Neuropsychologists are those who understand the brain and how it affects our emotions, behaviour as well as ability to think. They are trained in a way to assess as well as treat people who experience certain difficulties related to concentration, memory as well as reasoning. In this article, we are going to talk about the functions of neuropsychologists and what psychological assessments they undertake.
What Do Neuropsychologists Do?
The major function of neuropsychologists is related to diagnosis. Therefore, they majorly offer tests in order to determine how properly their brain is functioning. These tests also help them understand why you might be facing a particular difficulty in their life. Neuropsychologists work with various kinds of medical doctors, like neurologists, neurosurgeons as well as psychiatrists.
Who Needs a Neuropsychology Evaluation?
A neuropsychologist works with various kinds of people of all ages and stages. Some of them are
Apart from these groups, they also work with people facing dementia, head injury, stroke, epilepsy, diseases affecting their central nervous systems and brain tumours.
What Happens During a Neuropsychological Assessment?
A qualified neurologist performs a neuropsychological assessment. During the assessment, a neurologist tests different functions of the nervous system. The types of tests would depend upon certain symptoms, which include
Your neurologist or any other provider would ask you certain questions related to date, place as well as time. In order to check this, you might be asked to perform certain tasks like naming objects, drawing shapes, or remembering a certain list.
A reflex is a kind of automatic response to a particular stimulation. These are majorly tested by tapping different areas of the body with a rubber hammer. If your body has a certain amount of reflexes, your body will move in a certain way when tapped with a hammer. During this process, the neurologist can tap your entire body, especially your kneecap and your elbow and ankle.
These are the nerves that link your brain to your neck, throat, upper shoulders, eyes, ears, nose, face, tongue, and some organs. These nerves come in pairs, 12 of them. Depending on your symptoms, your neurologist will test particular nerves. For example, identifying specific smells, trying to talk while sticking out your tongue, and turning your head side to side are all possible testing methods. A hearing and vision test may also be administered.
In order to check your coordination as well as balance your neurologist may ask you to walk in a straight line, placing one foot directly in front of the other. Some of the other tests include closing your eyes and also touching your nose with an index finger.
This is another test that a neuropsychologist may perform in order to touch your legs and arms along with other body parts. These include tuning forks, alcohol swabs etc.
Summing Up This was all about the role of a neuropsychologist and some of the types of neuropsychological assessments they conduct. If you are facing any type of neuropsychological issue or know somebody who is facing so, make sure you get in touch with a proper neuropsychologist.
