A neuropsychologist is a doctoral-level psychologist who specializes in understanding how the brain affects thinking, memory, attention, behavior, emotions, and everyday functioning. Unlike a medical doctor, a neuropsychologist typically does not prescribe medication or order imaging such as CT or MRI scans. Instead, they use in-depth interviews and several hours of specialized testing to evaluate patterns of cognitive performance and determine how neurological injury or illness may be affecting a person’s ability to function over time.

As Dr. Hertza puts it, neuropsychological testing allows clinicians to “test drive the brain”, looking beyond how someone performs for a few minutes and examining how they sustain attention, process information, remember, problem-solve, and manage tasks that more closely reflect the demands of everyday life.

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