| o1.5-2 Million People A Year Sustain Brain Injury From | | | | WHAT IS A NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST? |
| Motor Vehicle And Motorcycle Accidents, ,Falls, Sport | | | | A Neuropsychologist typically holds a doctoral degree |
| Injuries, And Acts Of Violenceo500,000 Severe | | | | (PhD) in Clinical Psychology/Neuropsychology from an |
| Enough To Require Hospitalization.o50,000 Die From | | | | accredited university or professional graduate school, |
| Complications Of Head Injuryo5.3 Million Are Living With | | | | A Neuropsychologist may also have completed |
| Head Injury Related Disabilityomost Common Among | | | | additional graduate level coursework in Neurosciences, |
| Males 15-24 And People Older Than 75. | | | | such as Neurology, Neuroanatomy, Neuropathology, |
| These alarming statistics affects all communities. Since | | | | Neuropsychological Assessment, Neuroradiology, etc. |
| the advances of medical technology, health care has | | | | He/she must be a licensed psychologist with |
| become more specialized and sub specialized. | | | | specialized training and experience in the field, which |
| However, who does one see to help diagnose and | | | | include predoctoral supervised Internship in psychology |
| treat a suspected head injury? A Family Doctor?.....A | | | | and Neuropsychology, followed by 1-2 years of |
| Neurologist?......A Psychologist?....A Radiologist?....What | | | | Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology. |
| about a Neuropsychologist?.....So many to choose from, | | | | WHAT IS A NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL |
| but which one would be most helpful?.....The answer is, | | | | EVALUATION? |
| they all offer an important piece to the puzzle. For | | | | A neuropsychological evaluation is a comprehensive |
| example, Steven (a fictitious name of a patient) was | | | | evaluation of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional |
| 21-years-old, when he became involved in a | | | | functioning performed using standardized tests and |
| motorcycle accident on Christmas day. An intoxicated | | | | procedures. A Neuropsychologist uses a wide variety |
| truck driver collided with his motorcycle while making a | | | | of paper/pencil and computerized tests that are very |
| left turn on a green light. Steven was ejected from the | | | | sensitive to even mild brain dysfunction. Typically the |
| seat of his motorcycle and subsequently landed in the | | | | evaluation includes 60-90 minutes of clinical interview |
| middle of the street. While he had no memory of the | | | | about your problems and background (childhood, |
| accident, eyewitness notified paramedics who took | | | | education, occupation, family, medical and psychiatric |
| him to a nearby hospital. After 5 hours of being in a | | | | history), followed by 4-6 hrs. of formal testing. The |
| coma, he regained consciousness. While he did not | | | | evaluation can be scheduled for a single day or divided |
| sustain any major physical injuries, his family noticed a | | | | into several days, dependant upon the fatigue level and |
| drastic change in his behavior and thinking. He lost his | | | | time. In addition to time spend face to face, time is |
| ability to read words, experienced difficulty with | | | | required to review records, score, interpret the tests |
| attention, concentration, memory, and behavior (i.e., | | | | and generate a report. This could add an additional 4-6 |
| short-temper, aggression, irritable, impulsive). According | | | | hours. At the completion of the report, the |
| to his mother, his son had changed since the accident. | | | | Neuropsychologist reviews the results of he evaluation |
| She was desperate to find someone who could help | | | | with the patient and his/her family and makes |
| him. Therefore, his mother took Steven to his family | | | | treatment recommendations. A copy of the report is |
| doctor who ordered some brain imaging diagnostic | | | | also forwarded to the referring physician and other |
| tests (CT and MRI scans) and referred him to a long | | | | health care providers. |
| list of specialists (e.g., neurologist, psychiatrist, and | | | | WHICH MENTAL FUNCTIONS ARE GENERALLY |
| neuropsychologist) to clarify his condition. His mother | | | | TESTED? |
| wondered, about all these doctors....What did they do? | | | | A Neuropsychologist typically evaluates how the brain |
