Neuropsychology

A neuropsychological evaluation is an in-depth assessment of skills and abilities linked to brain function. It measures how well a person's brain is working when disrupted by a concussion. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess and identify strengths and weaknesses across multiple areas. These areas may include: attention, memory, language usage and understanding what others say, visuospatial skills,motor speed and dexterity, academic skills and social-emotional functioning. It also test executive functions,which are higher-level skills you use to organize and plan, manage your time, problem solve, multi-task, make judgments and maintain self-control. Results from the neuropsychological evaluation assist healthcare providers with a diagnosis, determines cognitive strengths/weaknesses; establishes a baseline and helps in developing a treatment plan or other intervention.The neuropsychological evaluation provides greater detail than the ImPACT test, and is different from tests included in a neurological evaluation, such as an EEG, CT or MRI scan.The results are used to identify which cognitive abilities should be the focus of rehabilitation if you've had a concussion. It helps therapists determine which strengths might be able to compensate for weaknesses. It can provide the basis for making decisions and/or adjustments to school or work schedules and determine the skills to work on that are most important to you. Neuropsychology is a specialty field that joins the medical fields of neurology, psychology, and psychiatry. The neuropsychologist writes a report that summarizes the results and includes recommendations for improving cognition (e.g., attention, memory) and possibly referrals to other professionals.