What Is Neuropsychology?

Neuropsychology is the scientific discipline of studying the structure and function of the human brain related to specific cognitive processes and behaviors. Focus tends to be directed toward measuring attention, mental flexibility, working memory, intelligence, academic skill, articulation of speech, visual- and/or tactile-spatial awareness, balance, motor coordination, adaptive functioning, and so forth.

A Neuropsychological Evaluation is essentially a scientific attempt to understand and then explain any “problematic behavior” the examinee (i.e., the person being evaluated) may have.

    Problems Often Encountered:


  • Alzheime’s Dementia (and other dementias)
  • Anoxia and Hypoxia
  • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Autism-Spectrum Disorders
  • Brain Tumors (including exposure to Radiotherapy or Chemotherapy)
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Communication Disorders (dys-/aphasia)
  • Cranial Nerve Damage (e.g., anosmia, visual-field neglect, auditory-processing deficits)
  • Depression and Bipolar Disorder
  • Developmental Coordination Disorders (dys-/apraxia)
  • Drug and Alcohol Disorders
  • Endocrine System Dysfunction (e.g., diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, pituitary gland dysfunction, hyper- or hypoadrenalism)
  • Epilepsy
  • Exposure to Neurotoxins (e.g., lead, mercury, arsenic, solvents, carbon monoxide)
  • Genetic Disorders (e.g., Down's syndrome, Fragile X, Turner syndrome)
  • Hydrocephalus (congenital, acquired, communicating, obstructive)
  • Immune System Problems (e.g., multiple sclerosis, lupus, HIV)
  • Impulsive Aggression, Impulsive Sexual Behavior, Impulsive Eating
  • Intellectual Disability (mental retardation and borderline intellectual functioning)
  • Learning Disorders
  • Infections (e.g., meningitis, encephalitis, prion disease)
  • Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
  • Movement Disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease, parkinsonism, Huntington's Disease)
  • Nutritional Deficiency (e.g., thiamine or B12 deficiency, anorexia or bulimia)
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (and other forms of anxiety)
  • Schizophrenia (and other psychotic disorders)
  • Sleep Disorders (e.g., obstructive or central sleep apnea, insomnia)
  • Spina Bifida (occulta or cystica)
  • (mild, moderate, and severe) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
  • Vascular Disorders (e.g., stroke, transient ischemic attack, aneurysm, AVM)