Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Clinical Neuropsychological Evaluation and Counseling

Clinical neuropsychology is a specialty profession that focuses on the assessment and understanding of brain-behavior relationships. Brain function is evaluated by objectively testing abilities such as memory and processing skills.

Who Benefits for Neuropsychological Evaluations?

Neuropsycholocial evaluations help clarify how the different areas and systems of the brain are working. This is especially important for patients who have experienced a stroke, head trauma, neurosurgery or other changes in brain function.

How are Evaluations Used?

Assessments and evaluations are used to help determine:

• Whether a patient has dementia, mild cognitive impairment or neither
• If a patient can be left alone and has the cognitive skills necessary to carry on daily activities
• Whether or not from a cognitive and an emotional perspective a patient is ready to return to work after a head injury or stroke, or needs to consider work-related changes
• Whether a patient has adequate cognitive and perceptual functioning to undergo a rehabilitative driver's evaluation and training
• The level of patient's intellectual functioning after a head injury, stroke or other illness
• What psychological or other rehabilitative services might be a useful adjunct to outpatient management
• A patient's cognitive functioning pre- or post-organ transplant

How are Test Scores Useful to an Understanding of Current Functioning?

Testing is sensitive to mild memory and thinking problems that might not be obvious in other ways. When problems are mild, testing may be the only way to detect them.

Testing is accomplished face-to-face through questions and tasks designed specifically for this purpose. The goal is to provide a sample of the patient's behavior/capacity in key areas.

Test results determine the patient's rehabilitation and counseling needs based on measured strengths and weaknesses as well as lifestyle. Results can be used to help develop a treatment plan and assess the plan's effectiveness. Test results are also used to monitor recovery and assist counseling as needed.