How With Neuropsychological Assessment New York Doctors Can Help

By Essie Osborn


A neuropsychological assessment is normally done to try and measure the ability of an individual to carry out various mental functions such as concentrating on things or remembering things. It is more of a brain scan just like how the CT scan or MRI is done since it involves obtaining the picture of the brain. The difference, however, comes in the type of picture taken since in neuropsychological assessment it is an image of what the brain can do. After a neuropsychological assessment New York psychologists are able to advise their patients on the way forward.

The assessment will in most cases involve a number of tasks. The more tasks are done, the better because the results will be clearer. These tasks are normally referred to as cognitive tests. A simple pen and paper may be used in taking the tests or sometimes a computer program. The patient is however guided on how to respond to the given tasks. For example, one may be given a list of words then thereafter asked to remember them.

When the evaluation is being undertaken, easier tasks are first given as the level of difficulty is increased slowly. There will however come a time when the patient cannot do it anymore. It is from this point that the doctor can now be able to measure the individual.

It is common for individuals not to perform their best the first time they do something. This is therefore taken into account when the assessment is being done. Assessors may ask the patient to go at various tasks more than one time while trying to measure the same thing. This is to mean that memory will be measured by more than one task. A more accurate and reliable outcome is therefore likely to be generated by doing so.

Some neuropsychological assessments take a considerable amount of time to finish, may be more than four hours. Nevertheless, at the end of it all, it will help your doctor in finding out how your brain damage is affecting your abilities. This is in relation to reasoning, concentrating, solving problems or even remembering.

The specialists involved in undertaking these assessments in most cases are psychologists who have undergone some special kind of training. This therefore means that not every doctor can do the assessment. Because of this fact, you need to check on the specific area of practice that your doctor is specialized in.

The doctor may advise on whether a treatment program should be taken or a rehabilitation program depending with the results of the assessment. However, before even the assessment is done, the doctor will check on some conditions which make the evaluation necessary. For example, there are diseases which can make the brain to suffer some damages. These include diseases like; Stroke, Alzheimer, AIDS, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Brain Tumor and Parkinson disease.

Sometimes the doctor can advise one to take the assessment when they have suffered some serious brain damage. Some of the things that can lead to this include; exposure to pollution, chemicals and poison. Also, there are things like drug abuse and alcohol abuse that can affect how the brain functions.




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