Neuropsychological Testing
 

I have been recommended to receive neuropsychological testing for months from many, many medical professionals.

My HMO has denied the coverage of this testing stating it's not medically necessary. I just saw my neurologist today and she is going to appeal their decision. If the HMO denies it again I am going to file a complaint with the state board of insurance.

I am not functioning at the level that I did before the auto accident where I acquired mTBI in the summer of 2010. I'm still not even functioning at 50% of the level where I was before the accident.



Does anyone here have experience with neuropsychological testing?

Can anyone tell me what to expect?



I've read some online sources about it and what it proves, but I'd love to hear some people's first-hand accounts of it.



Thanks!

I have had three NP Assessments done.

A NeuroPsych Assessment can be a great tool for defining your residual and persistent dysfunctions. A proper battery of NP tests for mTBI should take a minimum of a few hours to as much as a whole day. It will give a wide range of results.

It will measure:
Reaction time
memory broken down into
Short and Immediate Auditory memory
Short and Immediate Visual memory
Total working memory
Executive functioning
Word recognition and recall
Ability to multi-task
Ability to switch or alternate tasks
Intelligence Quotients broken into a few different categories
Emotional/psychological self assessment
Digit span (the number of items or ideas that can be stored and processed at the same time)

It is well worth the effort to get it done.

Most suggest the Halstead-Reitan battery as the best for diagnosing mTBI issues.

It is designed to push you to see where your brain fails or falters. There is no need to prepare for it. The best results are achieved when you are at the same level of rest and function as any other day.

If your HMO will not cover it, check to see if your auto insurance company will cover it under Medical Coverage. If you are a Kaiser patient, I would not put a lot of trust in the results. Kaiser's Neuro-Psychs can leave something to be desired. It is also a very difficult department to get into.

Drop me a note privately if you want some more info. I have a few personal issues to mention.

My best to you.

I had a car wreck April 2010. 1st Neuropych test October 2010 was about 5 hours long. 2nd test April 2011 2-3 hours as it retested the things I did below average.

I couldn't have drove myself home afterwards because my brain was so exhausted. Actually I was pretty much non-functional for several days afterwards.

Don't prepare. Just approach it as a normal (as normal as they get) day. That's where the true results will come in.

I'm sure my test results and that doctor's records are what made the car wreck insurance agree to 100% payout and receiving disability so fast (2 1/2 months from time of application with no attorney).

Many health insurance companies code neuropsych testing under mental illness coding which is incorrect when it's due to a physical injury. Most health insurance requires pre-approval regardless.

Make sure it's being coded under medical-closed head injury. The standard universal medical code is 294.9 for physical head injuries.

Neuropsych testing is extremely expensive, averaging between 10 and 15 thousand, so health insurance companies are stringent about approving it.

I've had three, one for each insurance company involved, my health, my auto, and the at fault driver's insurance. Two were six hours and one was two eight hour sessions...All were mentally exhausting for me...I "crashed" for a few days after each one. I don't drive right now, but even if I could have, I wouldn't have been able to due to mental fatigue afterward.

:icon_exclaim: DON'T HESITATE to take breaks, have a snack, take a lunch break and have plenty to drink. Wear something really comfortable and take a list of any meds you're taking along with the dosages. If you have issues with headaches when reading or concentrating, take an analgesic with you and don't forget reading glasses if you need them.

Also, try not to stress out if you don't know the answer to something during testing, just say, "I don't know". It's a perfectly acceptable answer.