Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology involves determining how well the brain is working when it is disrupted by a
brain injury or psychological disorder. A neuropsychological assessment is a comprehensive test
of a wide range of mental functions including behavior.
A neuropsychological evaluation is a test to measure how well a person's brain is working. The
abilities tested include reading, language usage, attention, learning, processing speed, reasoning,
remembering, problem-solving, mood and personality and more.
What mental functions are assessed in a neuropsychological exam?
If you are undergoing a neuropsychological assessment, the mental functions tested include:

General intellect.

Reading/reading comprehension.

Language usage and understanding of what others say.

Attention/concentration.

Processing speed.

Learning and memory.

Reasoning.

Executive functions, which are higher-level skills you use to organize and plan, manage
your time, problem solve, multi-task, make judgments and maintain self-control.

Visuospatial skills.

Motor speed and dexterity.

Mood and personality.
Why has a neuropsychological assessment been requested?
A neuropsychological assessment can be requested for a number of reasons including:
To help with diagnosis
To determine cognitive strengths and weaknesses
To establish a baseline:
To help plan a treatment or other intervention
The tests are given and scored by a trained technician called a psychometrist who works under the
supervision of the neuropsychologist.
Below is the list of examples of tests for:
Intelligence
Wechsler Scales
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R)
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III)
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV)
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale-IV
Academic Achievement
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
Woodcock-Johnson Achievement Test
Language Processing
Boston Naming Test
Multilingual Aphasia Examination
Attention/Concentration
Cancellation Tasks (Letter and symbol)
Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)
Memory
Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS)
WMS-III Verbal Memory Index
Speed of Processing
Simple and Choice Reaction Time
Symbol Digit Modalities Test - Written and oral