When Will I Recover From My Stroke or Brain Illness?

Neuropsychological Assessment Can Help

Illnesses and injuries that affect the brain can be confusing. Be it stroke, an encephalitis condition, or even brain fog following COVID, it can be challenging to understand the effects on a person’s thinking abilities or to know when and how much they may recover. This is where neuropsychological assessment can be beneficial. A comprehensive assessment can establish a person’s area of cognitive difficulties, but also their strengths. This helps in providing treatment recommendations, learning compensation strategies, and in clarifying the best ways to cope.

A knowledgeable neuropsychologist also understands the normal course of recovery for conditions such as stroke and brain illnesses. As a result they can help a client know what to expect about their course of recovery, how long the process can take, and what actions can help support recovery and coping. Specific areas of focus can include examining a person’s ability to return to driving or helping establish a plan for successfully returning to work.

Neuropsychological Assessment can benefit:

  • autoimmune conditions

  • brain tumors

  • cerebrovascular disease

  • thyroid conditions

  • anoxic and hypoxic injury

  • stroke and transient ischemic attacks

  • brain fog or fatigue

  • encephalopathy related to medical conditions

  • normal pressure hydrocephalus

  • infectious forms of encephalitis, inc. Herpes or West Nile

What Are the Common Symptoms Experienced In the Weeks After a Brain Illness or Stroke?

Explore This and What You Can Do to Support Your Brain

Many brain conditions have common shared symptoms, such as becoming easily fatigued or having memory lapses. Neuropsychology becomes important in describing these challenges and helping the client improve or learn to cope with them. For example, there are many different types of memory problems, and there can different strategies for addressing each. A clinical neuropsychologist with experience in acute rehabilitation can help.

Here at Insight Neuropsychology, Dr. Lande has a background of having trained in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Where He was then the neuropsychologist for Rehabilitation Institute at Santa Barbara (RISB), an independent acute rehabilitation hospital, where he treated patients with conditions that included stroke, brain injuries, tumors, and other illnesses for a number of years before starting Insight Neuropsychology. His team of psychologists at Insight Neuropsychology are experts in these issues.

If you are concerned about changes in your ability to think, to remember, or to concentrate, it is important to seek professional help.

Click below to see common effects of a stroke or brain illness, as well as information about the process of neuropsychological assessment.

    • Memory problems

    • Word finding difficulty or trouble understanding others

    • Trouble focusing

    • Difficulty with reasoning

    • Judgment changes

    • Mood changes

    • Slurred speech

    • Physical coordination changes

    • Agitation

    • Visuospatial problems

    • Sleep difficulties

    • Loss of physical coordination

    If you or your loved one experience these difficulties and are interested in evaluation and support, call us at (805) 988-6197 to discuss whether or not a neuropsychological assessment might be an appropriate way to address your concerns.

  • • An assessment of your thinking skills, including a clinical interview and examination of your attention, speed of information processing, executive functions, learning and memory, language skills, and visuospatial skills.

    • It assists with diagnosis and provides a clear picture of your general strengths and weaknesses and the changes that can occur as a result of brain injury or illness.

    • It provides in-depth, patient-friendly reports reviewed with you.

  • In most cases, insurance will reimburse for neuropsychological assessment. It is important to check with your particular insurance provider to verify this.

    At Insight Neuropsychology we are Medicare providers. Please note, Medicare does not require a physician referral to make an appointment.

 

Contact Us at (805) 988-6197 or

info@insightneuropsychology.com

We serve Ventura, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara Counties, with offices in each location.

Our Camarillo Office

1200 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 245

Camarillo, CA 93010