What is a neuropsychological assessment?

 

The purpose of a neuropsychological assessment is to detail the impact of an injury, illness or condition on a person so that your strengths and weakness can be identified and a treatment plan created to assist with daily functioning. Treatment might include tailored strategies to help with memory or planning, for example. Generally, a neuropsychological assessment involves:

• Interviews with you and with people who know you well (friends, whanau) to gather information about your symptoms and current issues
• Finding out about your history (e.g., reading your medical notes)
• Completing tasks to evaluate your cognitive functions. This could include ‘paper and pencil’ tasks, oral (spoken) questions, brief tests using a computer, handling materials such as blocks, doing puzzles and other tasks.

How long does it take?

The whole assessment usually happens over two or three appointments of up to two hours each.

Outcome:

Once the assessment is complete, you will be provided feedback on the results which will help you understand how your strengths and weakness may affect your everyday life. Treatment strategies to help improve your ability to complete your everyday tasks will be provided. It might also include other recommendations for rehabilitation, where physiotherapists and occupational therapists can work with you to improve your recovery from an injury (for example).