Quick Answer
Formal neuropsychological testing is several hours of structured assessment by a psychologist producing a profile across cognitive domains. It is coordinated with outside providers rather than performed at either office, and interpreted here alongside the history, examination and blood work.
Part ofThis guide sits beneath memory and dementia, which covers the study itself, how it is performed and what the report should contain.
Memory Loss and Dementia care at CNS →Key Takeaways
- Formal testing is several hours by a psychologist across multiple cognitive domains.
- It produces a profile rather than a score, and the pattern across domains is the point.
- It is coordinated with outside providers rather than performed at either office.
- Sleep and eat beforehand, and bring reading glasses and hearing aids.
- It does not diagnose on its own; it is interpreted alongside history, examination and blood work.
Dementia
Dementia is an acquired decline in memory or other thinking abilities severe enough to interfere with everyday independence. It is a syndrome with several possible causes rather than a single disease, which is why identifying the cause matters.
What formal neuropsychological testing actually is
Patients are frequently referred for this without being told what it involves, and the reality differs substantially from the brief questions asked in a clinic.
Hours rather than minutes
A formal assessment is typically several hours of structured testing administered by a psychologist, covering memory, language, attention, processing speed, visuospatial function and executive function. It produces a profile across those domains rather than a single score, and that profile is the point: different conditions affect different domains in different patterns.
What it can distinguish
Patterns suggesting different underlying conditions, since a predominantly memory-led profile differs from one led by language or by executive dysfunction. Depression-related cognitive impairment from a degenerative process, which is a genuinely difficult clinical distinction and one of the commoner reasons for referral. And whether performance is consistent with education and background, which a brief screening test cannot adjust for adequately.
What it does not do
It does not image the brain and it does not produce a diagnosis on its own. It contributes a detailed profile that is interpreted alongside the history, the examination, blood work and where relevant imaging. A profile read in isolation can mislead, particularly where anxiety, fatigue, hearing loss or first language affected performance on the day.
Preparing for it
Sleep normally beforehand and eat before attending, because it is a long and tiring appointment and fatigue affects results. Bring reading glasses and hearing aids, since sensory impairment depresses scores independently of cognition. And expect it to be effortful rather than pleasant: it is designed to find limits, so encountering questions you cannot answer is the instrument working rather than evidence of decline.
| Also considered | How it is distinguished |
|---|---|
| Normal ageing | Slower recall that does not interfere with managing money, medication or appointments. |
| Mild cognitive impairment | Measurable change on testing while day-to-day independence is preserved. |
| Depression and sleep disorders | Attention and effort are affected more than storage; treating the cause often changes the picture. |
| Reversible contributors | Thyroid disease, B12 deficiency and some medications are looked for with blood work before a degenerative cause is settled on. |
How the practice handles it
01
What brings people in
Repeated questions, missed appointments or medication errors — often noticed first by a spouse, adult child or close friend rather than the patient.
02
What the evaluation settles
Whether measured change is present, whether it crosses the threshold for dementia, which pattern the testing fits, and whether a reversible contributor is present.
03
What you leave with
A documented cognitive baseline, results of reversible-cause screening, and a plan for follow-up, safety and caregiver support.
Coordinated rather than performed
Formal neuropsychological testing is not performed at either office. It is arranged with outside providers, and the practice orders it, receives the report and interprets it alongside everything else. Stating that plainly prevents someone booking here for an appointment that happens elsewhere.
What happens here
Clinical cognitive assessment, neurological examination, the blood work that identifies reversible contributors, and interpretation of the neuropsychological report against the clinical picture. Where imaging is needed it is coordinated with an outside facility, since the practice operates no imaging suite.
What comes before a referral
Usually the reversible causes: vitamin B12, thyroid function, medication review, and consideration of depression and sleep apnoea. Referring for hours of testing before excluding a treatable contributor risks attributing a correctable deficit to a degenerative process.
Bring an informant regardless
Formal testing measures performance; an informant establishes whether daily function has changed. Those are different questions and the second determines the diagnostic threshold, so a detailed profile without an informant account is still incomplete.
The first 30, 60 and 90 days
Step 1
First visit
History and neurological examination, a review of records and prior imaging, and a decision on which studies are actually indicated. You leave with the plan, not just a referral.
Step 2
Within 30 days
Indicated in-office studies are performed and interpreted by the neurologist who ordered them, in our AANEM-accredited laboratories. Results are explained in plain language.
Step 3
60 to 90 days
Follow-up to judge whether the plan is working, adjust it, and coordinate with your referring clinician. Where a diagnosis needs time to confirm, this is where it is revisited.
