Shanna Cooper, PhD, ABPP-CN; Director

For more information, please contact: 503-494-6176

Location: Sam Jackson Hall, 6th Floor, via elevator C
Parking: Physician's Pavilion Clinic
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm
Fax: 503-418-5320

The OHSU Adult Neuropsychology Clinic provides comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations for adults (aged 18+) with suspected cognitive dysfunction.

What is neuropsychology?
Neuropsychology is a specialty field of clinical psychology. Neuropsychologists are licensed clinical psychologists with additional training and expertise in brain-behavior relationships.

Why would someone see a neuropsychologist?
Adults are often referred for neuropsychological evaluations due to difficulties in thinking skills and how their thinking and behavior interact. These difficulties may be secondary to psychiatric disorders and/or may involve neurological conditions, such as the effects of a brain tumor, toxic/metabolic condition, epilepsy, head injuries, aging, multiple sclerosis, medication effects, etc.

A typical neuropsychological evaluation may assess any/all of the following:

• General intellect
• Attention
• Processing speed
• Language skills
• Visual-spatial skills
• Motor functioning
• Learning and memory
• Problem-solving
• Cognitive organization and planning
• Cognitive flexibility
• Emotional functioning

The OHSU Adult Neuropsychology Clinic does not assess for primary autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or learning disorders.

What happens during a neuropsychological evaluation?
Comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations typically take 3-5+ hours. It is not always possible to estimate how long an appointment will be as the appointment itself changes as the day progresses.

Evaluations typically include an interview with the patient (a loved one may be present during this portion), where questions about thinking, emotions, and background are asked. The bulk of the appointment is the cognitive testing (only the patient will be present in the room with the evaluators). During cognitive testing, a patient is asked to read, draw, remember, solve puzzles, and respond to questions.

After the patient is dismissed the neuropsychologist scores the tests and questionnaires, reviews the patient’s medical chart, and synthesizes the information into a report. A few weeks after the evaluation, this information, which may include a diagnosis and treatment recommendations, is reviewed with the patient during a feedback session, which is usually virtual in nature (loved ones are encouraged to participate, with approval from the patient).