Tips for Your Neuropsychological Evaluation

What is a neuropsychological evaluation?

Neuropsychological evaluation is an assessment of how one’s brain functions, which will provide information about the structural and functional integrity of your brain. The neuropsychological evaluation involves an interview and the administration of various tests. The tests are typically pencil and paper type tests; some tasks are self-reports, i.e., they are completed by the patient or their parent(s), but the majority of the tests require administration by a licensed neuropsychologist.

Neuropsychological tests (unlike behavioral neurologic screens) are standardized, meaning that they are given in the same manner to all patients and scored in a similar manner time after time. An individual’s scores on tests are interpreted by comparing their score to that of healthy individuals of a similar demographic background (i.e., of similar age, education, gender, and/or ethnic background) and to expected levels of functioning. In this way, a neuropsychologist can determine whether one’s performance on any given task represents a strength or weakness. Although individual scores are important, the neuropsychologist looks at all of the data from the evaluation to determine a pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses and to understand more about how the brain is functioning.

What brain functions can be evaluated by neuropsychological evaluations?

Neuropsychological tests evaluate functioning in a number of areas including: intelligence, executive functions (such as planning, abstraction, conceptualization), attention, memory, language, perception, sensorimotor functions, motivation, mood state, emotion, and personality styles. The areas addressed in an individual’s evaluation are determined by the referral question, research project involved, also the patient’s complaints and symptoms, and observations made during interview and test administration.

How long does a neuropsychological evaluation take?

A complete evaluation generally takes between two and five hours to complete, depending on the participant’s age, complexity of the issues to be addressed by the evaluation, and the patient’s condition (e.g., fatigue, motor slowing can extend the time required for an evaluation). In general, the neuropsychologist attempts to elicit the patient’s best possible performance under optimal conditions.

How to prepare for the neuropsychology evaluation?

In order to get optimal results, please make sure that you arrive for the evaluation well rested and having your usual meal (breakfast or lunch) before the test. It is useful to bring some drinks and snacks with you in case you need these during a prolonged testing session. If you get tired or need to use the restroom, brief breaks can be taken during testing.

Do I get a report from the neuropsychology evaluation?

Yes, our neuropsychologists will prepare a detailed report of the test results, including the types of tests administered, their results/scores, and their interpretations. The report will typically contain some recommendations too. The reports will be sent to the study participants usually several weeks after testing. These reports can be shared with your clinicians, school psychologists or other professionals you are working with.