Center for Brain Health

Plans are underway for the construction of a comprehensive center dedicated to the treatment and research of all types of brain, nerve and neuromuscular disorders.

The Center for Brain Health will integrate research into a patient’s clinical care. Patients will have the opportunity to take part in observational studies as well as clinical trials for new medications and interventions while they receive care.

“The reason we wanted to have the studies in the same building as the clinical care is because we recognize that families of persons with dementia, ALS or other disorders already have a very challenging task looking after their loved ones,” said Sudha Seshadri, MD, founding director of the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases. “They also often have a strong desire to contribute to finding cures for their loved one and for others. So, we wanted to make it easy for them to volunteer their time to join clinical trials, and one way of doing that is to house both in the same space.”

The center will have 62,250 square feet of program space and state-of-the-art imaging equipment, including a 7-Tesla MRI, which will be the first in San Antonio, and a new PET-CT scan machine. There will also be space for assessing gait, essential for early detection of many neurological diseases, and dedicated space for psychological and genetic counseling, and physical and speech therapy. A mock apartment will be available for occupational therapists to work with patients and families to practice movements such as getting in and out of bed and other day-to-day activities.

The Center for Brain Health will be located next to the Medical Arts and Research Center on Floyd Curl Drive and is expected to open in 2025.