Unit of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit

The Neuroimmunology-Multiple Sclerosis Unit, led by the Clínic Institute of Neurosciences, is designed in its operation and structure to ensure that patients with neuroimmunological diseases have access to quality care.

The Unit’s multidisciplinary team is made up of neurologists, members of other medical specialties, and nursing staff, and its aim is to develop collaborative activity to provide comprehensive and effective care in four main areas.

• Multiple Sclerosis.
• Other autoimmune diseases affecting the central nervous system: Autoimmune Encephalitis, Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Immune-Mediated Ataxias, Neurological Diseases associated with anti-GAD antibodies or the peripheral nervous system, such as Myasthenia Gravis.
• Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder
• Myasthenia Gravis

The Unit carries out its activity in:

• Neurology Outpatient Consultations. For healthcare activities, there is a specialized rapid assessment consultation, in which the clinical history and need for complementary tests are evaluated: brain and/or spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), general analytical tests, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, evoked potentials, etc. After the first visit, the patient undergoes periodic check-ups every 3-6 months in the Unit’s specialist clinics, and are always assigned to the same consultant neurologist. There is a specialized Neuro-ophthalmology clinic and a Visual Pathway laboratory with an optometrist in charge of performing visual assessments.
• Neurology Day Hospital. It has five reclining couches for administering therapies, a room for performing lumbar punctures, and a consultation office. The Day Hospital’s healthcare activities include rapid outpatient diagnostic assessment, urgent consultations, and the administration of intravenous therapies on an outpatient basis, as well as patient monitoring. This facility treats patients with multiple sclerosis flare-ups and other autoimmune diseases of the central or peripheral nervous system, in order to facilitate and reduce diagnostic and therapeutic delays.
• Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) The advanced practice nurse is responsible for welcoming patients to the Unit, explaining how it works, performing an initial nursing assessment and providing individual health education on the basics of the disease. They are also responsible for health education on multiple sclerosis treatments and follow-up, reviewing treatment adherence, the appearance of adverse effects and safety analyses of treatments that require it. In addition, they answer patients’ questions about symptoms, therapies, or follow-up by telephone and e-mail. They also coordinate with our physical and cognitive rehabilitation service, which is specifically for patients with multiple sclerosis. They manage and participate in the structured group health education programme for patients with multiple sclerosis and their families.