Neuropsychological Assessment, a type of medical treatment, is used for the diagnosis of cognitive disorders or disabilities. Neuropsychology is a combined field of neurology and psychology where doctors work on how well a brain works. People who start to face difficulty with memory, language, organization, or attention to detail are advised to have neuropsychological testing in order to diagnose the problem.
With the help of neuropsych testing, the professionals also have determined various recommendations for cognitive strategies, planning and treatment.
Why Do You Need a Neuropsychological Assessment?
Here, we will discuss why doctors usually recommend a neuropsychological assessment.
To Help with the Diagnosis
The professionals sometimes use the test results to determine the reason behind the problem that a person may be having with thinking and understanding, etc. For instance, test results might be helpful in determining if the mental changes that you are having are normally age factors. Or, if there is any problem relating to neurological illness, anxiety, stress, depression, or others.
With the help of the test results, healthcare professionals can find the diagnosis of the problem, using other tests like brain scans, blood tests, etc. This will support the diagnosis to be exact and assist in treating more efficiently.
To Check the Cognitive Strengths and Weaknesses
Usually, after any neurological event or injury like a stroke or trauma, healthcare professionals advise taking neuropsychological test. This is needed in order to determine if there are any changes in cognitive functions. Moreover, it also helps in checking how much change that injury has made to take proper actions.
To Determine and Establish a Baseline
In some cases, an examination is done before and after the treatment to know how well the cognitive abilities have been affected by the intervention. Plus, an evaluation after the treatment is done to demonstrate the recovery procedure and understand the patient’s condition.
To Plan Interventions and Treatments
The test results help doctors and healthcare professionals to examine the cognitive abilities in depth. In addition to that, it assists in determining what should be the main focus of rehabilitation after a brain injury.
The assessments help a lot in providing the right schedule for the patients to carry on with their lives. The right evaluation is necessary to identify any weaknesses and provide the required treatment for recovery.
Common Complaints of Problematic Cognitive Functioning
Some of the common complaints that show that a person may have cognitive dysfunctioning are:
- Short-term memory, repeated questions
- Confusion
- Losing objects, forgetting names, getting lost
- Poor attention and concentration
- Difficulty with language
- Difficulty in recognizing familiar objects and person
- Increase in anxiety, stress, and depression
- In worst cases, delusions and hallucinations may also occur
Conclusion
Find the best clinic in Boston for the neuropsychological examination to get the best and most comprehensive evaluation for adults. Usually, such types of neuropsychological examinations are needed by old age people who may be suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. Hence, a proper detailed analysis is important to know the exact cause of the weak or problematic cognitive functions.
