Neurocognitive Testing After Concussion and Brain Injury
Neurocognitive testing measures memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function objectively, giving our physicians measurable data to correlate with a patient's reported symptoms.
What Neurocognitive Testing Measures
Neurocognitive testing is a structured way of measuring how the brain performs specific cognitive tasks: memory, attention, processing speed, executive function, and reaction time, among others. Rather than relying only on a patient's self-reported symptoms, these tests generate objective, quantifiable scores that can be compared to normative ranges and, when repeated, to a patient's own prior results. Many tests used today are computerized, presenting patients with timed tasks that assess different cognitive domains.
Why Objective Testing Matters After a Head Injury
One of the more frustrating aspects of concussion and post-concussion syndrome is the gap between how impaired a patient feels and how little of that shows up on a routine scan. Neurocognitive testing helps close part of that gap by measuring cognitive function directly. This matters clinically, and it matters for documentation: for personal injury patients, attorneys, and IMEs, quantified test results can add a layer of objective evidence to a case record, without promising or implying any specific outcome. Results are always interpreted by our neurologists alongside the patient's full clinical history and any other testing performed.
A Practical Note: Sleep Can Affect Your Scores
Computerized neurocognitive testing is sensitive to a patient's state at the time of testing, and sleep is one of the more consistently studied variables here. According to PubMed, a 2026 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, part of the CARE Consortium research effort, examined a large cohort of service academy cadets and found sleep duration was significantly associated with computerized neurocognitive test scores (Aderman et al., 2026, DOI). This doesn't mean poor sleep causes or explains a brain injury, but it does mean a reasonable night's sleep before a scheduled test can help ensure your results reflect your baseline function rather than short-term fatigue.
How Testing Works at NeuroLUX
Neurocognitive testing is administered as part of a broader neurological evaluation and reviewed by our physician team, Dr. Vikas Pandey and Dr. Sima Nekoui, alongside the rest of a patient's clinical picture. Testing is available in our Irving clinic and can be coordinated as part of a tele-neurology evaluation when appropriate. See what we offer attorneys →