Neuropsychology

What is Neuropsychology?

The field of neuropsychology relates to the study of brain-behavior relationships. It is the study of how brain functioning at the neurobiological level affects our human behavior, emotions, and cognition. At Aptiva Health, we focus our Neuropsychological efforts on the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and related symptoms.

What is a traumatic brain injury (TBI)?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a term that describes a spectrum of injury and associated symptoms resulting from a violent blow or jolt to the head or body. Mild traumatic brain injury, also often called a concussion, temporarily impacts the way brain cells function. Although there are no structural changes to the brain in a concussion, this change to functioning creates many symptoms that can become chronic if early treatment and intervention is not obtained. More sever brain injuries include those that result in the brain bleeding or swelling, or skull fracture. These injuries can result in long term complications and even death.

Public awareness of traumatic brain injury is slowly increasing, primarily as the result of greater exposure by the media to sports and military combat-related injuries. The general public, however, still often fails to recognize and seek medical attention for mild traumatic brain injuries. Even when medical attention is sought out, mild injuries can go missed, as they are not visible on conventional imaging techniques. Finally, there are many misconceptions about recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury, which can lead to poorly managed symptoms when specialty care is not received.

Symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury are varied. Physical symptoms can include headache, dizziness, vision changes, and sleep disturbances. Cognitive issues can include difficulties with attention and concentration, impaired learning and memory, and difficulties with processing speed and problem-solving. Emotional changes, including depression, anxiety, and irritability, are also often experienced.

What can cause a TBI?

According to the Center for Disease Control, people most commonly get TBIs from a fall, firearm-related injury, motor vehicle crash, assault or other event where there is a direct blow to the head or body.

Research shows that:

• Falls lead to nearly half of the TBI-related hospitalizations

• Motor vehicle collisions and assaults are other common ways a person may get a TBI

How does Neuropsychology help diagnose traumatic brain injuries (TBI)?

A neuropsychological assessment consists of a variety of tests designed to measure the damage caused by brain injury. It provides more information about a person’s cognitive capabilities than a basic neurological evaluation. At Aptiva Health, we utilize ImPACT testing as part of our neuropsychological assessment.

In addition to administering the assessment, the neuropsychologist will interview the person with the suspected brain injury and the individual’s family members, study available hospital records, and review any other information that provides insight into who the individual was before his or her brain injury. The assessment also includes a variety of different methods for evaluating attention span, orientation, memory, concentration, language (receptive and expressive), new learning, mathematical reasoning, spatial perception, abstract and organizational thinking, problem solving, social judgment, motor abilities, sensory awareness and emotional characteristics, and general psychological adjustment.

The results of the assessment allow the treatment team to address a patient’s unique needs in the during rehabilitation. The assessment also gives the individual’s family an idea of the injury’s impact. Often the neuropsychologist will be very clear and informative about ways the brain injury will affect the individual’s activities of daily living. The person’s rehabilitation plan will be based on the results of the neuropsychological assessment.

Assessing mild traumatic brain injury is the second most frequent diagnostic activity in clinical neuropsychology. The cognitive domains that are typically impacted by mild traumatic brain injuries include:

• Attention: There can be particular difficulties where attention must be shared between multiple stimuli or tasks. For example, the patient may burn food while cooking because she cannot divide her attention between boiling potatoes on the stove and preparing vegetables for a salad.

• Memory: There can be difficulties with recalling new information but also problems with working memory, which is an ability to temporarily hold information and manipulate the information to formulate an answer. The patient may be unable to do calculations in his head to figure out the tip for a restaurant bill.

• Higher cognitive abilities (executive functioning): There can be difficulties with setting priorities, planning, and sequencing. The patient may not be able to decide what are the three most important things that need to be done today and what order they should be done in.

• Information processing: It can take longer to process information and to produce an answer. The patient may find the normal rate of speech too fast and may feel overwhelmed by conversations or being in time-pressured situations.

Our Neuropsychology Team

Questions? Call us today! 1-844-999-3627