May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and one thing many people who are recovering from stroke and their loved ones don’t know is that neuropsychological assessment can be beneficial as part of stroke recovery. At Northern Psychological Assessment Center, we’ve seen the dramatic results that are possible during stroke recovery when individuals and their medical support teams have the detailed information that will be uncovered during neuropsychological assessment. In this blog, we’re seeking to increase awareness about the importance of neuropsychological assessment as part of the stroke recovery process and talk through some of the basic details about how neuropsychological assessments benefit individuals as they recover from a stroke. If you’ve found this blog because you or loved one have suffered a stroke, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team to learn more.
What Type of Assessment May Be Recommended After a Stroke?
Following a stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), seizure, discovery of certain tumors, or specific medical or mental health diagnoses, neuropsychological assessments may be recommended. These comprehensive assessments include thorough testing batteries that offer evaluations of a person’s abilities and aptitudes across a variety of settings, including:
- Attention
- Cognitive function
- Intelligence
- Memory
- Ability to solve problems
- Verbal and non-verbal reasoning
- Motor skills
- Language skills
- Executive, sensory, and emotional functioning skills
- Processing speeds
These assessments may be recommended shortly after a stroke occurs in order to utilize the results as a baseline that can then be compared throughout the ongoing stroke treatment and recovery processes to gauge progress. In other cases, neuropsychological assessments are recommended by physicians at certain milestones in stroke recovery. An assessment psychologist should work alongside the individual’s medical care providers to develop an assessment schedule that most benefits the individual’s needs.
How Does Neuropsychological Assessment Benefit People During Stroke Recovery?
There are numerous reasons why a physician may recommend neuropsychological assessment following a stroke, including benefits to the individual like:
- Better results from treatment plans, which can more closely target areas of struggle pinpointed by assessment
- Revelation of common cooccurring conditions like post-stroke apathy or depression that can then be effectively treated
- Uncovering impact to memory, cognition, intelligence, and other aptitudes or abilities that may not be clear through observation or self-reporting alone
- Helping to reveal aptitudes that can ensure individuals recovering from stroke set goals for therapy and treatment that will challenge them to achieve specific goals
- Analyzing changes in behavior or cognition that may be indicative of underlying concerns that need to be addressed
Ready to Schedule a Neuropsychological Assessment?
Whether you’ve been referred to our office directly after a stroke or you’re curious to learn more about how a past injury or current condition may still be impacting you, don’t put it off even a day longer. The Northern Colorado Assessment Center team is here to support you to make every step of the process simple. That starts with making it easy to get started working with our team. You can call our office at (970) 465-2977, email admin@nocoassessmentcenter.com, or complete our secure contact form.
