Neuropsych assessment
 

Hi all,

I took a neuropsych assessment and wanted to share my results with you all. I was hoping for some feedback and some strategies I can use to improve. To give a little backround, I was brutally assaulted a year and 2 months ago. I've struggled mainly with memory (short + long term) retention, memory loss, struggling with finding words, and dizziness and noise sensitivity. I had pre existing anxiety problems and slight depression.

high average - better than 75% of ppl in same background
average - middle of 50% of the population
low average - better than 10-25% of individuals
mildly impaired - 3-10% of individuals
moderately impaired - 1-3% of individuals
severely impaired - worse than 99% of individuals

My results:
-low average semantic fluency
-average reading speed
-average ability to copy a complex design
-average auditory selective attention
-high average divided attention
-low average simply visual scanning speed
-average complex scanning speed
-average psychomotor processing speed
-moderately impaired oralmotor processing speed
-average auditory learning and memory
-average to low average recall after delays
-average recognition memory
-modrately impaired recall of a complex design
-severely impaired recognition for the component of th elements of the design (poor recall of specific details)
-mildly impaired verbal initiation
-average executive skils
-challenges with apahthy and difficulty maintaining focus
-moderately impaired coordination with his dominant right hand
-mildly impaired coordination for his left hand
-high degree of depression and helplesness

...let me know your thoughts. Thanks & god bless

Hello and welcome to NT.

To put things in perspective, would you care to give us some indication of your premorbid function? For example, what did you do for a living? If you were an editor, for example, testing average in language skills might be unexpectedly low.

It sounds like you have plenty of opportunity to be successful. Many of us get a lot done with much less. There are plenty of coping skills, work-around and other accommodations you can learn and use to overcome your weaknesses.

I was a student/working part time as a sales rep with an insurance company. Before the incident, I was much more outgoing and could speak articulately very effortlessly. Nowadays, it is a struggle to find the correct words (especially when I am tired) and I consistently mangle words. for example, yesterday I wanted to talk about portland, but ended up saying "poregon" somehow. I currently work as a claims adjuster with a big insurer. Honestly speaking, it is a struggle for me to really think hard about things. I also struggle with explanation.

Issues with speech are quite common after TBI. It sounds like you are struggling with aphasia and/or apraxia. In either case, you should ask your doctor if you would benefit from speech therapy.

A speech language pathologist could also work with you on Attention Processing Training (APT) to help improve your focus and concentration.

You may want to be examined by a neuro-optomologist to see if you might require any therapies related to vision issues.

While evidence is growing that the injured brain can continue to improve indefinitely, it would appear that cognitive therapies are most efficacious in the first two years post injury.

As a person who benefited enormously from therapy, I believe in advocating for treatment, not simply waiting to see how much one improves spontaneously.

anybody else have anything to add? I must say, it is VERY debilitating to go through life with a constant headache. It is not as if it comes and go when I am tired...the headache is there all the time. constant. very frustrating.

i know you don't want to hear this answer but maybe seeing another doctor about the headaches is in order. it is 9 years for me (don't panic, i have had multiple and unusual head injuries) and i jus recently found a doctor who helped me sleep better. So it pays to keep looking.

[moderately impaired coordination with his dominant right hand
-mildly impaired coordination for his left hand]

Was there some neck/chest/shoulder injury also?

I'm assuming you had imaging of cervical spine and no issues there that might the cause arm/hand problems.

Are you on any medications like statins for high cholesterol?
I had many odd visual, dizzy, cognitive symptoms when on Lipitor for a year...:(
stopped it and they went away..
Family members are on other statins and report no problems.. but I am holding off taking any..

i got a neck x-ray done a few weeks ago...didn't get a call from my doc, so i assume everything was okay..the arm/hand problems are VERY peculiar to say the least...considering i was an elite athlete my entire life in basketball and soccer, it really does not make sense to me. the only medication I use is citalopram (celexa).

Unfortunately, standard imaging of the cervical spine may not show the subtle injuries that can cause symptoms. The shoulder can also cause hand tingling.

The only real tingling I have is in my right ear. It is periodic throughout the day, whenever I conciously pay attention to it, or focus very intensely.

I think it's good advice to have your neck examined THOROUGHLY.

A punch can snap the head back sufficiently to cause whiplash.

not sure if this is legitimate or not, but I have a feeling that a lot of my head issues/constant headaches & fatigue are really just anxiety. I was always extremely anxious, but since my concussion, I am even moreso. All day I think about negative events or things about myself. This cannot be good.

What did the neuropsychologist say about your anxiety?

The summary of the report was that, for the most part, I was generally pretty average cognitively. He referenced that anxiety and depression may be a cause for a whole wack of symptoms.

I get excessive brain fog after working from about 8am - 100pm. I am trying to discern whether this is a normal feeling or my brain just easily gets overworked. It is so frustrating because I have had these symptoms for more than a year and it never really gets better. Does anyone have any input?

Did you mean to say you are working 14 hour days ? That can easily cause brain fog/fatigue.

... I got a neuropsych assessment and I got none of those tests. I'm confused now.

Soak, there are many different batteries of tests they can use. What kind of tests did you take?

I talked for 1 hour, then filled in a questionaire for 1.5 hours.

Thats not really a neuropsych. Sounds like a personality test to see if you present phobias, anxiety, depression or other psychological effects.

What was the final results after doing this?

Results said depression, but the report says it was... wait, it says psychometric test. I don't understand. I'm going to have to ask about this... did the doctor do the wrong test?

Sorry for confusing you, I need to clear this up with my lawyer etc. He told me clearly it was for neuropsych...

It may have been an MMPI-II (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory II) test. It has 500 plus multiple choice questions. It can indicate depression when a more accurate diagnosis would be mTBI. Do you have any notes that talk about 'scales' ?

Mark, I took that test for my weight loss surgery prep. I guess I passed it. is that the right word? haven't gotten surgery yet anyway.