Neuropsychology
The Neuropsychology clinic at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital is the busiest adult-focused neuropsychology service in Colorado and specializes in the assessment of brain-behavior relationships and cognitive functioning in patients with a wide variety of neurosurgical and neurological conditions.
What is neuropsychology?
Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology that looks at how the brain influences behavior, mood, and thinking skills through structured and standardized testing. During a neuropsychological evaluation, scores are collected and compared to standardized baseline datasets from individuals in the same age range with the same level of education to establish a profile of a patient's cognitive strengths and weaknesses across many areas.
If a patient's evaluation scores are low, the neuropsychology team then looks at the pattern of those deficits to identify a neurobehavioral diagnosis that is likely causing the chief complaints. The neuropsychologist then makes recommendations to the patient's care team.
Patients may be referred for a neuropsychological evaluation if they are experiencing changes in memory, speech, attention, or behavior. A patient may also be referred for a neuropsychological evaluation after a serious brain injury or stroke, or if a neurological condition is present including movement disorders, seizure disorders, or multiple sclerosis.
The board-certified neuropsychologists work in conjunction with several multidisciplinary treatment teams and clinics at the University of Colorado Hospital, including deep brain stimulation, neuro seizure, the Behavioral Neurology Clinic, the Concussion Clinic, and the UCHealth Stroke & Brain Aneurysm Center.
Neuropsychology Research & Community Engagement
The neuropsychologists in the neurosurgery department are actively engaged in neuropsychology research on campus. Recently, faculty members published research findings on the utility of performance validity measures in different neurological/neurosurgical populations. Faculty members also consult on a variety of grant funded projects, including research studies evaluating multiple sclerosis and concussion in older adults.
In addition to clinical services and research endeavors on campus, neuropsychology faculty participate in a variety of service endeavors at the national and state level, including the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology, and the Colorado Neuropsychological Society. Faculty also support local events for community disease-specific organizations and serve on local boards and committees.
Neuropsychology Fellowship
The neuropsychology faculty offer a full-time, two-year neuropsychology postdoctoral fellowship. The exclusively adult-focused fellowship program involves primarily clinical and didactic activities with a minor emphasis in clinical research. The program is designed to help neuropsychology fellows develop clinical competency and prepares them for the board certification in clinical neuropsychology examination.
Our Team
Neuropsychology Faculty
