Neuropsychological Assessments

ARE YOU OR A LOVED ONE EXPERIENCING:

•Difficulty remembering recent events or conversations?
•Unable to focus and maintain attention?
•Problems with recognizing people?
•Difficulty understanding, learning, and remembering new information?
•Challenges with doing daily tasks?
•Getting lost when walking or driving around familiar places?
•Trouble finding the right word when talking to others?
•Asking the same questions repeatedly?
•Changes in movement and coordination?
•Constantly losing or misplacing things?
•Mental confusion-disorientation about time and space?
•Difficulty planning and making decisions?
•Changes in personality or behaviors?
•Losing interest in previously enjoyed activities, irritation/frustration, or depression?

CONSIDER SCHEDULING A CONSULTATION WITH OUR PSYCHOLOGIST TRAINEDIN NEUROPSYCHOLOGY.

NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS

FSHN offers neuropsychological assessments for people of all ages to address problems with memory; learning; attention, planning, and decision making as well as behavioral and social-emotional functioning. These assessments are important to help clarify diagnoses, develop effective treatment plans, and monitor treatment progress and/or cognitive decline.

WHAT IS A NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT?

A neuropsychological assessment is a comprehensive evaluation process that helps assess and identify problems with memory, language, concentration and attention, learning, mood, and other cognitive and emotional difficulties. The evaluations allow your treatment team to better understand the cause of the difficulty and what to do to help.

A neuropsychological assessment can be useful in addressing concerns about functional skills such as the ability to live or drive independently and the capacity to make decisions about healthcare or finances. Clients who completed neuropsychological assessments and their significant others often report that they found the assessments very helpful in understanding and coping with cognitive problems.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS?

Clients and their families/caregivers will meet with a psychologist for an initial interview. During this meeting the psychologist will gather important information and history of their concerns. They will then design a testing protocol to address the client's specific areas of concern.

After the initial interview, the client will return for one or two testing sessions. During these sessions, they will take different tests that usually involve verbal and visual tests, some writing and drawing, and using a computer. The testing appointments can take about 2-3 hours, but people are welcome to take as many breaks as they like.

Once the assessment is complete, we provide a detailed repoprt explaining the results and specific treatment recommendations. If necessary, we will help the client connect with other treatment specialists. It is often recommended to return for follow-up testing several months or a year later to monitor treatment outcomes and/or disease progression.