The latest case study
Korsakoffs Syndrome
Penny, aged 58, lives in her own property supported and supervised by 24 hour carers. She suffered severe cognitive impairment secondary to Korsakoffs syndrome in 1996 following a long history of alcohol misuse and depression. Since her illness, Penny suffered with severe amnesia accompanied by emotional lability associated with refusal of medication/food and verbal aggression. Penny also demonstrated reduced awareness of her difficulties. She experienced notable fatigue following activity but had great difficulty monitoring this herself, signi... more
Frequently Asked Questions - Child Neuropsychology
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How do I know if I or my child needs to see a Neur
You or your child might be ‘referred’ by a health/social care or educational professional (e.g. case manager, GP, nurse specialist, occupational therapist or medical consultant), after experiencing a neurological event or illness. Following referral, a first appointment is usually offered to undertake an assessment to determine if further more detailed assessment, specific advice, support, treatment or follow-up is appropriate. You can also ‘self refer’ by contacting us and requesting an appointment although it is often very helpful to be referred by a professional who is also familiar with your medical history and current situation.
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Who will I or my child see?
You or your child will be seen by a Clinical Psychologist with specialist training in and experience of neuropsychology assessment and rehabilitation/treatment with children, adolescents and families. (These Clinical Psychologists are often called Child Neuropsychologists). They will be registered with the Health Professions Council.
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What will happen at the appointment?
If you agree to the assessment, the Neuropsychologist will assess you or your child, often in some detail. This is likely to involve finding out the background to the difficulties, talking about their thoughts/feelings about the difficulties and how the difficulties might be interfering with everyday life, in terms of relationships, education and your day-to-day functioning. It might also involve observation in certain day to day settings, discussion with other family members and completing formal psychometric tests or questionnaires relating to the difficulties.
The initial appointment is likely to take around 1½ hours but you will be advised on this prior to the appointment.
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What will happen after this appointment?
By the end of the assessment a plan of action will be agreed about what options might be available. These might include:
• Further assessment clarifying, in more detail, the difficulties that the child is experiencing e.g. a longer, more in-depth ‘cognitive’ assessment.
• Recommendations for further appointments to explore the psychological difficulties and find ways of helping. This might include the use of specific psychological treatments including cognitive rehabilitation, cognitive-behavioural therapy, interpersonal therapy and family based treatments.
• Practical recommendations/advice to help cope with changes and risks. With your permission, this work might include other professionals involved in your child’s care/rehabilitation.
• Preparation of a letter/report to the referrer which you can request a copy of. -
Could I get this service on the NHS?
There are usually Neuropsychologists in your local NHS Trust but your home address will determine what public services are available to you/your child, where they are based and waiting times etc. You can often check this with your GP, Medical Consultant or we can investigate where you might find out this information.
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Will my health insurance cover this assessment and
Health Insurance policies are very different in the level of cover provided. Some policies also specify conditions that need to be met in order for cover to be granted. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have clarified this with your insurer before confirming any appointment offered.