Welcome to
St. Cloud Neurobehavioral Associates, PA
Offering Neuropsychological Evaluations for Adults
Experience specialized neuropsychological evaluations by referral at St. Cloud Neurobehavioral Associates, PA. Our clinic is dedicated to addressing neurocognitive and neurodegenerative disorders, critical for understanding brain functions to assisting you and your providers in appropriate treatment planning.
About Us
St. Cloud Neurobehavioral Associates, PA, is a comprehensive neuropsychology services clinic. Our doctors are experts in the clinical diagnosis of certain brain injuries and medical brain conditions. We provide superior neurological analysis to our patients for the use of rehabilitation programming, diagnosis clarification, and/or necessary referrals. Our specialized services can also assist in decision making about living conditions, condition progress updates, and many other neuropsychological developmental factors. Our highly trained licensed neuropsychologists provide high-quality patient care in and around central Minnesota.
What Is a Neuropsychological Evaluation?
A neuropsychological evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of cognitive and behavioral functions using a set of standardized tests and procedures. A variety of mental functions are systematically tested, including, but not limited to:
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Sensory and motor abilities
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Visuospatial and constructional skills
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Language
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Attention, concentration, and cognitive processing speed
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Learning and memory
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Problem-solving, reasoning, judgement and conceptualization
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Planning and organization
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Academic skills
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Emotions, behavior, and personality
When is Neuropsychological Evaluation Needed?
A neuropsychological evaluation is recommended for any case in which brain-based impairment in cognitive functions or behavior is suspected.
Typical referrals are made to diagnose or rule out the following conditions and to describe their impact on a person's cognitive functioning:
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Traumatic brain injury
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Dementing conditions (e.g., Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia)
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Cerebrovascular accidents
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Medical illness or treatments
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Seizure disorders
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Effects of toxic exposure or chronic substance abuse
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Learning disorders
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Parkinson's Disease
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Multiple Sclerosis
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Anoxic episodes
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Brain tumors and surgical manipulation
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Genetic disorders
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Chronic health conditions
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Birth trauma or developmental disorders
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Attention deficit disorders
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Psychiatric or neuropsychiatric disorders
Neuropsychological evaluation is critical for understanding which brain functions are impaired and which remain intact. A thorough evaluation can tell the neuropsychologist how the condition specifically affects thinking and behavior. Standard neurological or physical examinations, and even neuroimaging studies (CT scan, MRI) cannot provide this information.
An evaluation is particularly useful for tracking progress in rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury, strokes, or other neurological conditions. It can assist greatly in planning educational and vocational programs, and be invaluable for disability determination.
What Happens During a Neuropsychological Evaluation?
How Are Neuropsychological Evaluation Results Used?
Not all neuropsychological evaluations are the same. Specialized training allows the neuropsychologist to select, administer, and interpret the particular tests and procedures which will provide the most comprehensive understanding of an individual's strengths and weaknesses. Each evaluation is tailored to the needs of the individual patient.
We allot four hours for these appointments, however, they may not take that long. We want to make sure there is plenty of time for you to feel relaxed and for us to get a good assessment for you and your physician. Typically, you will meet with one of our doctors for about an hour. He will ask you questions about your memory, concentration, and various other thinking and neurological skills. He will review your medical history, learn a little bit about your background, and ask how you are functioning on a daily basis. It is helpful to have a family member or close friend present during this hour to provide additional information and feedback. The remainder of the appointment you will spend one-on-one with one of our technicians who are trained to administer the tests. You will be answering questions, looking at pictures, and doing things with your hands to allow us to get a good understanding about various cognitive skills.
Neuropsychological evaluation results are used for a variety of reasons. They may:
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Confirm or clarify a diagnosis.
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Provide a profile of strengths and weaknesses to guide rehabilitation, educational, vocational, or other services.
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Clarify what compensatory strategies would be helpful.
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Assist in making decisions about appropriate living environments, the ability to safely operate a motor vehicle and competency to responsibly make medical, legal, and financial decisions.
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Be used to monitor an individual's condition when the neuropsychologist compares test results over time, he/she can tell whether the person's condition has changed and whether the treatment should be revised.
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Provide specific recommendations regarding level of care if supervision is needed.
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Result in referrals to other specialists, such as cognitive rehabilitation professionals, neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses or vocational counselors.
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Provide family members or caregivers with recommendations for the individual's needs.
Our Team
Our team at St. Cloud Neurobehavioral Associates, PA is composed of skilled specialists dedicated to providing exceptional neuropsychological evaluations
Dr. Jeffrey Kearney
PhD, LP
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Dr. Kearney is a licensed psychologist specializing in clinical neuropsychology. He completed his bachelor's degree in psychology at Creighton University and his master's and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology at the University of North Dakota. He served as a Postdoctoral Fellow in clinical neuropsychology in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Kearney provides comprehensive neuropsychological and psychological evaluation services to adults and geriatric patients. He also specializes in psychological evaluations for pre-surgical procedures such as gastric-bypass and spinal cord stimulators and fusion.
Dr. Timothy Rysavy
PsyD, LP
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Dr. Rysavy is a licensed psychologist specializing in clinical neuropsychology. He completed his bachelor's degree in psychology at Saint John's University (Collegeville) and went on to obtain a master's degree in industrial/organizational psychology at St. Cloud State University. He obtained his doctorate in clinical psychology at the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University. He served as a pre-doctoral intern at Hamilton Health Sciences in Ontario, Canada. He completed his postdoctoral supervised experience at St. Cloud Neurobehavioral Associates, PA under the supervision of Dr. Kearney. Dr. Rysavy provides comprehensive neuropsychological to adults and geriatric patients.