Clinical neuropsychology

Clinical neuropsychology is a branch of psychology that deals with the diagnosis, evaluation and rehabilitation of patients with alterations in cognitive functions; the clinical neuropsychologist also deals with all emotional and behavioural aspects related to the different neurological conditions and the support of family members of patients with such pathologies.

It deals specifically with neurological patients with outcomes of cranial traumas, vascular diseases such as stroke, brain tumours, dementia, epilepsy, as well as a broad spectrum of developmental disorders such as attention deficits, cognitive delays, learning disorders, and autism. It also deals with any situation that has implications on the person’s cognitive functions, such as subjective memory disorders, concentration and attention issues in studies or daily working life.

NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION

Memory disorders in aging

When one does not seem to remember quite as well as before, names or phone numbers, future appointments, or where things have been stored.

Attention and concentration disorders

In everyday life: when one seems to no longer have the same concentration as in the past, or one can no longer handle all the information that one would usually keep in mind.

Developmental disorders

Such as cognitive delays, attention deficits, learning disabilities, and others.

Enhancement of cognitive strategies

When one wants to keep one’s mind fit or improve learning and memory strategies.

Enhancement of different skills

Enhancement of focus, reasoning and attention skills in studies, sports and high-cognitive situations.

Fibromyalgia

The term fibromyalgia indicates precisely the pain that affects the muscles and fibrous connective structures (tendons and ligaments).

Brain tumours

Brain tumors are cancers that affect the central nervous system, therefore the whole of the brain, medulla oblongata and cerebellum.

Migraines

Headache or headache refers to pain in any part of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of various pathologies.

Assisting a person suffering from the above described pathologies

When assisting a person suffering from the diseases described above and you need targeted psychological support, specific information on the diseases, learn strategies to manage your stress and the care load.

Depressive and psychiatric syndromes

In depressive and psychiatric syndromes with strong cognitive impairment.

Vascular diseases

Following vascular diseases, of ischemic or haemorrhagic origin such as stroke, rupture of aneurysms or vasculopathies, which may have damaged some cognitive functions.

Cranial traumas

Following cranial traumas of any entity.

Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis

Following neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis: to assess the onset of cognitive deficits.

Dementias

Dementias are neurodegenerative diseases of the brain, which usually arise in old age (but there are exceptions) causing a progressive decline in a person’s cognitive faculties.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a central nervous system disease (neurological disorder) in which the activity of nerve cells in the brain stops causing seizures, periods of unusual behavior, and sometimes loss of consciousness.

REHABILITATION PROTOCOL

STAGES OF THE NEUROPSYCHOLOGIC REHABILITATION PROTOCOL:

Patient care

Total patient care and screening, with the possible referral to members of the multidisciplinary team for complementary diagnostic insights.

Test evaluation

In-depth test evaluation: provides for standardized battery administration for a neuropsychological diagnosis and in-depth reporting.

Rehabilitation plan

Set up of a personalized rehabilitation plan and sharing of the objectives.

Treatment

Neuropsychological treatment: rehabilitation sessions using printed tools, computerized aid and transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for cognitive ability enhancement.

TDCS

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive and painless procedure, without side effects, in which weak electrical currents (0.5-2 mA) are used to stimulate specific median brain areas used in cognitive processes. This technique, through the flow of current from one electrode to the other, modifies the membrane potential of neurons thus making the stimulated area more or less excitable. International scientific literature has shown that repetitive treatment with tDCS positively affects deficits by enhancing the effects of a classical rehabilitation without producing side effects and with significant benefits to a person’s quality of life.

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PATHOLOGIES TREATED

Pathologies currently treated with tDCS:

Attention and executive function disorders (working memory, programming and inhibition difficulties)
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Stroke with motor impairment
Pain and fibromyalgia
Migraine

Information