-
What is a cognitive assessment?
A cognitive assessment is a series of tests and procedures used to evaluate a person’s cognitive abilities, which refer to their mental skills for processing, storing, and using information. These abilities include:
- Learning
- Memory
- Thinking
- Reasoning
- Memory
- Problem-solving
- Decision making
- Attention
- Language
Numerous factors can affect our cognitive functioning. These include age, medical conditions, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and dementia, chronic substance use, sleep deprivation, stress, poor nutrition, and genetics. A cognitive assessment is a useful way to understand more about the way we utilise these abilities and to identify any difficulties in these everyday processes.
-
What are the types of cognitive assessments?
There are many different types of cognitive assessments, such as achievement, intelligence, and aptitude tests. The specific tests and procedures used depend on the age and abilities of the person being assessed. The most common type is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), which is designed to measure a person’s general cognitive ability or intelligence quotient (IQ). The WAIS consists of a series of verbal and performance tasks to measure various cognitive abilities, including verbal comprehension, perceptual organization, working memory, and processing speed.
At the Private Therapy Clinic, the WAIS is our cognitive assessment of choice, as it has been thoroughly researched and validated over the past several decades, and is considered to be a reliable and valid measure of cognitive functioning.
-
What are cognitive assessments helpful for?
Cognitive assessments are mainly used to help diagnose a variety of conditions that can affect cognitive function, such as dementia, ADHD, and learning disabilities. They can also be used to assess brain injury or measure the effects of treatment for cognitive conditions. Additionally, they are useful in developing a treatment plan to support these difficulties. In a clinical setting, cognitive assessments can help diagnose and treat cognitive impairments or disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease or traumatic brain injury. In an educational setting, cognitive assessments can help identify learning disabilities and help offer individualized support to students.
-
Can children undergo a cognitive assessment?
Yes! The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is a cognitive ability test used to assess children aged 6 to 16. The test consists of several short assessments that measure different types of cognitive functioning, including perceptual reasoning, verbal comprehension, working memory, and processing speed.
-
Who administers a cognitive assessment?
Our cognitive assessments are administered by our neuropsychologist, Dr Letizia de Mori. The typical process of the assessment can look like this:
- Gathering background information: This may involve reviewing your medical history, educational records, and other relevant information.
- Administering cognitive tests: This will involve administering standardized tests, such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), or more informal tests and activities, such as puzzles and memory games.
- Evaluating the results: The test results are typically used to produce an IQ score. The results may also be used to identify specific areas of strength and difficulty, and to develop a treatment plan or recommendations for further evaluation or support (e.g. dyslexia, ADHD, etc).
- Providing feedback: You will be provided with feedback on the results of the assessment and any recommendations for further evaluation or support.
-
What are the costs?
Fee: £750
If you would like to talk to someone about a cognitive assessment in London, please get in touch with the Private Therapy Clinic on Whatsapp message at: +447511116565 email, chat bot or book online to arrange an appointment.
-
References
Abdelhamid, G. S. M., Bassiouni, M. G. A., & Gómez-Benito, J. (2021). Assessing Cognitive Abilities Using the WAIS-IV: An Item Response Theory Approach. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(13), 6835. Link
Cambridge cognition. (2015, August 19). What Is Cognition & Cognitive Behaviour – Cambridge Cognition. Cambridgecognition.com. Link
Kim, M., & Park, J. M. (2017). Factors affecting cognitive function according to gender in community-dwelling elderly individuals. Epidemiology and health, 39, e2017054. Link
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children | Cognitive development. (n.d.). Www.ndcs.org.uk. Link