Neuropsychology

The Benton Neuropsychology Clinic in the Department of Neurology provides comprehensive neuropsychological assessments of patients with known or suspected brain dysfunction or psychological conditions. The clinic is staffed by board-certified clinical neuropsychologists.

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For requests:

1-800-777-8442

For Neurology related requests:: 1-319-356-2572

For Neurosurgery related requests:: 1-319-356-2237

Patients are generally referred when there is a question of impairment in cognitive, emotional, or psychological functioning that requires specialized assessment to assist in diagnosis and management or treatment. Differentiating neurological from psychological causes of cognitive and behavioral dysfunction is also a common referral question.

The goal of neuropsychological assessment is to quantify the various factors comprising cognitive function (intellectual ability, memory, attention, visuospatial/visuoconstructional abilities, speech and language, executive functioning) and psychological function (emotion, personality, behavior) that may impact daily functioning and contribute to a patient’s or caregiver’s concerns. Neuropsychological assessment is helpful in identifying possible causes of cognitive difficulties and provides the basis for recommendations for management and treatment.

Neurpyschological functioning infographic

With information gathered during the neuropsychological evaluation, we are able to provide a detailed, comprehensive picture of a patient’s cognitive and behavioral functioning. This information allows for diagnosis of common cognitive disorders such as dementia or mild cognitive impairment and assists in diagnostic determination of specific etiologies.

Recommendations and guidelines pertaining to the practical implications of findings are provided (for example, ability to work, live independently, drive, manage finances or medications, make independent or complex decisions, and other routine and complex activities of daily living).

Additionally, we routinely recommend a variety of interventions that are specifically geared toward supporting and enhancing a patient’s neuropsychological functioning. A common example is a recommendation for our neuropsychological rehabilitation service, for which we are able to provide individualized suggestions for treatment. This clinic is staffed by one of our board-certified neuropsychologists and a licensed mental health counselor specializing in cognitive rehabilitation.

Why Choose Us?

We have an outstanding clinical staff of licensed and board-certified clinical neuropsychologists, residents, technicians, and graduate students and a long history of providing high quality neuropsychological services.

The Benton Neuropsychology Clinic serves approximately 2,000 patients per year with specialized diagnostic and rehabilitation services.
We carry on a strong tradition of neuropsychological assessment that dates to the 1950s and the early work of Arthur L. Benton, PhD, one of the founders of the field. We continue to be leaders in the field of neuropsychology to this day.
Many neuropsychological tests that now enjoy widespread clinical utilization have been developed here.
A wide variety of neuropsychological services are provided, ranging from brief consultations that may take no longer than a half hour to comprehensive evaluations that may take up to eight hours of test administration.
Referral sources are located throughout University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, including the departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Family Medicine. We also receive many referrals from outside sources from around the state and throughout the Midwest.
We are often a site for second opinion evaluations from other major hospital systems throughout the region.