Brain Matters: Pacific Neuroscience Institute – A Neighborhood Place for World-Class Brain Care

Maintaining brain health is key to living a healthier life.

As we age, our brains become subject to risks associated with advancing years, but there are ways people can minimize some of these risks and enhance brain resilience. In our regular column in the Santa Monica Star newspaper, we’ll highlight conditions, concerns and services related to neurological disease and brain health. Here we provide an overview of Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI) and will address specific brain health issues in subsequent articles.

PNI is a local place where topnotch doctors treat all kinds of brain conditions in a comprehensive and collaborative way. We are unique in our holistic treatment philosophy aiming towards restoration of quality of life and maximizing brain health.

We help patients and their loved ones navigate severe disorders like brain cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Our physicians span several subspecialties across nine Centers of Excellence, and routinely provide cross-specialty consultations, typically all in one place at Saint John’s Health Center.

For example, a patient suffering with Parkinson’s disease treated by a neurologist at the Pacific Movement Disorders Center may be seen a by a balance and gait specialist at the Pacific Brain Health Center.

Or, a patient with Cushing’s disease caused by a pituitary adenoma may be seen all in one day by a neurosurgeon, endocrinologist, neuro-ophthalmologist and ENT specialist in preparation for endonasal tumor removal.

And a patient with a brain tumor such as glioblastoma, is treated by an expert neurosurgical team using minimally invasive “keyhole” approaches. For malignant tumors needing additional therapy, neuro-oncologists, and radiation oncologists offer coordinated immunotherapy, targeted therapies and precision radiotherapy/radiosurgery, and numerous clinical trials. Patients who subsequently develop cognitive and memory issues may see our neurologists, psychologists and psychiatrists.

These are just a few examples of PNI’s continuum of leading-edge care. For more information, please check out pacificneuro.org.

Original article published in January 2019 issue of the Santa Monica Star