Unique Medical Experts: Clinical Neuropsychologists and Cognitive Assessments
Clinical neuropsychologists are a rare and specialised group of medical experts, making up only a small percentage of psychologists. Their speciality is understanding the complex relationship between the brain and behaviours and conducting cognitive exams and independent medical assessments to determine how illnesses or injuries affect a person’s psychological skills and behaviours.
Let’s dive in and get to know these distinctive experts.
Psychologists vs. Clinical Neuropsychologists
Psychologists and clinical neuropsychologists are both mental health professionals and medical experts but have different areas of knowledge. Clinical neuropsychologists have specialised training in the relationship between the brain and behaviour and are skilled in conducting cognitive medical assessments, tracking a disease or condition’s progress, and the effectiveness of treatment.
The Science Behind Cognitive Assessments
Cognitive medical assessments are standardised tests that measure things like memory, learning, attention, language, reading, problem-solving, and making decisions. They are an essential tool for clinical neuropsychologists used to diagnose a variety of neurological and developmental disorders, to track the progression of disease, and to assess the effectiveness of treatment. In medico-legal cases, this testing is commonly used to determine an individual’s capacity for making decisions.
The assessment techniques can include:
- Interviewing to gather information about the individual’s medical history, developmental history, and current symptoms.
- Observing behaviour during the independent medical assessment to understand their overall cognitive function.
- Administering cognitive tests to assess the individual’s psychological function in different areas.
- Interpreting the results to identify cerebral deficits and make recommendations for treatment and rehabilitation.
When is it right to choose a Clinical Neuropsychologist for your matter
Clinical neuropsychologists can provide independent medical assessments and expert opinion in legal proceedings and you can choose a clinical neuropsychologist to assess in the case of:
- Neurological disorders, such as stroke, brain injury, and dementia
- Developmental disorders, such as autism and ADHD
- Psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
- Learning and intellectual disabilities
- Acquired cognitive disorders, substance abuse or head trauma
- Determination of an individual’s cognitive capacity due to injury or illness, commonly used for decision making and work capacity.
How Clinical Neuropsychological Assessments Can Impact Claims
Clinical neuropsychological assessments can significantly impact claims in several ways. For example, they can be used to:
- Document the presence and severity of cognitive deficits.
- Identify the cognitive deficits of a specific condition or event used to develop a treatment plan or determine capacity in areas such as decision making or work performance.
- Track the progression of a disease or the effectiveness of treatment.
- Assist other medical specialists, such as a Neurosurgeon or Neurologist in assessing permanent impairment by providing the required data to calculate a rating.
- Provide expert opinion in legal proceedings.
Want to know when to choose a clinical neuropsychologist for your matter, how they can be used to support claims, and the benefits of obtaining their medical opinion?
Then contact Red Health today to learn more about our advisory services and how we can help you assist you.