Clinical Psychologist

Dr Valentino Pironti

ADHD_ASD_diagnosis_assessment_treatment_Valentino_Pironti
Unknown-2
Unknown
Valentino is an Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered Clinical Psychologist, a British Psychological Society (BPS) Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow and cognitive neuroscientist with a PhD from the University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry, with specialization in adult ADHD. He also holds the European Certificate in Psychology.

He is qualified in both experimental psychology and clinical psychology, awarded with the highest grade. For 6 years (till march 2014), Dr Pironti worked at the Adult ADHD Clinic, Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, where he specialized in the assessment and psychological therapy of adults with ADHD. Given ADHD and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often co-morbid, Valentino is also trained by the CLASS Clinic’s lead clinicians in using several tools for the assessment and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder/condition, ASD in adults (ADOS-2, AAA, ADI-R).

In 2009 Valentino was granted a fellowship from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to complete a PhD research program at the University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry. The research program that he devised and managed, entirely focused on adult ADHD. “Neurocognitive Endophenotypes in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (NEA-ADHD)” has been adopted by the National Institute for Health Research and the Mental Health Research Network, who provide support for high quality clinical-research studies. His research on adult ADHD has led to the discovery of novel vulnerability markers for ADHD and to publications in high impact factor peer-reviewed journals (e.g. Biological Psychiatry, British Journal of Psychiatry). He is a member the European Network Adult ADHD.

Dr Pironti also worked as research associate at the department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge and has led an R&D department of a global biotech company focused in devising and testing nutraceutical and micronutrient interventions for ADHD.

He also has extensive experience in neuropsychological assessment as he worked in a neuropsychology lab specialized in assessment of neuro-degenerative diseases, such as dementia and mild cognitive impairment, at University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy. In his experimental work he also use neuroimaging (functional magnetic resonance imaging – fMRI, and magnetoencephalography – MEG) and when he was in Milan his research focused on understanding structural brain changes related to dyslexia in patients suffering from dementia. Then, in 2006, he started to work at the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI) identifying early neurophysiological biomarkers in patients suffering from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). At the same time, He was working on a neuroimaging project aimed at identifying neural mechanisms of regret in economic decision making. He also spent 6 months at York Neuroimaging Center using Magnetoecephalography (MEG) to better understand brain mechanisms related to synesthesia.

HONORS AND AWARDS:
  • European Federation of Psychologists Association (EFPA): EuroPsy, European Certificate in Psychology
  • Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC): Licence in Clinical Psychology
  • British Psychological Society (BPS): Associate Fellow – AFBPsS
  • British Psychological Society (BPS): Chartered Psychologist – CPsychol
  • Honorary Research Fellow, the Centre for Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
  • International Society for Clinical Trial and Methodology: Young Investigator Award for the discovery of novel vulnerability markers in ADHD
  • University of Cambridge: PhD, cognitive neuroscience and psychopharmacology
  • UK Medical Research Council (MRC): Fellowship to fund his research on Adult ADHD
  • Specialization in Clinical Psychology, Summa cum Laude
PUBLICATIONS:
  • Pironti VA, Vatansever D, Sahakian BJ.Psychol Med. 2019 Nov 26:1-11. Shared alterations in resting-state brain connectivity in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and their unaffected first-degree relatives.
  • Pironti VA, Lai MC, Muller U, Morein-Zamir S, Bullmore EW, & Sahakian BJ (2016). Temporal reproduction and its neuroanatomical correlates in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder and their unaffected first degree relatives. Psychological Medicine, Sep;46(12):2561-9.
  • Pironti VA, Lai MC, Muller U, Bullmore EW, & Sahakian BJ (2016). Personality traits in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and their unaffected first degree relatives. British Journal of Psychiatry OPEN, Sep 1;2(4):280-285.
  • Pironti VA, Lai MC, Muller U, Dodds CM, Suckling J, Bullmore EW, & Sahakian BJ (2014). Neuroanatomical abnormalities and cognitive impairments are shared by adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and their unaffected first degree relatives. Biological Psychiatry, 76(8), 639-647.
  • De Rover M, Pironti VA, McCabe JA, Acosta-Cabronero J, Arana SF, Morein-Zamir S, Hodges JR, Robbins TW, Fletcher PC, Nestor PJ, & Sahakian BJ. (2011). Hippocampal dysfunction in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A functional neuroimaging study of a visuospatial paired associates learning task. Neuropsychologia, 49(7), 2060-2070.
  • Pironti VA, Camille N, Dodds C, Aitken M, Robbins TW, & Clark L (2010). Striatal sensitivity to personal responsibility in a regret-based decision-making task. Cognitive Affective & Behavioural Neuroscience, 10(4), 460-469.
  •  Kooij JJS, Bijlenga D, Salerno L, Jaeschke R, Bitter I, Balázs J, Thome J, Dom G, Kasper S, Nunes Filipe C, Stes S, Mohr P, Leppämäki S, Casas M, Bobes J, Mccarthy JM, Richarte V, Kjems Philipsen A, Pehlivanidis A, Niemela A, Styr B, Semerci B, Bolea-Alamanac B, Edvinsson D, Baeyens D, Wynchank D, Sobanski E, Philipsen A, McNicholas F, Caci H, Mihailescu I, Manor I, Dobrescu I, Saito T, Krause J, Fayyad J, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Foeken K, Rad F, Adamou M, Ohlmeier M, Fitzgerald M, Gill M, Lensing M, Motavalli Mukaddes N, Brudkiewicz P, Gustafsson P, Tani P, Oswald P, Carpentier PJ, De Rossi P, Delorme R, Markovska Simoska S, Pallanti S, Young S, Bejerot S, Lehtonen T, Kustow J, Müller-Sedgwick U, Hirvikoski T, Pironti V, Ginsberg Y, Félegyházy Z, Garcia-Portilla MP, Asherson    Updated European Consensus Statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD.P.Eur Psychiatry. 2019 Feb;56:14-34.

