What is Clinical Neuropsychology?
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Clinical Neuropsychology is the study of how changes in the brain affects a person’s cognition (their memory and thinking abilities).
Clinical Neuropsychologists are trained to understand the cognitive, emotional and behavioural effects of a wide range of conditions across the lifespan. These include neurological (such as dementia, traumatic brain injury and epilepsy) medical and psychiatric conditions (such schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression), developmental disorders and learning disabilities (such as dyslexia, autism, and ADHD). |
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What is a neuropsychological assessment?A neuropsychological assessment provides a standardised and objective way to measure the relationship between the brain and people’s cognition and behaviour (their thinking, actions and emotional responses). Assessing an individual’s cognition encompasses areas such as their intelligence, memory, language, attention, problem-solving ability, visual-motor skills, and personality/emotional functioning. The findings of a neuropsychological assessment can play an important role in establishing a diagnosis, in helping to differentiate between conditions (eg. dementia and depression), and in rehabilitation and care planning. Neuropsychological assessments can also be useful to establish a baseline of a healthy individual’s cognition; to characterise their strengths and weaknesses; and to monitor change over time. |
Who would benefit from a neuropsychological assessment?
There are a number of people that can benefit from a neuropsychological assessment. First, those with a known or suspected neurological (brain) impairment, such as:
Second, it is becoming increasingly common for people to seek a baseline of their current cognitive abilities. This can be for a number of reasons:
- Those concerned about their memory or thinking (having more difficulty in handling day-to-day tasks)
- conditions (such as a type of dementia - Alzheimer’s disease)
- Acquired Brain Injury (such as following motor vehicle accidents and strokes)
- Psychiatric illnesses (such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder)
- Developmental disorders (such as ADHD, dyslexia and other learning disorders)
- Concussion (or mild traumatic brain injury)
Second, it is becoming increasingly common for people to seek a baseline of their current cognitive abilities. This can be for a number of reasons:
- To understand their current brain health, and to find ways to maximise their abilities long term.
- To have for a comparison in managing sports-related concussion risks.