ADULT NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS
IN NEWCASTLE
WHAT IS AN ADULT NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT?
Neuropsychology is a specialist field of psychology that studies the relationship between brain health and functioning/behaviour. A disruption to the normal functioning of the brain, such as a traumatic brain injury or disease can result in problems with memory, language, organising and planning, motor skills and personality changes.
An adult neuropsychological assessment is often recommended to people presenting with cognitive decline or to those who already have a diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease. Formal testing tools are used to assess how an individuals brain is functioning and will provide information on potential areas of difficulty such as:
- Memory
- Attention
- Processing Speed
- Reasoning
- Judgement
- Problem Solving
- Language Skills
It can take between 2-5 face-to-face sessions to complete a neuropsychological assessment and further time is then needed to evaluate the test results and write a comprehensive assessment report. Afterwards, you will have a feedback session to go over the assessment results and ask any questions. At that session, you will be given a copy of the detailed written neuropsychological assessment report, which identifies your strengths and weaknesses and provides specific recommendations and/or interventions.
INVEST IN YOURSELF AND YOUR WELLBEING
WHY HAVE AN ADULT NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
Following the assessment you will have the opportunity to request therapeutic sessions to help you to understand more about your cognitive difficulties and to support you to use the strategies recommended to manage cognitive problems. This can be done on a one to one basis, or include family members and carers.
HAVING AN ASSESSMENT WILL ENABLE YOU TO:
Gain a better picture of your cognitive functioning
Overcome or manage memory problems or thinking changes
Have support for emotional changes, such as low mood or anxiety
Be reassured that memory problems are related to stress
Adapt to coping with memory/ cognitive difficulties
Adjust to diagnosis
Cope with early onset dementia (people diagnosed before the age of 65)
Therapeutic work in managing behaviours that relate to brain changes.
Therapeutic work for carer and family distress.
WHAT ISSUES CAN IT HELP WITH?
Different types of dementia, including; Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular Dementia, Frontal Lobe Dementia, Lewy body disease
Early onset dementia
Parkinson’s disease
Traumatic brain injury
NB: We cannot offer diagnosis based on the neuropsychological assessment, this would need to be done has part of a multi disciplinary team and include blood tests and scans, however we can provide support to families and individuals who have already had a diagnosis and are looking for help in more effectively managing these disorders, or those who are undiagnosed but would like some help in understanding their specific difficulties. If you are unsure please do not hesitate to contact us for further information or book in for a telephone consultation with our triage nurse.