Preparing for Neuropsychology Assessments

What is a Neuropsychology Assessment?

It is a comprehensive assessment that involves standardised tests and clinical interviews with both the patient and a reliable informant. During testing, the following cognitive functions may be evaluated:

Attention
Language
Memory and learning
Perceptual and motor abilities
Problem solving and planning

Purpose of Neuropsychology Assessments

Neuropsychological assessments are utilised for the assessment and characterization of cognitive functioning. An objective assessment of cognitive functioning is useful for diagnostic clarification, assessing the presence and progression of cognitive disorders, as well as providing information relevant to treatment and planning.

Checklist: Preparing for the Appointment

Patients are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes before the appointment to allow time for registration.
Hearing and/or visual aids: should patients require hearing aids and/or spectacles, kindly bring them along to the assessment.
Time required: the assessment involves around 2 hours of face-to-face contact. There are no painful or invasive procedures involved. No neuroimaging is involved.
Available informant: a close family member or caregiver (someone who is able to provide information about the patient’s daily functioning) will be interviewed for approximately 15-20 minutes to better understand their symptoms (e.g., nature of symptoms, when they started, and how they have progressed over time).