Willow Trees Psychological Services
828 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028
P: 650-851-8789
F: 650-851-5988
info@willowtrees.org

For the Medical Provider

Neuropsychological evaluation can be a critical aspect of diagnostic clarification for medical providers. It can reveal problems that are undetectable in traditional imaging (such as Alzheimer's Disease or ADHD), and can clarify psychological diagnosis in a way that clinical interview sometimes cannot capture. This kind of diagnostic assistance can be especially helpful to neurologists, psychiatrists and gerontologists, who may be trying to clarify a neurological or psychiatric condition.

For example, a psychiatrist referred a patient who reported classic signs of ADHD, but who also was in recovery from a long history of alcohol and drug abuse. There was a concern both about diagnostic accuracy, but also about potential for patient malingering or drug seeking behavior. Neuropsychological testing revealed appropriate and honest effort and attentional impairment secondary to Dysthymia, Bipolar II disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In this case, having objectively measured data to support clinical findings increased the psychiatrist's confidence in the accuracy of the patient's self-report and also led to a more aggressive program of medication for mood stabilization and anxiety.

If you think you might have a need for neuropsychological evaluations or would like to discuss specifics about a case, please contact my office to set up a brief 15 minute call to talk about your practice's needs or about a specific patient you might want to refer. I strongly believe in the value that active communication among treating providers can bring to our shared patients.