Psychiatric Care for Neurologic, Later-Life, and Medically Complex Conditions
Psychiatric Care for Neurologic, Later-Life, and Medically Complex Conditions
Neurologic and medical illnesses can affect not only the body, but also mood, thinking, personality, behavior, and sleep. If you’re experiencing these kinds of changes, they are not simply emotional reactions to illness or stress. In many cases, they reflect direct changes in brain function related to disease, injury, or aging.
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We have extensive experience caring for people whose psychiatric symptoms are closely intertwined with neurologic illness, cognitive change, or medical complexity. You may be dealing with symptoms that are new, or with a longstanding psychiatric condition that now requires a different approach because of changes in health or stage of life. We also work with adults facing later-life mental health concerns, whether longstanding or emerging with life transitions. ​​
Conditions We Commonly Treat
Psychiatric symptoms can arise in the setting of neurologic illness, medical disease, or aging, or may represent conditions you’ve lived with for many years that need to be treated differently as circumstances change. We tailor care to you as a whole person, taking into account brain health, medical complexity, and stage of life.
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We have specialized expertise in psychiatric symptoms occurring in the setting of:
• Stroke

• Traumatic brain injury

• Dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and memory problems 

• Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders

• Epilepsy

• Brain tumors
• Multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, autoimmune encephalitis, and other neuroimmune disorders

• Psychiatric conditions in the setting of serious or chronic medical illness
• Later-life psychiatric concerns and mental health changes related to aging
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These conditions can cause depression, anxiety, irritability, emotional reactivity, changes in motivation or initiative; difficulty planning, organizing, or following through on tasks; sleep problems, memory or thinking difficulties, hallucinations, trouble distinguishing what is real from what is not, and changes in behavior or personality. We work with you to understand these symptoms and develop thoughtful, individualized treatment plans to support daily functioning and quality of life.
Our approach
Dr. Joanne Alonso Byars is board-certified in both psychiatry and neurology and completed a dedicated fellowship in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry. She now practices psychiatry exclusively, bringing a combined neurologic and psychiatric perspective to the evaluation and treatment of complex brain–behavior conditions.
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Dr. Jennifer White is a board-certified psychiatrist with additional training and experience in geriatric psychiatry. She brings extensive experience caring for adults with later-life psychiatric concerns, cognitive and emotional changes, and psychiatric symptoms that arise in the setting of medical illness and life transitions.
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Together, we have many years of experience caring for adults with complex psychiatric, cognitive, and medical presentations, and we work with you to understand your history and goals, clarify the factors driving current symptoms, and develop a thoughtful, individualized approach to treatment.
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When you’re dealing with medical complexity, we take special care with medication interactions, tolerability, and overall functioning. We look closely at how psychiatric symptoms and neurologic or medical conditions affect one another, and we can collaborate with your neurologist, PCP, and other clinicians involved in your care.
Family involvement
If family members or caregivers are involved in your healthcare, we’re happy to work with them as part of your team.
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When neurologic or cognitive symptoms make it difficult for someone to reach out independently, family members or caregivers are welcome to contact us about concerns related to a loved one’s mental health, participate in visits, or share information that helps us better understand what’s been happening. Meaningful psychiatric care remains possible even when a patient has limited ability to provide a full history or participate extensively.
Who may benefit
You may find our approach helpful if psychiatric symptoms are occurring alongside neurologic illness, cognitive change, aging, or significant medical complexity, or if a longstanding psychiatric condition now requires a more nuanced approach. This type of comprehensive care can also be a good fit when it isn’t clear whether symptoms are primarily psychiatric, neurologic, or related to medical illness, or when prior treatments haven’t fully addressed what’s been going on.
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If you have questions about what type of care would be helpful for you or a family member, we’re happy to talk through your situation and help you think about next steps.