Trueblood Neuropsychology

If you or a loved one has been referred for a neuropsychological evaluation, you may have questions about the process. Please review the information below for a more detailed description of what to expect, and some helpful tips for preparing for your neuropsychological evaluation. Please reach out to our office with any additional questions or concerns.

As of May 26, 2020

Dr. Trueblood resumed conducting neuropsychological evaluations after a hiatus of over two months that was

necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Main points are as follows:

I will be doing some neuropsychological evaluations in person and some remotely; the latter is also known as “teleneuropsychological evaluation,” and involves me administering neurocognitive tests to a person while they remain in their own home. In-person neuropsychological evaluation is preferred, because it is more thorough, due to some neurocognitive tests not being amenable to remote administration. 

Safety issues: We will be implementing extensive procedures to minimize the risk, for our patients and ourselves (my office manager and me), of exposure to Covid-19 when people come to our office. These pertain, for example, to cleaning/sanitizing and social distancing. 

• How long is a Neuropsychological evaluation?
  • Typically an entire evaluation is approximately 3-4 hours. Each case is unique and this is just a rough estimate.
• What should I do to prepare for my evaluation? 
  • Try to get a good nights rest to prepare for your evaluation.
  • Take any prescribed medications as normal.
  • Bring / wear any glasses, contacts or corrective eye-ware.
  • Eat a good breakfast / lunch before arriving and feel free to bring a light snack and water. 
  • Try not to worry going into your evaluation, lengthy appointments can trigger anxiety or feel stressful which is normal and understandable. 
• Will my insurance cover my evaluation / appointment?
  • Most insurance providers cover neuropsychological evaluations. Please click here for more insurance information
  • Our office will make every effort to assist you in confirming your insurance coverage before you appointment, but it is your (the patient) responsibility to know your own insurance benefit coverage. You as ultimately responsible for the entirety of your bill. 

Still have more questions? Please contact our office.

A basic description of a neuropsychological evaluation is that it involves the following:

1. Interview:  Dr. Trueblood will ask you about your medical history, schooling and other ares.

2. Testing: Dr. Trueblood will present to you measures of all the main types of thinking that our brains do, including learning, memory, concentration and problem- solving.

3. Feedback: After testing is complete, Dr. Trueblood will give you preliminary impressions about the results and treatment options. Questions pertaining to those preliminary impressions  will be welcomed and encouraged.

The total time for the evaluation is generally about 4 hours; so usually the entire evaluation can be done in a full morning or afternoon. The length does vary from person to person.

Testing can be done in shorter sessions and / or broken up over multiple days. 

There are no invasive procedures; no electrodes, needles or brain scans.

There is nothing painful or physically strenuous.

Testing usually involves no reading or writing and very little math.

Breaks are welcomed wherever needed.

Most of us do not like taking tests, and some people really dislike tests or have anxiety around tests/ testing. Our goal is that you feel as relaxed as possible. When the evaluation is finished, most people feel that it was less stressful than originally thought.

Dr. Trueblood only does neuropsychological evaluations on individuals who are 16 years or older.