UCSD Neuropsychological Associates is an assessment program directed and operated by the Department of Psychiatry of the UCSD School of Medicine. The program offers neuropsychological testing services for the evaluation of a broad range of cognitive and behaviorial disturbances resulting from brain dysfunction.
The specific function of neuropsychology is psychometric evaluation of brain-behavior relationships as they relate to attention, verbal ability, learning and memory, spatial organization, initiation of behavior, abstract thinking, and other higher-level cognitive abilities.
Services
Some of the services offered by UCSD Neuropsychology Associates are:
- Evaluation of cognitive capacity for specific patient groups:
- elderly patients with memory problems
- head injury patients
- stroke victims, or patients with other neurological disorders
- patients with substance abuse problems
- Determination of baseline mental function in conditions that may be improving or worsening:
- before initiating treatment programs
- when progressive dementia is suspected
- before neurosurgery
- Establishing the impact of brain injuries or disorders on patient’s everyday functioning:
- vocational implications
- independent living
- compensation strategies
Advantages
Assessments by UCSD Neuropsychological Associates not only describe the patient’s current abilities with reference to other people in the population with his/her education, age, gender and ethnic background, but also with respect to how those abilities translate into real-life employment and life management potentials.
Different test batteries have been developed to respond to specific referral questions arising from diverse patient populations, ranging from closed head injuries to Alzheimer’s disease, as well as to document cognitive changes occurring during the course of disease or treatment. Many of our neuropsychologists are board certified, a further assurance to consumers of the quality and professionalism of the evaluations they received.
Research-based assessments ensure that all tests, methods, and scoring procedures are uniform and precise, and that conclusions drawn from test results will be substantiated and reliable.
Staff
The neuropsychologists in our program are well-know clinician-scientists, respected in the academic and clinical communities.
Dean C. Delis, PhD. ABPP
Professor of Psychiatry, Director
UCSD School of Medicine
Mark Bondi, PhD, ABPP
Professor of Psychiatry, Co-Director
UCSD School of Medicine
J. Vincent Filoteo, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry, Co-Director
UCSD School of Medicine
Robert K. Heaton, Ph.D., ABPP
Professor of Psychiatry
UCSD School of Medicine
Amy Jak, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
UCSD School of Medicine
Carrie McDonald, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
UCSD School of Medicine
Fees
Test batteries of differing lengths are used in our assessment, dependent upon the nature of the referral. All require several hours of testing, scoring and interpretation. Although not inexpensive, our service is committed to keeping cost reasonable and below the price of most comparable community-based services. In addition, many insurance companies cover either all or a substantial portion of the cost of assessment, if policy provisions such as pre-authorization are met.
Referring a Patient
Patients can access the services of UCSD Neuropsychological Associates by referral from their treating physician.
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Phone (858) 534-1213.
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FAX referral information to (858) 822-5269, marked to our attention.
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Please include information about how to contact the patient and why he/she is being referred.
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Our current testing location is in La Jolla only.
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Testing generally begins at 9 a.m. and is over by 4:30 p.m., with a 30 to 45-minute lunch break.
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An effort is made to have the reports in the hands of referring parties within 10 working days from the date of the testing appointment.