Neuropsych Testing

Neuropsychological testing is an evaluation of cognition, mood, personality, and behavior that is conducted by licensed clinical neuropsychologists (clinical psychologists who are specialists in brain-behavior relationships). Such an evaluation usually includes a formal interview, a review of medical and/or educational/vocational records, interviews of significant others (as necessary), and neuropsychological testing using standardized neuropsychological instruments.

This type of testing offers many benefits:

• Often neuropsychological assessment will aid in the proper and accurate diagnosis of the patient’s illness and/or the etiology of symptoms.
• Even if the etiology is known, such assessment quantifies the severity of impairments and provides objective measures of aspects of cognition, emotions, personality, and behavior.
• Such an assessment provides many details about the strengths and weaknesses of the patient that in turn can help the patient and/or family to learn how to cope with problems or even decrease symptoms.
• Neuropsychological assessment is very often one of the most critical pieces of evidence in forensic settings when the existence or extent of brain injury is relevant to the facts or disposition of a case.