Copyright 2021. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy & Cookie Policy

  • I started my journey with diagnosing possible adult ADHD in May 2017, having spent around 9 months struggling with various NHS departments I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands. I researched online and found a number of reviews and recommendations for the Cambridge Adult ADHD & ASD Clinic, including being listed in the AADD-UK list of specialists. From my very first interactions with the clinic my entire experience was elevated from that which I received with the NHS. Staff were quick to respond, took genuine interest in my queries and were helpful in providing advice. I was able to have an appointment within 2 weeks of initial contact and received my diagnosis shortly after. From 9 months of waiting to less than a month to get into a position where I could finally be helped. The assessment services were thorough and instilled me with confidence that I was in the right hands. My assessment and subsequent treatment has always felt tailored to my needs and requirements rather than following a pre-defined script. The care I have received throughout has restored my faith in good practitioners being available. I would highly recommend the services provided by Dr Pironti and his colleagues. J.B.
  • I was initially sceptical about approaching a private clinic but was reassured to find that Dr Pironti had worked in the Cambridge NHS service for several years and published research in peer-reviewed journals. I found Dr Pironti down to earth and understanding while clearly possessing genuine expertise in relation to ADHD. After completing and submitting the required paperwork my assessment via Skype was comprehensive and I appreciated the explanation of the process that was given once Dr Pironti had reached his conclusion. Follow up sessions to arrange medication and check my progress were conducted in a manner which was thorough yet remained light-hearted and personal. It was a great relief to be in the care of professionals with so much knowledge about ADHD and a passion to help patients to better understand and cope with it. I have been helped enormously by the Cambridge Adult ADHD Clinic and would whole-heartedly recommend them to others. A.C. Cambridge
  • “Dr Pironti and his team were recommended and from when I first called their office, I knew we were in good hands.  It was clear this clinic is focused on the clients well-being.  I initially called to discuss addiction issues and after a thorough conversation, it was suggested our son call the office personally.  They soon established there were other issues and our son agreed to meet with Dr Pironti to discuss his undiagnosed ADD. Dr Pironti is specialist in this area and was fantastic from the beginning.  We met this week and there was an immediate sense of ease and we were aware of thoughtfully directed questions, keeping us on track.  He explained where necessary, the workings of the brain and its impact on certain behaviours.  The meeting was invaluable and our son definitely took on board the necessary information to keep him aware of his good and bad decisions and their long term effects.  Dr Pironti was extremely knowledgeable and genuine, offering further contact, should our son have any difficulties or concerns, very comforting for a young person who might not always be willing to discuss their issues with parents.  He reminded our son that he is one of a larger family unit and to remain mindful of his actions, suggested in a careful and thoughtful manner.  Our son was relieved and happy to have had this meeting and came away saying that he understood himself better and tells us, he will put in a place a better regime, now knowing his areas of impulsivity.  We will book further consultations and feel extremely lucky to have come across this team of caring professionals within the field of therapy, an area we did not feel sure about.  We would absolutely recommend Dr Pironti and his team.” A.D. Cambridge
  • “Having spent some considerable time researching a clinician who fit criteria that involved qualifications, expertise, and location, I chose Cambridge Adult ADHD Clinic. My consultation was incredibly thorough, exacting and I had a full sense of confidence that whatever results would come to pass, they would reflect a robust examination. I felt Dr Pironti was emphatic, appropriately judicious in his collection of information and put my mind at ease that no conclusions would be reached before everything that he needed was examined. His knowledge sharing with me put me at ease, he was conversational, not at all patronizing or judgmental and having a long history of dealing with poor even frustrating communication from health practitioners, I was relieved and delighted that he was in fact the contrary. He seems to value patient dialogue and is both holistic in his approach as well as scientific, which I think puts him at a distinct advantage. At every stage, I was communicated with, the collection of information was robust and the entire experience from start to finish was not in fact stressful, but enlightening.  I most wholeheartedly endorse him and think anybody who has or thinks they may have ADHD symptoms would value time spent exploring this clinic.” JM, Jan 24, 2017