I recently met with the Neuropsychologist to receive there results of my Neuropsych Evaluation. (As mentioned in an earlier post a neurological evaluation is the administration of neuropsychological tests for the formal assessment of cognitive functioning. Aspects of cognitive functioning that are assessed typically include orientation, new-learning/memory, intelligence, language, visuoperception, and executive-functioning.”1)
Getting the results was a Good News/Bad News scenario.
The Good News was that they identified parts of my brain that are not functioning well. The Bad News is that they identified parts of my brain that are not functioning well!
I mean, being told how my brain is currently operating at a suboptimal level is no fun – thus the bad news. But it is a huge relief to finally KNOW! To finally have a qualitative and even quantitative assessment; to have some solid information on not only what is not working but also some guidance on what I need to do to work around the weak areas. Already I can see an improvement because of the knowledge I gained.
“So, what isn’t working as well as before?” you ask.
I vowed when I started this blog that I was not going to hold back and worry about what people think so even though this is hard I am going to write about it. In fact, I am going to quote some of the report:
Current neuropsychological assessment indicates that Emerson has a number of areas of significant weakness in the presence of very high intellectual functioning. These deficits include initial verbal learning (though with repetition, her memory function is quite good), attention, speeded visual spatial tracking, facile shifting of rules, inhibition of well learned responses and working memory. However, several more areas of functioning were performed much more poorly than would be expected. These included visual spatial memory, problem solving, and [on the spot] generation of ideas.
…Emerson’s pattern of neuropsychological functioning is entirely consistent with multiple head injuries. It is not uncommon for cognitive deficits to persist for many years after an injury. Therefore it is likely that Jane will continue to show improvement in functioning.
The doc went on to talk about what I will need, at the moment, in a work environment . . . but sadly, I have run out of time! I will come back to this topic when I can!
FOOTNOTES:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuropsychological_assessment
