Understanding Neuropsychological Assessments And Why They Are Requested
Just hearing the term “neuropsychological assessment” may cause some medically induced anxiety. Fortunately, it is not as intimidating as it sounds. The assessment is simply a conversation you or your child has with your doctor to get more in-depth answers to some questions surrounding your health.
There are a few reasons why your doctor or your child’s teacher suggests a neuropsychological assessment. Although your initial reaction may be fear, we assure you there is nothing to be concerned about. You do not need to navigate this process alone. Our team is here to help guide you through the ins and outs of neuropsychological assessments.
What is it, exactly?
Before understanding what a neuropsychological assessment is, it may be helpful to understand what neuropsychology is. This is the crossroads between the fields of neurology, psychology, and psychiatry. The field of neuropsychology studies brain function and how a psychological condition or injury has altered it.
The assessment aspect of neuropsychology combines several different tests to assess the brain. Do not worry; these are not tests you can fail. The tests are designed to test the following areas of your brain function. Examples of how the different assessments might look are as follows:
Memory: In this test, you may be asked to repeat a list back to your doctor.
Cognition: This is designed to test how you process knowledge, so you may have to explain how two things are related. For example, you may describe the relationship between an apple and broccoli and say they are both healthy foods.
Verbal communication: You may be given a random letter and need to list objects that begin with that letter, or you may name objects from a photo.
Motor skills: This involves using your hands to complete simple tasks, such as drawing shapes or completing a pegboard.
What is the purpose?
Since you or your child have been suggested to take a neuropsychological assessment, you have likely noticed a behavior change recently. A neuropsychological assessment helps to attribute any of these changes to a condition such as depression, anxiety, or another brain abnormality, like a stroke.
The goal of the neurological assessment is not to provide a diagnosis. Completing the tests should give your doctor a clearer picture of how your brain functions work together. You should receive plenty of useful information that can be used in a variety of different ways to better your overall health.
How can it be used?
You are probably wondering just how your assessment results can be used. There are many different applications that the test results can be useful for. Below are some of the most common ways neuropsychological assessments are used.
Helps to create a treatment plan: By determining how your brain functions together, you can now see what needs to be strengthened through treatment. Now, you can figure out which functions are the most important to you and adjust your school or work schedule accordingly.
Establishes a baseline: Sometimes, assessments are ordered before a brain surgery or other major event to establish a baseline. This way, your doctor can determine how the event affected your brain function.
Determine strengths and weaknesses: If you suffered from a brain injury or have been struggling with a mental health concern, the assessment can be used to rediscover your cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Everyone is good at something and worse at others; a neuropsychology assessment simply sheds light on it.
Overall, our goal is to guide you through this entire process. We are ready and willing to help you move forward with your neuropsychological assessment. Please reach out via our contact page so that we can begin the process. We look forward to hearing from you.
