HOW DO I SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT?
Please call 1-800-291-1644 to schedule an appointment or have your physician send a referral to 1-210-855-3988.
HOW DO I PREPARE FOR MY APPOINTMENT?
Completing the forms below will save time during your appointment
HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
Acknowledgement of Privacy Practices HIPAA Signature Form
General Informed Consent
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a Neuropsychologist?
Neuropsychologists are experts on the different parts of the brain resposible for your thinking abilities (i.e., cognition) and psychological functioning. Training to become a neuropsychologist includes obtaining a doctorate in psychology and completing additional training in neurocognitive assessment, including a 2-year specialty fellowship in neuropsychology after earning a doctoral degree.
What are Neuropsychological Tests like?
Neuropsychological tests are administered on computers, tablets, and paper. They are not invasive and do not involve attaching you to wires or using scanners.
Do I need to do anything before my appointment?
You do not need to do anything before your appointment except get a good night sleep, take your regular medications, and eat a good meal. If you use glasses, hearing aids, or other assistive devices, then be sure to bring those to your examination. To reduce the amount of time necessary to complete your evaluation, it would also be helpful if you completed the forms on this page.
What can a Neuropsychological Assessment tell me?
Neuropsychological assessments use scientific tests to measure how the different areas and networks in the brain are working. Certain diseases and injuries affect the brain in particular ways that can be seen on neuropsychological tests. Information gathered from tests is then used to make diagnoses and offer treatment recommendtions. Neuropsychological assessments are usually requested in the following situations:
– You or your care providers are concerned about a disease that may affect your thinking abilities. Such diseases include dementias (e.g., Alzheimer disease, frontotemporal dementia), movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson disease, Huntington disease), and epilepsy.
-Damage to the brain has occured and you or your care providers want to know how the damage is affecting your various thinking abilities, and what can be done to treat cognitive or psychological problems. Common causes of brain damage include traumatic brain injury, stroke, anoxic brain injury, or tumor resections.
How long does a Neuropsychologial Assessment take?
Assessments typically last 4 hours, but that time can change depending on the questions that you and your care providers ask. Unlike brain scans and blood work, Neuropsychological Tests take time to complete in order to get an accurate picture of your brain’s functioning with regard to thinking abilities. Your brain is a wonderful and complicated thing and it takes time to accurately assess its functioning.
What happens after my Neuropsychological Evaluation?
One the day of your evaluation, Dr. O’Rourke can frequently can provide you with initial conclusions based on the test results. After that, each individual test must be analyzed and interpreted based on your unique medical, personal, and social history. A report is then provided to the person or agency (frequently a physician or a hospital) who referred you for the neuropsychological evaluation. If you provide a written request, you will also receive a copy of the neuropsychological evaluation report. Often times, your referring physician will go over the results of the evaluation with you. Additionally, you can schedule an appointment with Dr. O’Rourke to obtain more deatiled feedback about your neuropsychological functioning, or to ask questions about your neuropsychological report.