A neuropsychologist is a clinical psychologist with additional training in the relationship between medical conditions and cognitive function. In addition to doctoral-level education in general psychology, neuropsychologists complete additional training in physical and neurological development across the lifespan.
Depending upon the presenting concerns, a neuropsychological evaluation can cover a variety of areas, including:
- basic verbal and visuospatial processing
- general intelligence
- ability to learn and remember information
- ability to maintain attention
- cognitive flexibility and problem-solving
- processing speed and efficiency
- academic achievement
- emotional status and behavior
Although other disciplines may examine similar areas and may use the same measures, a neuropsychologist has specific expertise in the interpretation test results in order to better understand simple to complex cognitive processing. In addition, in-depth knowledge of test design and administration as well as human behavior allows a neuropsychologist to better interpret scores obtained during testing as well as the ability to closely monitor cognition over time. Neuropsychologists also combine objective test data with other sources of information (e.g., medical records, reports from other individuals) in order to obtain a thorough understanding of the individual.