Neuropsychological assessment for neurological conditions · Gold Coast Thinking and memory in epilepsy, MS, Parkinson's and other neurological conditions.
Assessment of memory, attention, language, processing speed and executive skills for adults with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, brain tumour, encephalitis or functional neurological disorder. We also assess before and after epilepsy surgery and deep brain stimulation.
Neurologist, neurosurgeon or GP? Make a professional referral.
- Who this is for
- Adults with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease or another movement disorder, a brain tumour, encephalitis or functional neurological disorder, and the specialists treating them.
- What it can clarify
- Which thinking skills have changed and which are intact, how much fatigue, mood and medication contribute, and what it means for treatment, surgery, work and independence.
- What you receive
- A feedback discussion and a written report with practical recommendations, shared with your neurologist and treating team with your consent, and strategies, therapy and support where they would help.
- Format
- A clinical interview, a testing session of a morning or an afternoon paced around fatigue and medication timing, and a feedback appointment.
- Next step
- Request an assessment, book a discovery call, or ask your specialist to refer.
Many neurological conditions affect thinking as well as movement, sensation or seizures. An assessment measures those changes so that you and your treating team can plan around them.
We work alongside neurologists, neurosurgeons and rehabilitation physicians on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. Stroke and traumatic brain injury, memory concerns without a neurological diagnosis and concussion each have their own page.
Conditions
Conditions we assess
Epilepsy, including assessment before and after epilepsy surgery
Seizures, their cause and anti-seizure medication can each affect memory, attention, word-finding and speed of thinking. The International League Against Epilepsy recommends cognitive assessment as a standard part of the initial evaluation of late-onset epilepsy, with follow-up over time. Before epilepsy surgery, the assessment describes current memory and language function. It helps the epilepsy team estimate the risk of change after surgery. We also provide follow-up after surgery, closer to home.
Multiple sclerosis
Around half or more of people with MS notice some change in thinking, most often in processing speed, memory and attention. These changes fluctuate with fatigue, relapses and mood. The research consensus recommends a cognitive baseline at diagnosis and yearly review. A detailed assessment clarifies what has changed, separates the effects of fatigue and mood, and supports decisions about work, study, driving and treatment.
Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders
Parkinson's disease can affect planning, attention, processing speed, visuospatial judgement and the retrieval of memories, alongside mood, motivation and sleep. The Movement Disorder Society's criteria for mild cognitive impairment and dementia in Parkinson's disease call for at least two tests in each of five thinking domains. That is the level of assessment we provide. We also assess progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy and essential tremor.
Deep brain stimulation: candidacy and follow-up
Before deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease or tremor, the assessment covers intellectual function, memory, language, visual processing, executive skills and processing speed. Mood, apathy and impulse control are assessed as well. Marked difficulties with language or visual processing are recognised reasons for caution, and the baseline before surgery allows any change afterwards to be measured. Dr Stephen Lee provides this assessment for patients of the deep brain stimulation service at Gold Coast Private Hospital. See our Parkinson's and deep brain stimulation page.
Brain tumours
A brain tumour and its treatment, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, can each affect thinking. A baseline before treatment lets later assessment measure recovery or change. The results guide rehabilitation, workplace adjustments and supports, in liaison with the neurosurgical and oncology teams.
Encephalitis and other inflammatory brain conditions
Autoimmune and infectious encephalitis can leave changes in memory, attention and processing speed after the acute illness. An assessment describes the picture, tracks recovery and guides rehabilitation and the return to work or study.
Functional neurological disorder and functional cognitive disorder
Functional neurological disorder is diagnosed by a neurologist on positive clinical signs. Australian treatment recommendations advise referral to a clinical neuropsychologist where cognitive symptoms are the main concern. The assessment identifies the features of functional cognitive symptoms and distinguishes them from neurodegenerative patterns. Psychological therapy is available where it would help.
We also assess Huntington's disease, motor neurone disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus and other neurological conditions. If yours is not listed, ask us.
What is involved
An assessment paced to the condition
A clinical neuropsychologist reviews the referral, the neurology letters and any imaging or EEG reports. We confirm the scope, fee and funding pathway before booking. The assessment is a clinical interview, a testing session and a feedback discussion. Testing is scheduled around medication timing and fatigue, with breaks, and can be split across two visits. The report sets out the results by thinking domain and what they mean for the condition and for daily life. It recommends strategies, adjustments for work or study, rehabilitation or therapy, and when to review. With your consent it goes to your neurologist, GP and treating team, and urgent findings are phoned through. Bring a list of your medications and their timing, and any previous scans or reports; an interpreter can be arranged where needed. The clinicians who provide these assessments are introduced on our team page.
