Memory and aging
Memory changes, measured rather than guessed at.
Memory changes are unsettling — for the person living with them and for the family around them. An evaluation establishes what is actually happening, in detail, before decisions are made on the basis of it.
Why an evaluation
The question this answers
A neuropsychological evaluation is a detailed, objective assessment of thinking abilities — memory, attention, language, problem solving, and other cognitive skills. It measures how the brain is working in practice, which is not something an interview or a scan can show on its own.
For memory concerns, that evidence is used to help clarify whether the difficulties fall within the expected range for a person's age, relate to stress or a medical condition, or may represent the early signs of a neurological condition such as mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
An evaluation clarifies a question. It does not begin from an assumed answer, and no particular finding is promised in advance.
What testing examines
Standardized testing, interpreted clinically
Performance on each task is compared against normative data for your age, education, and background, then read alongside your history, your medical records, and what is observed during testing. That combination is what turns a set of scores into a description of cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
Where memory is affected, testing distinguishes between stages of the process — how new information is learned, whether it is retained over a delay, and whether it can be retrieved — because the pattern matters more than the overall score.
- Memory: learning, retention over time, and retrieval
- Attention and concentration
- Language, including naming and word finding
- Problem solving, reasoning, and judgment
- Processing speed
- Visual-spatial skills
- Emotional functioning, which can itself affect memory
Who it is for
Who is referred
Referrals commonly come from primary care physicians, neurologists, and geriatricians when a change in memory has been noticed at home or raised at an office visit. Families frequently prompt the referral themselves.
A family member is welcome at the appointment and is often asked to contribute history — what changed, when it began, and what it looks like day to day. That account is genuinely part of the assessment.
What you receive
The report, and the conversation about it
You receive a detailed written report describing what was found, what it means, a diagnosis where one is warranted, and specific recommendations — for medical follow-up, for safety, and for planning at home. Findings are then discussed with you in person at a feedback appointment rather than read out over the phone.
The information is written to be usable by the physician who referred you, so that medical care and any support services can be arranged on the basis of evidence rather than impression.
In some cases the concerns turn out not to reflect dementia at all, and the contributing factors are ones a physician can address. In others, identifying difficulty early is what allows care, services, and family planning to start sooner.
Neuropsychological Associates provides assessment and consultation only. The practice does not provide counseling, psychotherapy, cognitive rehabilitation, neurologic consultation, or psychiatric assessment. Recommendations in the report are carried out by your own physicians and treating providers.
Arranging an evaluation
A letter of medical necessity or a physician's office note is required. Our office verifies your insurance benefits before anything is scheduled. Prefer to talk it through first? Call (631) 366-3369.