Adult Neuropsychology Clinical Service

There are several reasons why people are referred for a neuropsychological evaluation. Your medical provider may be concerned about your memory or other thinking abilities and wish to understand them better. You may have experienced changes in brain function associated with an injury or illness. Neuropsychological test results complement information about the structural integrity of the brain obtained from other neurological assessments such as a CT or MRI scan. The results of the neuropsychological assessment can help your medical providers work with you to provide the best care for your condition.

Results from the evaluation can facilitate patient management by:

• Assessing presence and nature of cognitive impairment
• Providing differential diagnosis
• Determining a baseline that allows for comparison of cognitive functioning over time
• Explaining the functional impact of brain dysfunction on every day life
• Recommending appropriate treatment
• Providing assessment and recommendations for disability and medical legal evaluations.

Conditions We Assess

Referrals to the clinical neuropsychology service come from clinics within National Jewish Health, clinics at the University of Colorado Hospital, and medical providers in the community. Clinical neuropsychological evaluations are frequently requested for the following conditions:

• Neurological disorders (e.g., dementia, epilepsy, strokes, Parkinson's disease, brain tumor, multiple sclerosis)
• Traumatic brain injury (e.g., head injury from motor vehicle accidents, sports concussions)
• Pulmonary disorders (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, sarcoidosis)
• Cardiovascular diseases (e.g., coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease)
• Immune and Autoimmune disorders (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic fatigue syndrome)
• Pre- to post- surgical conditions (e.g., kidney transplants, coronary artery bypass graft surgery)
• Sleep disorders (e.g., sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome)
• Toxic exposures (e.g., carbon monoxide, lead, occupational exposures)

 

Skills We Test

Neuropsychological procedures may vary in length and are tailored to answer specific questions. They typically incorporate measures of cognitive and behavioral function such as:

• Intellectual/academic functioning
• Attention
• Memory
• Problem solving
• Language
• Visuospatial abilities
• Sensory motor functioning
• Emotional adjustment/personality
• Motivation and effort

During the Evaluation

Your appointment will take place in our clinic in the Friedenheit Building on the National Jewish Health main campus. A neuropsychologist will interview you about your medical history and any concerns that you have about your thinking abilities.

If you would like a family member or friend to be present during this interview, this is often helpful to provide additional information about your condition.

During the evaluation, you will complete paper-and-pencil measures of thinking skills. You will work with a specially trained technician to complete the tests. You may be asked to do some writing, reading, drawing and answer questions verbally. You also may complete measures that will help the neuropsychologist understand how your illness or injury has affected your mood, your personality or your coping skills.

During testing, your family members or friends will be asked to leave the room.

A comprehensive written report with recommendations will be sent to the referring provider after you complete the evaluation. Verbal feedback to you and/or your referring medical provider is also available.

For more information about neuropsychological evaluations at National Jewish Health, please call 303-398-1139.