Neuropsychology Services

UPMC's neuropsychology experts provide comprehensive care for memory, behavior, and cognitive problems that are related to neurological conditions.

Find the Right Care For You

What Is Neuropsychology?

Neuropsychology is a specialized field of psychology that studies how conditions of the brain affect thinking, emotions, and behavior.

What does a neuropsychologist do? 

Neuropsychologists test individuals with neurological conditions to diagnose problems with thinking, emotions, and behavior, and develop personalized treatment plans to manage symptoms.

What Conditions Do We Treat?

Our neuropsychology experts provide compassionate, personalized care for a full range of conditions that affect the way your brain functions, including: 

• Alzheimer's disease — A type of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that damages the nerve cells in the brain.
• Autoimmune disorders — Conditions where the immune system can mistakenly attack the central nervous system, causing thinking and behavior difficulties.
• Brain injuries — We care for people with stroke, traumatic brain injuries, and other conditions that cause damage to brain cells.
• Dementia — A broad term that describes loss of memory, language, and thinking abilities that affects daily functioning.
• Epilepsy — A brain disorder that causes repeated, unpredictable seizures, generally beginning in childhood or early adulthood.
• Parkinson’s disease — A movement disorder that affects the parts of your brain that control motor function (body movement).
• Post-concussion — Cognitive and memory symptoms that appear after a concussion.

Who’s Eligible for Neuropsychology Services?

You may be eligible for neuropsychology services if you are diagnosed with a neurological condition that affects thinking, memory, mood, or behavior. 

Why would I be referred to a neuropsychologist?

You may be referred to a neuropsychologist for comprehensive testing that helps you understand, manage, and treat cognitive symptoms related to a neurological disorder.

What is the difference between a psychologist and a neuropsychologist?

Clinical psychologists are trained to provide treatment for mental health conditions. Neuropsychologists are specialty-trained clinical psychologists who are experts in how brain function affects behavior and administer specialized tests to assess thinking, memory, and attention.

What Neuropsychology Services Do We Offer?

We offer a full range of neuropsychology services, including:

Neuropsychological testing

Our neuropsychology specialists offer a full range of neuropsychological tests to diagnose how well your brain is working, including tests for:

• Attention/processing speed.
• Language skills.
• Memory.
• Mood and emotions.
• Motor functioning.
• Organization/planning/reasoning.
• Visuospatial skills.

Presurgical neuropsychological evaluation 

Neurosurgery neuropsychologists offer presurgical neuropsychological evaluations for people who are having neurosurgical procedures, such as deep brain stimulation, intrathecal morphine pump implantation, spinal cord stimulator implantation, and more.

Neuropsychological treatment planning

Our neuropsychologists collaborate with neurorehabilitation experts to develop comprehensive treatment plans that maintain or improve cognitive function.

What Can I Expect?

Our neuropsychologists will perform a complete assessment to evaluate several areas of brain function, including memory, cognitive ability, emotions, problem-solving, and reasoning.

After you receive the results of your assessment, your neuropsychologist will work closely with you and your neurologist to develop a care plan that may include medication or rehabilitation therapy.

Why Choose UPMC for Neuropsychology Services?

When you choose UPMC for neuropsychology care, you will receive: 

• Access to expert providers — At UPMC, our team includes board-certified neuropsychologists who diagnose a full range of cognitive conditions.
• Comprehensive care — We are committed to helping you manage the physical, emotional, and cognitive aspects of your neurological disorder and go above and beyond to provide comprehensive, patient-centered neurological care.
• Advanced treatment options — We offer the most advanced treatment options and work closely with other health care providers to coordinate your care and connect you with the additional services you need.