Peter Wagner M.D. is a certified neuropsychiatrist who provides individualized consultation, evaluation and management for individuals with complex neuropsychiatric and neurobehavioral conditions at the Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD). He is committed to helping patients and their families meet their challenges by providing high-quality, compassionate, scientifically-based care that optimizes recovery and promotes the dignity of each.
Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry is the medical subspecialty dedicated to the care of individuals with neurologically-based cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. A neuropsychiatrist is a physician trained in psychiatry, with specialized training in the pathological aspects of brain functioning as well as having the mastery of clinical skills required to evaluate and to treat these conditions.
A neuropsychiatrist can help manage symptoms resulting from:
Sometimes psychiatric illness with “atypical” features or a “refractory” (i.e., treatment-resistant) course can be caused by an emerging or previously unrecognized neurological condition. Similarly, unusual emotional, cognitive and/or behavioral symptoms that arise unexpectedly during treatment for a serious medical condition may represent a new neuropsychiatric illness. Consultation with a neuropsychiatrist may be helpful in these circumstances to refine or revise diagnoses.
Consultation and evaluation involve taking the patient’s medical history and performing a medical examination, comprised of a neurologic exam, a mental status exam, and a neurobehavioral status exam. Additional studies such as laboratory data, neuroimaging (e.g., MRI or CT) or neuropsychological assessments are often interpreted and incorporated into the diagnostic formulation.
Treatment may involve medications, psychotherapy for patients and/or family, education, evaluation of the patient's environment, and neurorehabilitation that retrains the brain to recover from or compensate for illness-related deficits. Dr. Wagner collaborates with other licensed professionals to provide the best treatment options. Interventions and recommendations are coordinated by Dr. Wagner with the patient's health care providers and caretakers.
Consultations are requested through an individual’s primary care provider, primary neurologist or primary psychiatrist, who communicates directly with Dr. Wagner. A medical provider can summarize the pertinent medical history, medical work-up already performed, and treatment course to-date. After requesting the consultation, this provider may also be able to arrange for additional studies to be completed prior to your visit.
Dr. Wagner is able to provide an initial evaluation, but cannot initiate treatment, without coordinating with a primary care provider, a neurologist or a psychiatrist. All individuals interested in receiving treatment recommendations or ongoing management of their symptoms must be under the care of a referring physician.
To learn more about The Center for Neuropsychiatry at the Mental Health Center of Denver and
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