| How would they be able to help Steven? | | | | functions in the following areas: |
| WHAT IS A NEUROLOGIST? | | | | 1. Intellectual abilities |
| A neurologist is a physician (MD or DO) who | | | | 2. Attention/Concentration |
| specializes in diseases of the brain and nervous | | | | 3. Learning and Memory |
| system. Although they overlap a bit with psychiatrists | | | | 4. Language |
| because they share the same organ (brain), they tend | | | | 5. Problem solving, planning and organizational skills |
| to concentrate on physical manifestations of | | | | 6. Reasoning and Judgment |
| neurological problems, or problems related to | | | | 7. Perceptual and Motor Skills |
| abnormalities in structure or function of specific regions | | | | 8. Visual-spatial skills |
| of the nervous system. They deal with brain, spinal | | | | 9. Academic Skills |
| cord, nerve roots, nerves, and muscles. Psychiatrists | | | | 10. Emotion, Behavior, and Personality |
| (also MD) deal with emotional and cognitive disorders, | | | | HOW CAN THE RESULTS HELP THE PATIENT? |
| such as schizophrenia, depression, panic disorders, etc. | | | | The results of a neuropsychological evaluation can |
| A neurologist performs a neurological examination | | | | help your doctor clarify weaknesses, differentiate |
| provides crucial information about the nervous system. | | | | among illnesses (Traumatic Brain Injury vs. Stroke vs. |
| It is a noninvasive way to find out what might be | | | | Alzheimer's vs. Depression), establish a "baseline" |
| wrong. It typically includes an examination of the 12 | | | | before surgery or before problems are seen, plan |
| nerves of the head and neck, reflexes, balance and | | | | treatment that uses strengths to compensate |
| coordination, muscle strength and movement, and | | | | weaknesses. The results can also help the Social |
| mental status- awareness and response to the | | | | Security office determine if you qualify for Disability |
| environment, appearance and general behavior, | | | | benefits. Following is a sample of some of the many |
| orientation, attention and memory. Neurologists also | | | | questions that can be answered by a |
| perform diagnostic tests, such as lumbar puncture, | | | | neuropsychological evaluation: |
| electroencephalography (EEG), and electromyography | | | | 1. * Do I actually have brain injury? |
| nerve conduction velocity (EMG/NCV). | | | | 2. What is the cause of my problems? Is it medical, |
| Based on the results of the neurological exam and the | | | | emotional, neurological or stress? |
| diagnostic tests (EEG, EMG, CT, MRI), a neurologist is | | | | 3. ** All neurological, physical, and imaging (CT & |
| likely to refer a patient with head injury to a | | | | MRI scans) tests are normal, why do I still |
| Neuropsychologist for an understanding of which brain | | | | Have difficulties doing everyday things? |
| functions are impaired and which remain intact. A | | | | 4. Would I be able to return to work/school, drive again, |
| neuropsychological evaluation will reveal how the injury | | | | or play golf? |
| specifically affects thinking and behavior. | | | | 5. Am I getting better? How much? Is treatment helping |
| WHAT IS NEUROPSYCHOLOGY? | | | | me?o * This is especially true following "mild" brain |
| Neuropsychology comes from the Greek word | | | | injury, when effects of an injury may be subtle and |
| "neuron" meaning "nerve," the Greek word "psyche" | | | | easily confused with other factors, such as stress, |
| meaning "mind," and the Greek word "logos" meaning | | | | medications, or depression.o **Just because a skull |
| "the study of". Put the words together and you have.... | | | | X-Ray pr CT/MRI scans of the brain are negative |
| The scientific study of brain-behavior relationships and | | | | (normal) does not mean everything is fine. You can still |
| the clinical application of that knowledge to human | | | | experience difficulties in thinking, emotion, and behavior |
| problems...In simpler terms, Neuropsychology is the | | | | that affect your quality of life. Because CT/MRI |
| study of how different disorders of the brain (i.e., | | | | measure structure, not function or behavior, a |
| traumatic brain injury, concussion, aneurysm, stroke, | | | | Neuropsychological Evaluation is recommended |
| dementia, tumor, etc) affect a person's thinking, | | | | especially when problems persist. |
| emotion, and behavior. | | | | |