neuropsych

Hi Jude,

What they test for will depend on what's worrying you.  Never had any pain tests so can't help with that.  I was tested for cognitive and memory function several times. They were checking my ability to return to office work. The tests are crazy silly, but sort of fun too.  Mine were mostly problem solving and memory stuff. converting from visual to verbal, explaining what is out of place in a picture, doing mazes, replicating patterns, repeating/remembering lists of words, with and without context (One of the hardest for me was them reading a list of words and then reading a paragraph of text and then repeating the list of words and you had to say whether or not that word had been used in the paragraph.)  They test how fast you do stuff and whether you learn from mistakes, also how much it changes between the beginning and end of the session, to look for things like fatigue impacts.  So don't be surprised it they repeat some tests.  It is sort of exhausting, so make sure you have a plan for getting home afterward.

Once you've had your assessment there are some computer based learning/training programs you can use to work on the problems.  I used Lumosity for about 8 months.  But you are better off doing the first assessment without doing the training stuff, so you get a real picture of where you are at.

-Heather

Hi Jude,

Good question. Here are some good links to information on what a neuropsychological assessment involves. Heather has also given you a good personal experience as well. They will mostly look at your thinking, memory, planning, problem solving skills. It can vary in how long it takes depending on your fatigue levels and how long it takes to complete tasks. I believe costs also vary.

http://synapse.org.au/get-the-facts/neuropsychological-assessments-fact-sheet.aspx

http://neurotreatment.com.au/services/neuropsychological-assessment-service.aspx

In terms of the pain you may need to see a pain specialist team for this. There are usually pain management clinics at all major hospitals in capital cities depending on where you live.

Here are some good links to pain resources:

http://www.painaustralia.org.au/consumers/pain-clinics.html

https://www.strokefoundation.com.au/about-stroke/help-after-stroke/stroke-resources-and-fact-sheets/pain-management-after-stroke-fact-sheet

The neuropsychologist, an occupational therapist or speech pathologist can also work with you in terms of ongoing cognitive retraining depending on where your challenges lie. You could speak to the neuropsychologist about this. There are also some great brain retraining programs as Heather has mentioned. Another one popular with stroke survivors is Brain HQ, however they have subscribers fees if you want access to more than the free activities. It helps track your progress, however working with a therapy team is strongly advised if you can so your program is tailored to your needs and you get ongoing guidance.

http://www.brainhq.com/

Please don't hesitate to call us on StrokeLine to discuss further if you have more questions on 1800 787 653 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm EST).

Best wishes,

Simone (Occupational Therapist for StrokeLine)

I almost forgot - if you haven't already there is a great resource under the brain and cognition section on here.

http://enableme.org.au/resources/brain-and-cognitive

http://enableme.org.au/IFrame?url=http://brainlink.blob.core.windows.net/assets/uploads/files/ABI%20Kit%20PDFs/Neuropsych_Assessment.pdf&returnUrl=http://enableme.org.au/resources/brain-and-cognitive

Simone

Hi Simone just had time to read that resource sheet.  I wish I'd had that before my assesments were done.

Thank you for your help Heather,  and for the links Simone very helpful. doesnt seem so daunting now.

Jude

Hi Jude,  Glad I was able to help.  Treat it as fun and it'll be easier.  Don't dwell on anything that you can't do right now.  With all this it can be improved with practice, not necessarily quickly, that will depend on your particular stroke and abilities.  The neurophysch  will also talk to you about coping mechanisms.  Things like lists and diaries are your friends on this journey, don't be scared/ashamed to use them where you need to. 

-Heather

My pleasure Heather and Jude. :-)

Yes definitely treat the assessment as fun Jude - the testing isn't there to make you feel bad. It is to give you and the team you're working with a good baseline of where you are at so you're aware of your strengths and can keep building on any challenges you might be experiencing.