I'll Learn The Results of My Neuropsych Eval in An Hour

After a Long Covid diagnosis last year, my treatment team ordered neuropsychological testing to better understand my current cognitive function. Will the results shock me — or make perfect sense?

In collaboration with Sumaid pal Singh Bakshi

On April 12th, 2024, I drove to a nearby hospital and sat for several hours with a psychiatrist who interviewed me and administered a battery of tests to evaluate how my brain works.

After walking through my family and personal histories, the doctor gave me a combination of exercises which involved direct questions, computer responses, self-reported questionnaires, and surveys.

It’s been two weeks, and I’ll speak with the doctor in an hour about my results.

Will the conclusions reveal any major surprises? How well is my brain working? Am I considered neurodiverse? What happens after I learn the results?

Years ago, a psychiatrist gave me a 2-page questionnaire and diagnosed me as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) inattentive type. According to The Cleveland Clinic, the diagnosis suggests that “patients with ADHD of the inattentive type have trouble paying attention to details, are easily distracted, often have trouble organizing or finishing tasks and often forget routine chores (such as paying bills on time or returning phone calls).” I remember thinking, “Ah ha! Someone finally sees the struggles I have!”

I was prescribed medication for the condition and began taking it immediately.

My feelings of distraction went away immediately, and I’d never felt more focused or energized. The problem was, I forgot to eat and (paradoxically) I forgot to stop focusing. And, I was often so “hangry” without realizing it that I’d eventually crash and burn. I lost 20 pounds without dieting or exercising. Within two months, I couldn’t stand the “new me”, and it’s no stretch to assume my loved ones felt the same.

That was ten years ago. Since then, aside from a daily dose of thyroid medication and an occasional antibiotic, I haven’t taken any medication.

And so, as I wait for the result from this formal neuro-psych eval, I’m curious where things will go.

How is my brain working today? Was my initial ADD/ADHD diagnosis accurate? If so, where do things stand now? Am I a candidate for medication and, if so, would I even consider taking it?

During this upcoming telehealth call, what will I learn about my cognitive function — and how accurate are the results? If there are areas of concern, how do we identify their roots? Can anyone truly know the difference between symptoms of the “normal aging process” versus Long Covid versus menopause versus test anxiety?

I’m somewhat “nervous” about the upcoming call, but not so much that I’m Googling obsessively or even guessing what I might learn. I’m leaning into the notion of learning what one doctor thinks about a snapshot of my cognitive function. I feel steady and somewhat prepared to receive the assessment and ask follow-up questions. What else is there to do but step into the process with my eyes and ears open?

No matter what, I’ll share the results in a subsequent post, so stay tuned.

Until then, I’d love to know if you or someone you know has gone through neuro-psych testing and what the experience was like. I believe that the more we talk about these kinds of things, the less nerve-wracking they’ll feel.