Neuropsychological Evaluations for Long-Term Disability A neuropsychological evaluation helps to document the severity and nature of long-term disability of a cognitive or psychological nature. The evaluation is comprehensive and provides objective data regarding your cognitive abilities. Cognitive dysfunction manifests differently depending on a person’s medical or psychological condition. Some conditions that cause cognitive dysfunction include Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Stroke, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Brain Tumor, Lyme Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Parkinson’s Disease, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, severe depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders. What does neuropsychological testing reveal? Neuropsychological testing objectively measures the different cognitive domains in which your impairment manifests, such as processing speed, learning and memory, verbal skills, attention, and executive functioning. IQ testing and tests of emotional/psychological functioning are performed in addition to validity/effort testing, which demonstrates the reliability of the results. What does the evaluation entail? The neuropsychologist will administer a series of computer and paper/pencil tests and collect objective raw data bases on your performance. The neuropsychologist will review and interpret the raw data and integrate results from each cognitive domain with clinical observations and your medical history. The neuropsychologist may also seek your permission to speak with a close family member to elicit their observations regarding your cognitive, physical, and emotional functioning. The evaluation is typically performed over the course of one to two days. What are the takeaways or outcomes from neuropsychological assessments? Neuropsychological testing provides the insurance company objective evidence as to why you are having problems with task productivity, careless mistakes at work, meeting deadlines, recalling procedures, sustaining attention, listening in meetings, comprehending auditory and printed information, solving problems, analyzing information, organization, managing stress, and managing activities of daily living. The results will be shared with your attorney and may also indicate a need for further treatment (e.g., psychiatric treatment or psychotherapy) or additional testing and evaluations (e.g., diagnostic imaging of the brain). What are the advantages of including a neuropsychological evaluation as part of your long term disability claim? Insurance companies may require you to undergo testing with one of their own independent neuropsychologists if you are claiming that your disability is related to cognitive symptoms. The insurance company’s neuropsychologist is far from independent since they are getting paid by the insurance company and they are incentivized to find that your cognitive deficits are not severe or not present at all. Generally, an objective neuropsychologist who is not affiliated with the insurance company is likely to provide more reliable results.
