Neuropsychological Assessment

Neuropsychological Assessment is a method of systematically evaluating an individual’s cognitive abilities. It is useful in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment determination for a variety of conditions including:

• Dementia
• Mood Disorders
• Memory Dysfunction
• Executive Dysfunction
• Somatiform Disorders
• Disorders of Information Processing
• Learning Disabilities
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
• Personality Disorders
• Psychosis

The Assessment Process

You have taken a very positive step by deciding to seek assessment. The assessment process can vary depending on the particular problems you have been experiencing. Typically, the process begins with a 1-hour long Diagnostic Interview / Initial Assessment. Depending on the presenting problems that have brought you, I may ask that another individual who knows you well and with whom you are comfortable attend this session. In it you will be asked many questions in order to obtain your complete history. If you are asked to bring another individual with you, that individual may also be asked some questions about you.

At the end of Diagnostic Interview / Initial Assessment we will be able to determine a range of appropriate neuropsychological tests that will help us to answer the referring provider’s, as well as your, questions about your presenting problems. This will allow us to schedule our follow-up testing schedule, typically done in 2-hour long blocks. We will also request and review records from the referring physician, psychologist or other healthcare provider in order to help in diagnosis. Sometimes during the course of assessment, it becomes evident that we need to administer additional tests. This does not happen often. However, if it does we will simply schedule additional times to meet.

Approximately 1 week after testing is complete and we have obtained all outside records we will meet to go over and discuss the results. It is at this meeting that I will be able to provide feedback and offer recommendations.

After our feedback session I will send a letter to the referring provider summarizing the findings and recommendations we have discussed together.

If you have questions about our work together, we should discuss them whenever they arise.