Psychological Testing
Memory, Dementia and Cognitive Evaluations
Neuropsychological testing for memory change, dementia and Alzheimer's questions, traumatic brain injury and cognitive decline.
When memory changes
Families usually call when something has shifted: a parent repeating stories, missing bills, getting lost on a familiar drive. Sometimes the person notices first and is frightened by it.
A neuropsychological evaluation measures memory, attention, language and problem solving against what is expected for age, and helps sort normal aging from something that needs medical follow-up.
Reasons for an evaluation
- Memory complaints or confusion
- Questions about dementia or Alzheimer's disease
- A traumatic brain injury
- Changes in thinking after illness or surgery
- A baseline before changes progress
- Planning for safety, work or driving
What happens
- 1.
Interview
A clinical interview with Dr. Jenna Turner, done remotely.
- 2.
Testing
The person comes in to the office for the testing, given by our psychometrician, Shelby Taylor.
- 3.
Interpretation and report
Dr. Turner interprets the results and writes the report.
- 4.
Feedback
Dr. Turner meets with them for a feedback session to review the results, and they get a copy of the report.
Paced for older adults
Testing is paced with breaks, and family members are welcome at the interview and feedback. The written report is designed to go straight to your physician or neurologist.
Questions
Is this covered by Medicare?
Our psychological testing is private pay. Call for pricing.
Does this replace a visit to a neurologist?
No. It adds information your physician can use alongside medical tests.
Normal aging or something more
Everyone forgets a name now and then. Concern grows when forgetting starts to affect daily life: paying bills, managing medications, cooking, driving or keeping appointments. A careful evaluation compares current thinking to what is expected for age and education and looks at patterns that point to specific causes.
Mood can also affect memory. Depression, grief, poor sleep and medication side effects can all look like early dementia, and those causes are often treatable.
How families can help
A family member who knows the person well can describe changes the person may not notice. With permission, we invite that person to the interview and the feedback session. Bring a list of medications, recent medical records and any brain imaging reports.
Related pages
Talk with us about an evaluation
Call 832-876-3232 to ask about scheduling.