenerative diseases are treated at the Day Hospital including Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, progressive primary aphasia, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, multisystem atrophic paralysis, dystonia, paraparesis, ataxia, and multiple sclerosis. With the expansion, care will also be provided for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
To treat these diseases, the centre has a multidisciplinary team of specialists in neurology, neuropsychology, nursing, speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work and administration.
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by a progressive degenerative process and neuronal death. The different pathologies have different causes and can affect different parts of the brain, which leads to differences in the symptomatology and evolution depending on the disease. The treatments carried out at the Day Hospital for Neurodegenerative Diseases focus on non-pharmacological therapies and on improving the patient’s quality of life and functionality and slowing down the progression of the symptoms.
“With this new space, we shall also be able to increase the amount of clinical research carried out and improve the treatments we offer our patients”, says Dr. Josefina Castro. The treatments developed at the centre include: cognitive stimulation, which stimulates the patient’s brain function; physical therapy, which aims to maintain and improve mobility and muscle strength; speech and language therapy to improve communication and swallowing problems; and occupational therapy, which focuses on helping patients to carry out their everyday activities and to remain independent. Moreover, healthy lifestyles are promoted and training is provided for both patients and carers. Finally, the centre also has social workers to guide patients and their friends and families in the social management of the disease.
The Day Hospital for Neurodegenerative Diseases has been open for over 20 years and is a leading centre in this field. With this new extension, the Clínic Hospital continues its commitment to offering this therapy to more patients and improving clinical treatment with this new space.
