Brain injury
The cognitive picture that imaging cannot give you.
A stroke or other cerebrovascular event can change thinking in ways that are subtle but consequential. An evaluation identifies both the difficulties and the abilities that have been preserved.
Why an evaluation
The question this answers
After a stroke or another cerebrovascular condition, people may experience changes in memory, attention, language, problem solving, processing speed, or emotional functioning. Some are obvious; many are subtle enough to be missed in an office visit and still significant at home or at work.
A neuropsychological evaluation provides a detailed, objective assessment of those changes and of their practical impact on everyday life.
The specific pattern of results often reflects the location and extent of the event, and provides information beyond what brain imaging shows on its own.
What testing examines
Difficulties and preserved strengths, both
A comprehensive battery of standardized tests examines multiple areas of cognitive functioning. Identifying what has been preserved matters as much as identifying what has been affected — recovery and adaptation are built on the abilities that remain.
- Memory and new learning
- Attention and concentration
- Language, comprehension, and expression
- Problem solving and executive functioning
- Processing speed
- Visual-spatial skills
- Emotional functioning
Who it is for
Who is referred
Referrals come from neurologists, physiatrists and rehabilitation specialists, and primary care physicians, typically once the acute phase has passed and the question becomes what a person can manage and what support they need.
Repeat testing after an interval is common, so that recovery can be measured against the first evaluation rather than estimated.
What you receive
What the evaluation gives you
A written report describing the pattern of cognitive change, what it means in practical terms, and recommendations relevant to rehabilitation planning, return to work or to daily activities, and safety at home.
The evaluation also establishes a cognitive baseline that allows recovery to be monitored over time. For patients and families, it replaces uncertainty about what has changed with a clear account of the challenges ahead and the most workable paths through them.
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.