The Ohio State Neuropsychology Service is specialized in neuropsychological assessment of adults and geriatric patients with a range of conditions that can impact cognition, such as autoimmune, neurovascular, genetic and neurodevelopmental disorders, among many others.
The neuropsychologists at Ohio State work closely with other providers at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and the Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute to promote positive patient outcomes by providing a transdisciplinary approach that emphasizes problem solving to best assist our patients. This is done through regular communication between providers as well as through team meetings, research and training.
Referrals and scheduling
What is required to make a referral?
Insurance companies require a physician referral in order to cover neuropsychological assessments. Insurance companies are more likely to provide coverage when the referral specifies the suspected nature and severity of the cognitive impairment. A good example of a referral is: This patient is experiencing significant memory changes. Please evaluate for dementia.
What is the referral and scheduling process?
If you are a provider within The Ohio State University system, a referral can be sent via the electronic medical record via Ambulatory Referral to Neuropsychology. Please specify Ohio State Harding Hospital for our service.
If you are a provider outside the Ohio State system, please fax a referral and recent medical records (including any diagnostic results, such as neuroimaging or lab results) to Ohio State Wexner Medical Center Central Scheduling at 614-293-1456.
Whom should I contact for questions about referrals or scheduling?
Questions may be directed to our scheduling team at 614-293-9600.
About our services
Clinical neuropsychology is a recognized doctoral-level specialty involving the assessment of cognitive, emotional and behavioral health in the context of a range of neurological, neuropsychiatric and medical conditions or pre/postsurgical or other interventions. Neuropsychology is defined by training that conforms to specialty-delineated standards across doctoral, residency and fellowship levels. This includes coursework, clinical training and research spanning psychology, behavior, and intervention and assessment techniques coupled with neuroscience, neurology, structural and functional neuroanatomy, neuroimaging and diagnostic techniques, and pharmacology.
Neuropsychological assessment involves the collection, interpretation and integration of objective and subjective test data collected through standardized measures and clinical interviews with the patient and/or caregiver(s). Test batteries are tailored to address your referral needs and may assess mental status, intellectual functioning, academic skills, language, memory, spatial/constructional ability, motor abilities, processing speed, attention/concentration, reasoning/problem-solving, mood and personality, and behavioral health. Our assessments are typically completed within one day, and a comprehensive report with detailed recommendations follows within about two weeks.
Patients and their needs are not unidimensional. A neuropsychological assessment can help to inform or deepen the clarity of clinical conceptualization, treatment planning and case management. More specifically, a referral for neuropsychological assessment could aid with:
Differential Diagnosis: Neuropsychological assessment can help to determine the presence, nature and severity of neurocognitive dysfunction in light of the patient’s emotional functioning, behavioral health and social contexts.
Clinical Correlation: Neuropsychological assessment can provide clinical data that can be considered against the findings of other neurodiagnostic studies requested by the treating physician. Neuropsychological test results can be more sensitive than neuroimaging results in some cases and map more readily onto everyday functioning.
Longitudinal Monitoring: An initial assessment is helpful to establish a patient’s baseline, with repeat evaluation being helpful in identifying changes in cognitive, emotional and behavioral health over time. This type of evaluation process is most helpful for medical conditions commonly associated with progressive cognitive decline (e.g., multiple sclerosis).
Care Planning: Neuropsychological assessment reports can include detailed recommendations to guide decision-making, disability determination, and identification of pertinent accommodations/resources for treatment, academic, occupational, and other domains when relevant. This includes the determination of capacity for independent functioning in daily living, school, and work.
Additional services available
Our service is part of The Ohio State University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, a transdisciplinary clinical department designed to meet the unique, multifaceted needs of our patients and their families. While not all services in our clinic will be appropriate for every patient, our program fosters integrated and collaborative care. Additional services include:
The OSU Neuropsychology Cognitive Remediation clinic provides individually tailored treatment protocol developed from evidence-based cognitive-behavioral interventions for patients who are eligible to participate in this intervention. Specifically, cognitive remediation refers to behavioral interventions aimed at improving cognition in individuals who have experienced a decline in cognitive functioning. These interventions are administered over multiple sessions and involve a range of activities including general mental activity, guided practice on cognitively demanding tasks, and use of internal or external strategies.
The OSU Geropsychology Service provides evidence-based, individual psychotherapy for adults ages 55 and older on a variety of clinical issues such as depression, anxiety, adjustment to chronic illnesses, the stress of caregiving, and grief and loss.
A primary goal of neuropsychiatry is to provide medication management for psychiatric symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, hallucinations) that can occur in the context of neurologic conditions.
Our Providers
Guided by the most up-to-date knowledge on clinical and scholarly best practices, our team of neuropsychologists represents a breadth and depth of knowledge. They have all completed doctoral and residency training at national institutions accredited by the American Psychological Association as well as two-year fellowships in clinical neuropsychology through member programs of the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology.