Your Visit

During a Consultation

The first time you come to the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, you will meet with a cognitive neurologist. The doctor will ask you about the symptoms you are experiencing, talk with you about how you sustained your injury and the difficulties you are having, and how well you are doing with work, school and leisure activities. The doctor also will review the results of any tests and interventions you have already had. Talking with you and reviewing your test results gives the doctor a good sense of how your injury has affected your everyday life. The goal is to help you regain the ability to do the things you like and want to do to the greatest extent possible.

Neurological Exam

The doctor will also perform a neurological examination, including a cognitive assessment, to get an idea of how your injury has affected the function of various parts of your brain. Based on that history and examination a referral to Neuropsychology may be requested.

The neuropsychologist uses standardized tests to identify strengths and weaknesses of very specific cognitive functions, such as attention, memory, information- processing, and others.

What to Expect

For patients with mild injury, the assessment used in our program is designed to be as focused as possible on the most common problems seen after concussion. There are also assessments of emotional function to aid in understanding the psychological effects of an injury. The results of all tests will be explained to you in detail to help you understand what you can do right away to help with your recovery. You will also receive informational brochures that explain the symptoms you are experiencing and some methods for managing the symptoms, and the information in the brochure will be reviewed and explained.

For patients with severe injury, the neuropsychological evaluation is more detailed so that you and your doctor have a wealth of information to help you understand your symptoms and come up with a plan to enhance your recovery. The findings of the evaluation will be reviewed with you, and you will have the opportunity to discuss implications for recovery and for independence, employment, school, driving — whatever issues in recovery you might be facing.