Cognitive & Psychological Testing

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ased on the patient’s presentation, the physicians at Missouri Brain & Spine may recommend neuropsychological testing. Neuropsychological evaluations are standardized tests that assess how one’s brain functions, which indirectly yields information about the structural and functional integrity of your brain, in the presence or absence of injury. Testing evaluates the functioning in a number of areas including: intelligence, executive functions (such as planning, abstraction, conceptualization), attention, memory, language, perception, sensorimotor functions, motivation, mood state and emotion, quality of life, and personality styles, all of which can be impacted by head injury, degenerative disease, and metabolic disorders.

Although individual scores are important, we compare this data against the results from the entire evaluation to determine a pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses and, in turn, to understand more about how the brain is functioning. Once a diagnosis has been established, an individualized treatment program is designed to address the deficits observed in the examination, restore the patient’s function, and allow the return to important life activities. Throughout the treatment plan, objective data is collected, analyzed and compared against baseline data and regular interim progress evaluations. This continuous check-and-balance system affords us the ability to refine an individual’s program for the best long term prognosis.

Purpose of Neuropsychological Testing

  • Assist in a differential diagnosis (e.g., to determine whether possible cognitive and behavioral changes are related to a traumatic brain injury (TBI), movement disorder, depression, another brain disease).
  • Provide a baseline against which subsequent evaluations can be compared. Thereby allowing our physicians to adjust and/or modify your individualized treatment program as necessary to improve outcome measures.
  • Reveal areas of brain functioning with which the patient may need assistance, as well as indicate rehabilitation potential. This will allow our physicians to decide which cognitive, behavior, and physical therapies our patient would benefit.

Testing for Children

Missouri Brain & Spine improves the quality of life for children with neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families through innovative and comprehensive programs. Our mission is to encourage children with developmental, behavioral and learning disabilities to recognize and successfully meet their potential.

Prior to any testing, you will meet with one of our certified psychological examiners and/or educational diagnosticians to review your child’s educational history. Afterwards, your child will participate in a standardized educational assessment to establish a baseline level (age and grade) of academic understanding and processing ability. Domains tested include, but are not limited to: reading (comprehension and fluency), spelling, oral and written language, mathematics (calculations, fluency, application), as well as academic knowledge and fluency. Based on your child’s scores, additional testing may be recommended to help pinpoint areas of cognitive deficits.

Once these scores, and the data compiled from our other testing is reviewed, our team will create a progressive and specialized treatment program to address the deficits revealed in the evaluations.

Our Patients

Address

141 Chesterfield Business Parkway
Chesterfield, Missouri 63005

Phone

Phone: (636) 778-4300
Fax: (636) 898-6918