Division of Neuropsychology

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with the disease, symptoms first appear when they are in their mid-60s. Early-onset Alzheimer’s occurs between a person’s 30s and mid-60s and is very rare. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.

A stroke is often referred to as a “brain attack.” It is a sudden interruption of continuous blood flow to the brain and is considered a medical emergency. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked or narrowed, or when a blood vessel bursts and spills blood into the brain. Just like a heart attack, a stroke requires immediate medical attention.

Epilepsies are chronic neurological disorders in which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally and cause seizures. Neurons normally generate electrical and chemical signals that act on other neurons, glands, and muscles to produce human thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling neurological disease of young adults, with symptom onset generally occurring between the ages of 20 and 40 years. It is also the most common of the inflammatory demyelinating disorders, conditions wherein the immune system attacks the cells that produce and maintain the myelin sheath — a whitish protective coating over nerves that helps with electrical nerve signaling.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is movement disorder of the nervous system that gets worse over time. As nerve cells (neurons) in parts of the brain weaken, are damaged, or die, people may begin to notice problems with movement, tremor, stiffness in the limbs or the trunk of the body, or impaired balance. As symptoms progress, people may have difficulty walking, talking or completing other simple tasks. Not everyone with one or more of these symptoms has PD, as the symptoms appear in other diseases as well.

A tumor is a mass of abnormal cells that either form into a new growth or were present as a mass at birth (congenital). Tumors can be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant) and occur when something goes wrong with genes that regulate cell growth, allowing cells to grow and divide out of control. Tumors can form anywhere in the body. Brain and spinal cord tumors form in the tissue inside the brain or spinal cord, which make up the central nervous system (CNS).

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are developmental disorders. Developmental disorders (or developmental disabilities) are a group of conditions and impairments in physical, learning, language or behavior that affect daily life. These disorders are primarily diagnosed in children, but present before the age of 22.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder marked by trouble controlling impulsive behavior, difficulty paying attention or overactivity. It is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. ADHD interferes with a person's ability to stay on a task and maintain focus. The person may act without thinking or have difficulty with self-control.There are three types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined. Diagnosis depends on which of the following symptoms are strongest in the individual.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by a forceful bump, blow or jolt to the head or body, or from an object that pierces the skull and enters the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. Primary effects on the brain include various types of bleeding and tearing that injure nerve fibers and cause inflammation, metabolic changes and brain swelling.