Neurology
Specialist assessment of the brain, nerves and sleep, without leaving the island.
What does a neurology consultation cover?
Neurological symptoms are unsettling, and they are rarely answered by a short appointment. Our neurology clinic gives you the time and the diagnostic expertise to find out what is actually happening, whether that is a headache that has changed, a tremor you have started to notice, memory that is not what it was, or nights that leave you no better rested than when you went to bed.
Consultations cover the full range of general neurology alongside a specialist sleep medicine practice. You are seen by a consultant neurologist who takes a detailed history, performs a full neurological examination, and arranges investigations only where they will change what happens next. You leave with an explanation of the diagnosis, a treatment plan, and a letter to your GP.
Neurological conditions
Headaches and migraine
Migraine, cluster headache, tension-type headache, and headaches that have changed in pattern or severity. The priority is to identify which type of headache you have, rule out a secondary cause, and build a preventative plan rather than relying on painkillers alone.
Learn moreCognitive decline and memory
Changes in memory, concentration, word finding or day-to-day function, whether recent or long standing. Assessment separates the causes that are treatable, among them sleep disorders, mood, thyroid function and medication, from those that need onward specialist care.
Learn moreParkinson’s disease
Assessment of slowness of movement, stiffness, changes in walking, balance or handwriting, and other features that raise the question of Parkinson’s disease. Also review and adjustment of treatment for those already diagnosed.
Learn moreTremor
Shaking of the hands, head or voice. Essential tremor, tremor related to Parkinson’s disease, and tremor caused by medication or thyroid disease can look similar but are managed very differently, so an accurate diagnosis comes first.
Learn moreEpilepsy
Investigation of seizures, blackouts and episodes that may or may not be epileptic, including events that happen only during sleep. Dr Bernath is board certified in clinical neurophysiology and in epilepsy monitoring.
Peripheral neuropathy
Numbness, tingling, burning or weakness in the hands and feet. Assessment looks for the underlying cause, which is frequently treatable, and addresses the discomfort and unsteadiness that come with it.
General neurology
Dizziness, faints, weakness, altered sensation, unexplained neurological symptoms, and second opinions on a diagnosis you have already been given. If none of the areas above quite fits, this is the place to start.
Sleep disorders
Poor sleep is treated here as a neurological problem to be diagnosed, not a habit to be corrected. Dr Bernath trained under the founders of sleep medicine and has spent his career in the field.
Chronic insomnia
Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early, persisting over months or years. The evidence-based first-line treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia rather than long-term sleeping tablets.
Learn moreExcessive sleepiness
Persistent daytime sleepiness that is not explained by simply sleeping too little, including narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. Diagnosis normally requires formal sleep studies.
Obstructive sleep apnoea
Snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing, unrefreshing sleep and daytime tiredness. Untreated sleep apnoea carries cardiovascular and driving risk, so it is worth testing for rather than assuming.
Learn moreRestless legs
An uncomfortable urge to move the legs in the evening and at night, often accompanied by involuntary limb movements during sleep. Commonly linked to low iron stores and to certain medications.
Sleepwalking
Walking, talking, eating or acting out dreams during sleep, including REM sleep behaviour disorder. These episodes need to be told apart from seizures happening at night, which look similar to a witness.
Nightmares
Distressing dreams that break up the night or that lead to sleep being avoided altogether, including nightmares following trauma. This is an area of Dr Bernath’s own research and published work.
About Dr Oliver Bernath
Dr Bernath trained in neurology at the University of Chicago, where he was Chief Resident, and went on to fellowships in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy at the University of California San Francisco, and in sleep medicine at the UCSF and Stanford sleep disorders centres. He is on the GMC Specialist Register as a Neurologist.
He travels to Jersey for scheduled clinics at Maison Restorative, so patients can be assessed by a consultant neurologist on-island rather than travelling to London for a first opinion.
- Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
- Clinical neurophysiology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
- Epilepsy monitoring, American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology
- Sleep medicine, American Board of Sleep Medicine
- Certified somnologist, European Sleep Research Society
- Certified somnologist, German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine
Considering a neurology consultation?
Dr Bernath sees patients at our St Helier clinic on scheduled visiting dates. Get in touch to find out when he is next on-island.
Book a consultation