Patients are referred for neuropsychological evaluation by medical doctors to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of diseases and disorders that impact brain function. For those treating children and adolescents, it can assist in determining the reason(s) for a child’s delay in development; difficulties with school performance; problems with attention, work productivity, and disorganization; and emotional and social functioning.

In cases of brain injury, dementia and other neurological diseases/disorders, neuropsychological testing can assist by establishing a baseline of neuropsychological functioning against which to compare later test results. Use of serial testing provides objective data for tracking the course of a condition. Similarly, serial testing can be utilized to assess the impact of surgical intervention (i.e., pre/post surgical testing) or to monitor brain recovery after traumatic injury.

Neuropsychological testing assesses how the brain is functioning and these results may be used in conjunction with other “functional” studies, such as PET, SPECT, or functional MRI, or with structural brain imaging, such as CAT scans and MRI to assist in the diagnostic process. More importantly, the results of the evaluation, result in specific recommendations designed to enhance daily function.

Neuropsychological testing can also be utilized to effectively titrate psychostimulant medication for those with AD/HD.  For many individuals it is known that many, if not all, psychostimulants can impair cognitive function/development when prescribed at levels that are often required to obtain the best behavioral control, hence, striking the balance between behavioral control and cognitive function can be very important to long term academic achievement. If you are interested in this service please discuss your interest with one of us.