Neuropsychological testing in Ogden: what it measures and when it’s worth it
A screener can only raise a question. A neuropsychological evaluation measures how your brain is working, so you and your care team know what has changed and what to do next.
People are referred for neuropsychological testing for very different reasons: memory changes in an aging parent, symptoms that linger after a concussion, or a screening result at a medical visit that raised more questions than it answered. A neuropsychological evaluation is designed to answer questions like these.
It is also one of the most misunderstood services we offer. This article explains what the evaluation measures, how it differs from other kinds of testing, who it is for, and what you receive when it is finished. If you are new to testing in general, our overview of what psychological testing is and when you need it is a helpful place to start.
What a neuropsychological evaluation measures
A neuropsychological evaluation looks closely at how well the brain is functioning. Memory, attention, processing speed, language, visual and spatial reasoning, and the planning and organizing skills we call executive functioning are each measured directly, with standardized tasks, rather than estimated from a conversation. Every evaluation is administered and interpreted by one of the licensed psychologists on our team.
"Through neuropsychological testing, there are no scans of your brain, but through the battery of tests that we administer we can identify if there are any cognitive deficits and can actually do a pretty good job of pinpointing the area of the brain where those deficits are occurring."
Dr. Clarissa Gosney, PsyD, licensed psychologist
According to Dr. Clarissa Gosney, a full evaluation at our practice usually takes about six hours, with breaks. You'll work through puzzles, academic tasks, speed tasks, and activities that test working memory and attention. Most of these can't simply be run by a computer. They require careful administration and close attention to behavioral observations, because how someone approaches a task often says as much as the final score.
A 2025 review in Frontiers in Psychology concluded that comprehensive assessment using more than one test in each of five cognitive domains (memory, attention, language, visuospatial function, and executive function) shows superior validity and is recommended as best practice for identifying mild cognitive impairment (source).
Neuropsychological testing is not ADHD testing
This is the mix-up we see most, and it matters, because the two evaluations answer different questions.
An ADHD evaluation is a diagnostic evaluation. It asks whether a lifelong, developmental pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity fits an ADHD diagnosis, and it relies heavily on history going back to childhood.
A neuropsychological evaluation asks something broader: how is this brain working, across every major cognitive domain, and has anything changed? It's the right tool when the concern is an injury, an illness, a possible decline, or a need to document where someone's thinking stands today so it can be compared later.
The same goes for other evaluations. Dr. Clarissa Gosney notes that testing for learning disabilities such as dyslexia, or for developmental conditions such as autism, isn't typically part of a neuropsychological evaluation. Those can be added when the questions call for them.
"Sometimes we get parents asking for a full neuropsychological exam, when dyslexia or autism testing is more appropriate."
Dr. Clarissa Gosney, PsyD, licensed psychologist
That's why every evaluation starts with an intake interview. Based on what comes up, the psychologist may recommend testing for something different than what a family first had in mind, and Dr. Clarissa Gosney says that will always be discussed with the family before testing begins.
If attention or development is the main concern, these posts go deeper: ADHD testing for children in Ogden, ADHD in adults, autism testing for children in Ogden, and autism vs ADHD vs anxiety in kids.
Why a screener isn't a test
Dr. Clarissa Gosney says many callers picture something much simpler: a doctor asking a handful of questions, or a short form on paper, like the screeners they've had at a primary care visit.
Screeners aren't psychological tests, and they aren't validated to make a diagnosis. A positive result on a screener should only be read by a doctor as a reason to ask more questions. It shouldn't be used to diagnose anything, and it can't tell you why a problem is there or what to do about it. That's the gap a full evaluation fills.
"A licensed clinical psychologist is the master diagnostician. Their training is doctoral level, and they are the only ones with access to psychological tests that have been rigorously validated beyond the level of simple screening measures."
Bryce Gosney, PMHNP-BC, psychiatric nurse practitioner
When worry or low mood looks like memory loss
One of the most useful things a neuropsychological evaluation does is separate true cognitive change from the effects of anxiety and depression. Both can make people forgetful and scattered, and from the inside it can feel exactly like something is wrong with your brain.
The difference is often in where attention goes. An anxious person's attention gets pulled inward, toward the worry itself, so information never gets fully taken in. Someone who is depressed may be slowed down and low on effort, which drags scores down unevenly from task to task. A brain injury or a neurological condition tends to leave a different footprint, a more consistent pattern of weakness in specific areas. Depression and dementia in older adults share many features, and telling them apart is a well-studied problem in neuropsychology (source).
Dr. Clarissa Gosney is candid about this in her own reports. When anxiety interfered with testing, she notes that the results may not reflect a person's full functioning. Leaving that caveat out to make results look cleaner, she says, helps nobody.
Sleep can do the same thing. Chronic insomnia leaves many people foggy and forgetful, and our post on how sleep affects your mental health explains why.
Getting that distinction right changes everything that comes next. Memory complaints driven by anxiety or depression usually improve when the mood problem is treated. Our posts on anxiety in adults and depression in teens explain what that treatment looks like. Treating them as decline can send a family down the wrong road entirely.
Who usually gets referred
Dr. Clarissa Gosney describes regular referrals for cognitive changes after a traumatic brain injury, for memory concerns that raise the question of dementia, and for veterans who served in Vietnam, were exposed to Agent Orange, and are now facing conditions like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's dementia.