Attending from Henderson
The Henderson office is at 1691 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Suite 100, just off the 215 Beltway, with parking on site. All six in-office studies are performed and interpreted there, so nothing is sent across to Las Vegas. Green Valley, Anthem, Whitney and Boulder City are generally closer to it than to Flamingo Road. Adults 18 and older.
Concerned about memory or thinking?
Bring someone who sees you regularly, with dated examples. That is what the appointment needs most.
The Bottom Line
Hours rather than minutes, arranged externally, and interpreted alongside everything else rather than read alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does neuropsychological testing involve?
Typically several hours of structured testing by a psychologist covering memory, language, attention, processing speed, visuospatial and executive function. It produces a profile across domains rather than a single score. It is usually completed in one or two sessions and a written report follows to the referring practice within a few weeks.
Is it performed at the practice?
No. It is coordinated with outside providers rather than performed at either office. The practice orders it, receives the report and interprets it alongside the history, examination and blood work. That division exists because the testing needs a psychologist's training to administer and score reliably, not because it is a minor part of the work-up.
What can it distinguish?
Patterns suggesting different underlying conditions, since a memory-led profile differs from one led by language or executive dysfunction. It can also help separate depression-related impairment from a degenerative process, which is a genuinely difficult distinction. It is most useful where the clinical picture is ambiguous rather than where the diagnosis is already clear.
How should I prepare?
Sleep normally and eat beforehand, because it is long and tiring and fatigue affects results. Bring reading glasses and hearing aids, since sensory impairment depresses scores independently of cognition. Bring your medication list too, since sedatives taken the night before can measurably affect performance, and mention any recent illness or hospital stay when you arrive.
Should I worry if I cannot answer things?
No. It is designed to find limits, so encountering questions you cannot answer is the instrument working rather than evidence of decline. Guessing is fine and expected. The scoring accounts for it, and stopping early because questions feel hard removes information the report depends on. Take the breaks that are offered.
Does it give a diagnosis?
Not on its own. It contributes a detailed profile interpreted alongside the history, examination, blood work and where relevant imaging. A profile read in isolation can mislead, particularly where anxiety, fatigue or hearing loss affected performance. Where the profile and the clinical picture disagree, that disagreement is itself useful information.
Why check blood work before referring?
Because referring for hours of testing before excluding a treatable contributor risks attributing a correctable deficit to a degenerative process. B12, thyroid, medication review, depression and sleep apnoea come first. It also avoids the cost and the several hours of testing in cases where a simpler explanation is available and correctable within a few weeks.
Where exactly is the Henderson office?
1691 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Suite 100, Henderson NV 89012, just off the 215 Beltway, with parking on site. All six in-office studies are performed and interpreted there, so nothing is referred across to the Las Vegas office. Green Valley, Anthem, Whitney and Boulder City are generally closer to it than to West Flamingo Road.
Should I use the Henderson or the Las Vegas office?
Whichever is the shorter drive, since both are fully equipped and hold the same records. West Horizon Ridge Parkway generally suits Green Valley, Anthem and Boulder City; West Flamingo Road suits the west and southwest of the valley. If you can attend either, say so when booking, because availability differs between the two week to week.
What happens if the blood work finds something treatable?
That is addressed first, and the cognitive picture is reassessed afterwards. Vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid disease, medication effects and untreated sleep apnoea can each depress thinking measurably, and correcting one before settling on a degenerative diagnosis is the point of checking. Re-testing after treatment is a legitimate step rather than a delay.
How this page was sourced
Practice facts come from Clinical Neurology Specialists directly: that clinical cognitive assessment and the relevant blood work are performed here, that formal neuropsychological testing and imaging are coordinated with outside providers rather than performed on site, and that the practice sees adults 18 and older. Clinical context is sourced to the organisations listed below.
No cognitive test scores, cut-offs, prevalence figures or named medications appear, because scores depend on the instrument and on education, language and sensory function, and treatment selection is a clinical decision. No outcome is promised. Scope is adults 18 and older.
Change log
- 2026-07-28 — page published; clinical content reviewed.
- 2026-07-28 — last reviewed against AAN, AANEM and NINDS guidance; internal links and schema verified.
- Review cadence: quarterly, or sooner if guidance changes.
How to cite this page
Clinical Neurology Specialists. “Neuropsychological testing Henderson.” Reviewed 2026-07-28. https://www.cnsnevada.com/conditions/memory-dementia/neuropsychological-testing-henderson/
References
- Alzheimer's Association — patient and carer information on dementia.
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke — the reference catalogue of nervous-system disorders.
- American Academy of Neurology — clinical practice guidance on cognitive assessment.
This page is for general information about a Clinical Neurology Specialists office and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation. It does not create a physician-patient relationship. Adults 18 and older. For an active stroke, a first-time or prolonged seizure, sudden severe headache, sudden weakness, sudden vision loss, or a head injury with loss of consciousness, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.