Primary Treatments and Services
Neuropsychology Testing
Bridge Medical provides comprehensive neuropsychological assessments, treatments, and support for adults and children who struggle with cognitive deficits. Neuropsychology is a subspecialty of clinical psychology that is focused on understanding the brain–behavior relationship. It seeks to uncover the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional difficulties that can result from known or suspected brain dysfunction. Neuropsychological evaluation consists of a comprehensive examination of cognitive and behavioral functioning. Evaluations comprise measures that are standardized, scored objectively, and have established psychometric properties. Bridge Medical’s neuropsychological evaluation includes a clinical interview with the patient, a collateral interview with caregivers/family, and a thorough review of relevant medical records. The evaluation is administered by paper/pencil and computer-based assessments, which measure the patient’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses. The assessments focus on the following areas of cognition:
• Intelligence
• Attention
• Executive Functioning
• Working Memory
• Speed of Processing
• Learning and Memory
• Visual Special Skills
• Fine Motor Skills
Using the assessment results, Bridge Medical provides a report to the referring physician that includes a cognitive profile, detailed recommendations, objective information about the patient’s functioning, and any cognitive training recommended to improve functioning. Bridge Medical also offers neuropsychological re-evaluation, which effectively measures improvement associated with the cognitive treatment and determines if further treatment is warranted.
Cognitive Rehabilitation
Bridge Medical’s approach to cognitive rehabilitation is restorative in nature. Based upon an analysis of the functions assessed through the neuropsychological evaluation, Bridge Medical makes a determination as to the cognitive strengths and weaknesses presented by the patient and designs a program of intervention or treatment plan. Cognitive rehabilitation is based on the principle of neuroplasticity, meaning that the human brain is not a static organ but capable of physical change. These changes can occur through neural pathways and synapses after exposure to enriched environments. Cognitive remediation provides such an enriched environment.
Bridge Medical offers cognitive treatment that consists of exercises through the use of computer software based on a number of theoretical models of cognitive functions, such as attention, memory and executive function. The parameters usually monitored in the cognitive rehabilitation interventions used at Bridge Medical include reaction time, level of exercise difficulty, average number of correct responses, and average number of incorrect responses, among others. The proportion of successes in any session is closely monitored by our trained therapists. The overall purpose is to restore, reinforce, compensate and teach compensatory strategies in order to reach optimal cognitive improvement.