When the brain suffers injury or impairment, the lives of the individual and all his or her loved ones are significantly affected.

Today we have a much better understanding of the relationships between medical, neurological, and psychological problems.

Neuropsychology is the science of the relationship between brain function and  behavior. It is a specialty area within Clinical Psychology, and it includes evaluating, diagnosing, and treating disorders of the central nervous system — usually the brain and the spinal cord.  By evaluating brain functions and by focusing on changes in thinking, emotion, and behavior, a Clinical Neuropsychologist can help individuals, family members, and treatment teams to understand and create treatment plans, and achieve results that neither neurology nor psychology alone can achieve.

Clinical neuropsychologists receive training as clinical psychologists, and they also have specialty training in diagnosing the various complex disorders that affect the brain. Some neuropsychologists, such as Dr. Morris, also treat patients to help them adjust to the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes they experience as the result of a brain injury or disorder.

Jeri Morris, Ph.D., has been practicing neuropsychology for 26 years, and is highly respected as a researcher and therapist (read her full professional credentials here). If you or a loved one is suffering from brain injury or impairment, a consultation with Dr. Morris may lead to greater understanding and better decision-making for all of you.

The brain can be impaired by a variety of things, from serious injury, to illness and infection, to genetics. These impairments can show up in many ways, including behavioral problems, delayed development, memory issues, and social challenges. In many cases, these problems need to be treated both psychologically and physically in order to achieve the best results. Clinical neuropsychologists are licensed psychologists who have gone on to acquire additional education and licensing in how behavior and abilities are influenced by physical brain health.

The clinical neuropsychologist evaluates brain function through testing the patient’s memory and thinking skills, and then uses the information gained in the tests to create a highly detailed assessment of the patient’s brain function. While it is possible for individuals from other professions, such as clinical and school psychologists, to administer the various tests a clinical neuropsychologist uses, administering the tests simply isn’t enough. A clinical neuropsychologist is highly trained in interpreting the results of those tests, including a thorough understanding of brain anatomy, medical conditions, and neurological conditions that affect behavior and thinking.

That information is used to make recommendations to other medical providers and therapists for the patient’s health care treatments. Neurologists, neurosurgeons, epileptologists, psychiatrists, and clinicians practicing in rehabilitation settings routinely consult with Neuropsychology for both diagnostic evaluations and long-term care.

While many different conditions are assessed and diagnosed using Neuropsychology, some of the most common include:

• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Concussion
• Attention Deficit Disorders
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Down Syndrome and other Chromosome Abnormalities
• Learning Disabilities
• Tumors and other “space occupying” lesions
• Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of Dementia
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
• Genetic Disorders
• Cerebral Vascular Accidents
• Genetic Disorders
• Hypoxic/Anoxic Conditions

The goal of a neuropsychology assessment is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s cognitive capabilities and emotional function. This information is used to make a diagnosis, and to work with other care providers to provide optimal medical treatment, to obtain services for the patient, to determine whether or not the patient is ready to return to work, and to help make important decisions about the individual’s ability to continue to live independently, to drive, or to manage important life tasks such as financial and personal affairs.

The clinical neuropsychologist will spend time with the patient evaluating the following things:

• General intellect, and the ability to concentrate
• Problem-solving, reasoning, and planning skills
• Mood, emotional development, and personality development
• Memory and the ability to learn new information
• Social skill development
• Language and reading skills
• The ability to tell where objects are in space, perceive objects in the environment, and mentally imagine an object that is not present
• Motor skills and sensory skills

Depending on the reason for the evaluation and what the patient is experiencing, the clinical neuropsychologist may spend more time evaluating some of these things than others.

A neuropsychological assessment includes both an extensive interview and some testing. The clinical neuropsychologist is highly trained in asking the right questions and testing specific behaviors, and the answers and test results are used to develop a diagnosis.

With Dr. Morris, you will discuss your symptoms, medical history and medications, and how things are going in your life. You will take a variety of tests, some with pencil and some on the computer. These aren’t tests like in school, where getting a good grade is the goal. These are tests designed to help the neuropsychologist identify issues that are causing you problems, so there’s no pass/fail – only good information for the clinical neuropsychologist to use in making a diagnosis.

The amount of time you will spend in your assessment depends on your symptoms and concerns. Most people find the assessment process very interesting, and it’s comforting to know that the information gained in the process will be used to help you get better care and treatment. 

In most cases, patients are referred for clinical neuropsychological testing when the patient or doctor observe changes in memory or thinking ability. Because these changes could be medical, neurological, genetic, or psychological, the help of a clinical neuropsychologist is needed to isolate the cause.  In other cases, parents are referred to clinical neuropsychologists to assess a child’s behavioral, learning, social, or mood issues in order to create an effective treatment plan.

Extensive study in the area of brain science has led to better understanding of how the brain’s functioning is often a complex relationship between medical, psychological, and neurological processes. The clinical neuropsychologist serves as your bridge between psychology and medicine, ensuring that your diagnosis and treatment are as holistic and effective as possible.