Neuropsychology is a specialized field of psychology that investigates how neurological diseases or injuries affect an individual’s emotions, personality, thinking and behaviour.

What makes neuropsychology different from other categories in psychology is the specialized diagnostic field we work in, as well as the way in which we work. Neuropsychologists see patients who suffer from neurological injuries or disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s Disease) or neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. Autism).

We are trained to use the “hypothetico-deductive” diagnostic model, which is not much different from how detectives solve mysteries. This method starts by formulating a hypothesis or idea of what may be affecting the patient, gathering information through history taking and assessments and finally piecing it all together to determine if it fits the hypothesized diagnosis. This method is easy to understand but more complicated in practice, hence why neuropsychology exists separately from other professions. The fields of study a neuropsychologist needs to do this overlaps with others, such as the anatomical knowledge of neurologists as well as the clinical knowledge of psychiatrists. This is again why neuropsychology is a unique and specialized field.