Newly renovated office space in Bloomfield Hills!
Dr. Karaca's Bloomfield location is now open after renovation. She is still seeing clients at her Commerce location as well. Please call today to schedule an appointment or for more information!
Services include psychological and neuropsychological evaluations, as well as therapy, for children and adults.
What is Neuropsychological Testing?
To help understand what neuropsychological testing is and how it can benefit our clients, Dr. Karaca answered the follow questions:
What is Neuropsychology? Neuropsychology studies the structure and function of the brain as they relate to specific psychological processes and behaviors. It is concerned with understanding relationships between the human brain, behavior, and the mind; and applying this understanding to the assessment, clinical management, and rehabilitation of persons with neurological disease and injury. Mind includes both conscious and unconscious mental contents and processes, and involves both cognition (e.g., attention, perception, memory, language, thought, mental imagery) and emotion.
How does this differ from Neurology? The function of a neurologist is significantly different from that of a neuropsychologist. The neurologist's expertise lies in diagnosing and treating the structural and physiological consequences of brain injuries and neurological illnesses. In contrast, neuropsychologists assess the effects of brain injuries and illnesses on cognition and behavior; they are experts in assessing functional capacities. Many patients need both neurological and neuropsychological work-ups.
What is a Neuropsychological Evaluation? A comprehensive assessment of cognitive and behavioral functions using a set of standardized tests and procedures. Various mental functions are assessed. Neuropsychological evaluation is critical for understanding which brain functions are impaired and which remain intact, as well as for examining the effects of any brain injury or neuropathy on logical processes that a person may have experienced.
How does it differ from a Neuropsychological Screening? A neuropsychological examination explores in depth an individual’s performance in a wide range of functional domains. A neuropsychological screening examination is a considerably abbreviated version that looks at only key sensitive areas of function. A screening may involve gathering history, behavioral observations and testing memory and current level of intellectual functioning. A screening helps assess the probability of brain dysfunction.
When is Neuropsychological Testing needed? It is recommended for any case in which brain-based impairment in cognitive function or behavior is suspected. Examples include: Traumatic brain injuries or acquired injuries; assessing significant cognitive impairments, impact of potential dementing conditions (e.g., Alzheimer’s), impact of neurological diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s), medical illnesses or treatment (e.g., Tumors, Multiple Sclerosis), exposure to toxins or chronic substance abuse (e.g. in utero), possible brain damage, seizure disorders, strokes, and children who are not achieving appropriate developmental milestones.
What does Neuropsychological Testing evaluate? Intellectual functioning, basic and complex attention, executive functions, learning and memory, receptive and productive language abilities, visual spatial processing and perception, motor and sensory skills, and motivation.
How many appointments will it take to complete the exam? It depends. The first appointment is one hour for the initial interview and intake. Assessments usually require between four to eight hours of testing, which can be broken down several ways across multiple appointments. Finally, there is a one hour appointment for the results.