Neuropsychologists study the relationship between brain function and behavior. They assess and diagnose how neurological conditions, including traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and epilepsy, affect cognition, memory, and personality. Most neuropsychologists hold a doctoral degree and complete a two-year postdoctoral fellowship before obtaining state licensure.
Neuropsychology sits at the intersection of brain science and clinical psychology, though the distinction between neuropsychology and neuroscience is worth understanding before going further. A neuropsychologist isn’t a medical doctor and can’t prescribe medication. Still, they can answer questions a neurologist often can’t: how a brain condition affects the way someone thinks, communicates, remembers, and functions day-to-day. That diagnostic precision makes neuropsychologists a central part of most neurology, rehabilitation, and surgical teams.
What Does a Neuropsychologist Assess?
Most patients reach a neuropsychologist by referral from a neurologist, psychiatrist, or primary care physician. The referral usually happens when standard medical workups don’t explain a patient’s symptoms, or when a known diagnosis raises questions about cognitive impact. Memory complaints, personality changes, difficulty with attention, and language problems are among the most common reasons for a neuropsychological evaluation.
The evaluation itself uses standardized tests across multiple cognitive domains: attention and concentration, memory and learning, language, visuospatial ability, reasoning, processing speed, and executive function. Neuropsychologists also administer personality and mood inventories, since psychiatric factors frequently interact with neurological ones. A full evaluation typically runs four to eight hours, sometimes split across two sessions, and concludes with a detailed written report sent to the referring provider.
Conditions neuropsychologists commonly assess include traumatic brain injury, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, and concussion. They also evaluate developmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and learning disabilities. Pediatric neuropsychologists specialize in working with younger patients and often work directly with schools to develop academic accommodations based on evaluation findings.
Where Do Neuropsychologists Work?
Clinical neuropsychologists work most often in hospital-based settings, including inpatient rehabilitation units, neurology departments, and memory disorder clinics. Others work in private practice, seeing patients by referral. Academic medical centers are another common setting, where clinical work runs alongside research.
Cognitive neuropsychologists work primarily in research. They design studies, develop new assessment instruments, and investigate the neurological basis of behavior without typically seeing patients directly. Some hold faculty positions at universities. Others are embedded in research institutes.
A smaller but specialized group works in presurgical settings. Before brain surgery to address epilepsy or remove a tumor, surgeons need to know which areas of the brain control language, memory, and movement. Neuropsychologists conduct those evaluations, often using functional MRI, and continue assessments after surgery to track changes in cognitive function.
What Education and Training Does a Neuropsychologist Need?
Becoming a neuropsychologist requires a doctoral degree, either a PhD in psychology with a concentration in neuropsychology or a PsyD in clinical psychology. Most U.S. neuropsychologists earn doctoral degrees from APA-accredited (or CPA-accredited in Canada) programs, which are the standard pathway to licensure. Graduate coursework covers neuroanatomy, cognitive assessment, psychopharmacology, research methods, and clinical practicum training.
During the doctoral program, candidates complete a one-year APA- or CPA-accredited predoctoral internship, followed by a two-year postdoctoral residency/fellowship in clinical neuropsychology. The postdoctoral training is where most specialized assessment skills are developed. From the start of a bachelor’s degree through the end of postdoctoral training, the full process typically takes 10 to 13 years.
State licensure requires passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), along with any state-specific requirements. Some neuropsychologists pursue board certification through the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN), which involves a credential review, a written examination, a practice sample (casebook) review, and an oral examination. ABCN certification is optional but increasingly expected for hospital-based and academic positions. For a step-by-step breakdown of the full training pathway, see our guide to becoming a clinical neuropsychologist.
Find accredited psychology programs in your state, including doctoral programs with neuropsychology training tracks.