Adult Neuropsychology

PURPOSE OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

• establishing a clinical diagnosis,
• measuring the degree to which brain impairment has affected an individual 's cognitive functioning
• determining the positive or adverse neuropsychological effects of various treatments
• helping to form treatment recommendations,
• documenting possible changes in cognitive function over time, or
• helping to form recommendations for accommodations for cognitive impairments in daily life

WHAT IS ASSESSED?

• General intellect
• Higher level executive functions (e.g., reasoning, sequencing, problem solving)
• Attention and concentration
• Learning and memory
• Language
• Visual-spatial and visual-perceptual skills
• Motor and sensory skills
• Emotional functions, mood, and personality

Some abilities may be measured in more detail than others, depending on individual needs and the referral question.

THE EVALUATION PROCESS

Most patients will meet with some combination of the Neuropsychologist, the psychometrist, and/or the postdoctoral fellow.  During the interview, information that is important for the neuropsychologist to consider will be reviewed. Patients will be asked about their symptoms, medical history, medications, and other important factors.  Patients should make every effort to bring someone who knows them well to the appointment to provide collateral information.

Testing involves taking paper-and-pencil or computerized tests and answering questions. The time required depends upon the problem being assessed, but in general, several hours are needed to assess the many skills involved in processing information. Some tests will be easy while others will be more complex. The most important thing is that patients try to do their best on all tests.

People being evaluated should bring their eyeglasses or hearing aids if they use them.