Living with the condition
Strategies, therapy and support
Assessment is often the start. We provide practical strategies for memory, attention and fatigue that fit the condition, psychological therapy for the anxiety, low mood and adjustment that commonly accompany epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, and sessions with partners and families on what has changed and how to support it. Sessions are in person or by telehealth. Therapy may attract a Medicare rebate with a mental health treatment plan from your GP or psychiatrist where a condition such as depression or anxiety has been diagnosed.
Cost & funding
Fees, referral and funding
No referral is needed for a privately funded assessment; a referral from your neurologist or GP is welcome. The fee depends on the scope of the assessment, with a written estimate before booking. There is no Medicare rebate for neuropsychological assessment. The NDIS can fund assessment for self- and plan-managed participants, and DVA can fund it with a medical referral. See our fees and policies.
For referrers
For neurologists, neurosurgeons, rehabilitation physicians and GPs
- Baseline and serial assessment for MS, Parkinson's disease, brain tumour and other progressive or fluctuating conditions, including detailed assessment after a positive clinic screen
- Pre-surgical epilepsy assessment of memory and language relevant to the surgical question and post-operative risk, with post-operative review available locally
- Deep brain stimulation candidacy and post-operative follow-up
- Differential questions: functional cognitive disorder against a neurodegenerative pattern, and the contribution of mood, sleep and medication
Please send the referral question, the diagnosis and history, and recent neurology correspondence. Include imaging and EEG reports where relevant, the medication list, any earlier cognitive assessment, any surgery date and the funding pathway. Refer through our referrer page, by fax or by email; we confirm scope and timeframe before booking.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a neurologist and a neuropsychologist?
A neurologist is a medical specialist who diagnoses and treats conditions of the brain and nervous system. A clinical neuropsychologist is a psychologist with specialist training in how brain conditions affect thinking, behaviour and mood. They measure those effects with standardised testing. The neurologist treats the condition; the neuropsychologist describes its effect on thinking.
Does cognitive testing decide whether I can have epilepsy surgery?
No. Neuropsychological assessment is one part of the work-up, alongside video-EEG monitoring and imaging. It describes current memory and language function and helps the team estimate the risk of change after surgery. The epilepsy team weighs it with the other investigations and discusses the balance of benefit and risk with you.
Are thinking changes in Parkinson's disease the same as dementia?
Not usually. Many people with Parkinson's disease notice slower thinking or changes in planning, attention or word retrieval without dementia. The Movement Disorder Society describes mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease, and a Parkinson's disease dementia that develops in some people over time. A detailed assessment shows which applies, if either.
Why does deep brain stimulation need a neuropsychological assessment?
The pattern of thinking and mood before surgery helps the team judge whether deep brain stimulation is likely to be safe and beneficial. Marked difficulties with language or visual processing, and significant problems with mood, apathy or impulse control, are recognised reasons for caution. The assessment also provides the baseline for measuring change after surgery.
Request an assessment
Send a request with your diagnosis and the question you or your specialist want answered. Our team and a psychologist review it, and we reply by email within two working days with fit, the likely fee and the next available appointment. A referral is welcome but not required for a private appointment.
Neurologist, neurosurgeon or GP? Make a referral · Phone enquiries are welcome during business hours on 0452 452 262; if we are with a client, please leave a message and we will call you back.
Request an assessment Book a 15-minute discovery callSources: International League Against Epilepsy Neuropsychology Task Force, Diagnostic challenges in the neuropsychology of epilepsy, 2025; Cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis: diagnosis and monitoring, Neurological Sciences, 2021; Litvan I, et al., Movement Disorder Society criteria for mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease, 2012, and Emre M, et al., criteria for dementia associated with Parkinson's disease, 2007; Standardised neuropsychological assessment for the selection of patients undergoing DBS for Parkinson's disease, 2018; Queensland Functional Neurological Disorder Special Interest Group, Managing functional neurological disorder: treatment recommendations for health professionals in Australia, 2025. This page is general information, not medical advice.