Neuropsychological and Psychological Testing Service
The Neuropsychological and Psychological Testing Service at McLean Hospital offers diagnostic testing and comprehensive evaluations of cognitive abilities (e.g., memory, concentration, problem solving, language, etc.), emotional functioning, and personality.
These assessments are conducted via interviews, paper-and-pencil tests, and some computerized tasks, all of which are overseen by our experienced neuropsychologists.
For more information or to make a referral, please call 617.855.3183.
The evaluation consists of formal, objective measures and evaluates a wide range of symptoms and diagnoses, such as neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia), mood and personality disorders, psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia), impaired cognitive function, and more.
Evaluation is especially useful in assessing complex cases, understanding the relationship of coexisting conditions, and helping to separate and rule out conflicting diagnoses. In addition, evaluations can be utilized by patients and/or their treaters to better understand why an individual may not be progressing in their treatment efforts.
Evaluations are conducted on an outpatient basis, though sessions can vary in length. If needed, evaluations can be broken up into multiple days.
Most assessments are covered by insurance because of their medical necessity. We understand that navigating the insurance system can be challenging, which is why we assist prospective patients to help determine eligibility.
We welcome your questions and concerns and have a dedicated staff to help you. McLean Hospital accepts Medicare, Massachusetts Medicaid, and many private insurance and managed care plans.
More information on insurance providers accepted by McLean Hospital may be found on the Mass General Brigham website. You may also find it beneficial to review McLean’s patient billing and financial assistance information.
Who We See
The Neuropsychological and Psychological Testing Service is available to individuals ages 16 and older with an array of conditions. We offer culturally sensitive assessments in Spanish.
Our evaluations are tailored to each individual and to the specific questions that brought the patient to our service. Our testing service best serves those who:
- Have impaired cognitive functions due to medical, neurological, neurodegenerative, and/or mental health issues
- Have emotional issues that are keeping them from functioning at optimal levels
- Are not progressing in their mental health care and are looking toward determining complicating factors
- Have experienced cognitive decline due to stroke, brain injury, substance misuse, or other traumas
For adults and older adults with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, MS, or epilepsy, evaluations can help identify cognitive weakness, profile, and patterns to assist patients, their treatment team, and their caregivers in ensuring appropriate levels of support and treatment.
Evaluations can help individuals better understand their cognitive strengths and vulnerabilities, assist with clarifying complex diagnostic questions, and provide guidance to the individual’s clinical team concerning medication and treatment.
Neuropsychological and psychological testing can be invaluable for people who may not be progressing in psychotherapy. In these cases, a referral to our service can help clarify psychiatric diagnoses, including whether cognitive and/or emotional issues are hindering a patient’s progress.
Evaluation may also be used to help the individual’s therapist better understand any complicating factors (e.g., underlying personality traits or cognitive difficulties) and adjust treatment approaches and medications as appropriate. For individuals with psychotic disorders—such as schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder—cognitive and psychological testing can be used to guide decisions on treatment and medication.
Students with anxiety disorders, ADHD, or other learning issues may require accommodations for taking standardized examinations such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, or MCAT. Contact the Accommodations Testing Service for more information.
Parents or guardians seeking assessments for children or adolescents ages 16 and under should contact the Child and Adolescent Testing Service (CATS), part of McLean’s Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic.
Treatment Team
Program Leadership
Sara L. Weisenbach, PhD, ABPP, Chief of Neuropsychology
Dr. Weisenbach is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and a clinical translational researcher. Her career has been focused on improving the quality of care for individuals with cognitive and psychiatric concerns through clinical care, cutting-edge research, education and mentorship, and service to the fields of neuropsychology and geriatric psychiatry. She has been continuously funded since 2008 (NIH, VA) for her work on depression and cognition during middle-age and late life.
Staff and Associates
Neuropsychological and psychological evaluation at McLean dates to the early 1900s, when the hospital founded its first lab dedicated to the science of measuring capacities such as cognition and knowledge (also known as psychometrics).
McLean’s Neuropsychology Department has been offering outpatient neuropsychological and psychological evaluation since 1994, and psychodiagnostic testing has been a part of inpatient services since the 1960s. Over the years, thousands of individuals from across the country and around the world have come to McLean to draw on the hospital’s expertise in this area.
Staff in the Neuropsychology Department have years of clinical experience devoted to better understanding cognitive, psychological, and emotional difficulties, and we are especially comfortable assessing highly complex cases that involve multiple contributing factors. Our doctors are also engaged in mental health research and in the training and teaching of psychology fellows and psychiatry residents.
McLean’s Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Adult and Geriatric Clinical Neuropsychology, a two-year training program focused on neuropsychological and psychological evaluations with adult and older adult patients, has graduated more than 40 fellows since 1995.
The neuropsychology practicum supports psychology graduate students planning to specialize in neuropsychology. Students work alongside post-doctoral fellows, are supervised by staff neuropsychologists, and are encouraged to participate in a variety of learning opportunities.
Location
The Neuropsychological and Psychological Testing Service is located on McLean’s Belmont campus, in the South Belknap building, Floor 3.
We also offer testing at McLean SouthEast, located in Middleborough and convenient to Massachusetts’ south shore, the Cape, and the Islands.
For more information on directions and parking, please visit our Maps & Directions page.
Referrals
Psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and other medical professionals working with individuals who have neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric or neurological conditions, or other medical issues can refer their patients to the service for evaluation and testing.
For more information or to make a referral, please contact:
Phone: 617.855.3183
A provider referral and insurance verification and/or preauthorization is needed prior to making an appointment.
Clinicians should fill out and return the clinician form below. Patients or clinicians should fill out and return the patient form below.
Once both forms are received and processed, our staff will be in contact with the patient to schedule an appointment or get additional information.