The VA recognizes Parkinson's disease as associated with Agent Orange exposure, which means eligible veterans don't have to prove the connection to receive VA health care and disability compensation (VA Public Health). A clear picture of cognitive functioning can matter a great deal for those families. If you love a veteran and you've noticed changes, our recent post on veteran mental health in Northern Utah is a good companion read, and our PTSD treatment page covers how we help with the emotional side of service. For more on how therapy helps after trauma, see trauma and PTSD in adults.
For a person recovering from a head injury, a neuropsychological evaluation can do more than describe the damage. A review of its role in brain injury care notes it can help with prognosis, measure recovery over time, and shape rehabilitation strategies (source).
Ski days, trail crashes, and the questions that follow
Living here means a lot of us spend our winters at Snowbasin and Powder Mountain and our summers on mountain bike trails above Ogden. Falls happen. Most concussions resolve well, but some people notice that weeks or months later, reading feels harder, names slip away, or they get mentally tired by early afternoon.
We asked Dr. Clarissa Gosney whether she sees a seasonal pattern of concussion referrals tied to skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking. Her honest answer: the practice hasn't tracked one yet, though she considers the connection plausible.
Recovery really does vary from person to person. A long-term study following people with brain injuries found outcomes five years out ranging from no measurable impairment to severe impairment, with recovery uneven across different cognitive skills (source). If something still feels off after a hard fall, testing can show which skills are affected and which ones are holding strong.
The case for a baseline before retirement
"I highly recommend that anyone close to retirement age get a neuropsychological evaluation completed so that they have a baseline of functioning in case their memory ever does start to deteriorate with age or due to an age-related condition."
Dr. Clarissa Gosney, PsyD, licensed psychologist
Her reasoning is practical. Getting a diagnosis and the right supports requires proof of cognitive decline, and without baseline testing, clinicians can only make an assumption. That's hardest on people with excellent memory or a high IQ. Their decline may show up as perfectly average scores, so it looks like nothing has changed, even when it's a significant drop for them.
In one study of people with multiple sclerosis, a group of patients scored as cognitively intact on standard testing yet still showed deficits relative to their own estimated prior abilities, and those patients tended to have higher premorbid IQ (source). Strong abilities can soften how decline looks on paper.
What you walk away with
When testing is finished, the psychologist scores and interprets everything alongside your history and the behavioral observations from the day. Then you sit down together to go over the findings. You leave with a written report that maps your strengths and the areas that need more support.
Dr. Clarissa Gosney holds that scores are necessary but aren't the point. A good report is a practical tool, written so the family understands it and can confidently share it with the people who help them.
In brain injury rehabilitation, for example, treatment planning begins with a thorough neuropsychological assessment that identifies cognitive strengths and weaknesses and how much ability has changed (source). The same logic applies to memory concerns and changes after illness.
For students, Dallin Hendry, MEd, a doctoral intern from Utah State University, notes that results can point schools toward accommodations matched to a specific profile, such as extra time for slower processing speed or added cues and reminders for working memory challenges. For younger children who need support beyond school, we also offer pediatric therapy and pediatric psychiatry.
Because psychiatry, therapy, and testing sit under one roof at Good Day, your report doesn't have to travel far. With your permission, it can go straight to your therapist or your psychiatric provider, so treatment is built on what the testing actually found. For many people, simply understanding how their own brain works brings real relief. If you are already in therapy and progress feels stuck, our post on how to tell if therapy is working may help.
Getting ready for testing day
You don't need to study, and honestly, you can't. These tasks are designed so that preparation doesn't change the results. What does help is showing up as your ordinary self. Get a normal night of sleep, eat breakfast, and bring your glasses or hearing aids if you use them. Pack a snack and a water bottle for the breaks.
Try not to treat it like an exam you have to ace. The goal isn't a perfect score; it's an accurate one. Nobody is expected to know every answer, and the psychologist will explain each task as you go.
Dr. Clarissa Gosney also wants people to know that every test is normed on the responses of real people, and that tests include validity measures that flag inconsistent effort. The best thing you can do is simply answer honestly and do your genuine best.
Signs it may be time to ask
- Memory or thinking changes that a screener flagged but no one has explained
- Thinking or memory changes after a concussion or other head injury
- Forgetfulness that worries you or your family, and you're not sure if it's stress, mood, or something more
- A veteran in your life with Agent Orange exposure and new cognitive concerns
- You're approaching retirement and want a baseline while things are going well
A screener can only raise a question. A neuropsychological evaluation measures how your brain is working across every major domain, so you and your care team can see what's changed, what's holding strong, and what to do next.
Frequently asked questions
No. ADHD testing asks whether a lifelong developmental pattern fits an ADHD diagnosis. A neuropsychological evaluation measures how the brain is functioning across memory, attention, language, processing speed, visual reasoning, and executive functioning, often after an injury, illness, or possible decline.
No. There's no imaging involved. A licensed psychologist uses a battery of standardized tasks to measure how your brain is functioning, and the pattern of results can point to which areas are working well and which are struggling.
Often, yes. Anxiety and depression can cause forgetfulness that feels like decline. A full evaluation looks at the pattern of results across tasks, which helps separate mood effects from true cognitive change.
A baseline gives you a record of your own normal. If memory ever starts to change, there's something to compare against, which can make it much easier to get an accurate diagnosis and the right support.
Not automatically. Learning disability and autism evaluations can be added when the questions call for them, and the psychologist will talk that through with you before testing begins.
Ready for real answers?
Good Day Mental Health offers full psychological and neuropsychological testing in Ogden, with psychiatry and therapy in the same office when you need them next. There's no waitlist.
Request an evaluation Our testing servicesQuestions about coverage? See our insurance information or CareCredit financing. Prefer to talk it through? Call 801-791-4975.
