Other Specialty Clinics – Minor Rotations

This specialty rotation involves assessment of neurosurgical candidates for awake craniotomy with cortical mapping in order to facilitate tumor resection. It include inpatient and outpatient assessment of cognitive, personality, and emotional functioning. Cognitive assessment include testing of general intellect, language, attention, working memory, executive functioning, motor processing and mood dysfunction. Responsibilities consist of: a) conducting clinical interviews, neuropsychological testing and interpretation, medical chart review, report writing; b) preparing intra-operative testing materials, and c) assisting during intra-operative assessment of language (naming, response to simple commands) and/or intra-operative identification of sensory motor neuroanatomy through behavioral response to cortical stimulation.

In this specialty rotation, trainees have the opportunity opportunity to observe/participate in WADAs, shadow physicians on the epilepsy monitoring unit, observe brain surgery and cortical mapping, and participate in interdisciplinary conferences. Interested students are expected to evaluate a designated number of patients before and after brain surgery for treatment of intractable epilepsy. Trainees are supervised by Dr. Bauer and other neuropsychology faculty. Readings on clinically relevant issues provided.

During this specialty practica, trainees will learn 1) the type and severity of cognitive impairment prevalent in older adults electing surgical procedures, 2) how baseline cognition interacts with surgical and anesthetic prep and procedural outcome, 3) how to provide rapid diagnostic impressions and feedback within one hour, 4) how to speak to surgeon and anesthesiology colleagues about brain-behavior without using neuropsychology jargon, and 4) how cognition can change after surgery (you will have the opportunity to conduct post-surgery evaluations for pre-post comparisons). Most importantly, trainees will begin to appreciate how neuropsychologists can contribute to preoperative optimization of older adults and why neuropsychology-anesthesiology-surgical collaboration should be fostered. Trainees will engage in collaborative interactions with anesthesiologists, surgeons, geriatric medicine, primary care, neurology, and nursing staff. They will participate in at least one shadowing experience with an anesthesiology colleague.

This is a high paced interdisciplinary clinic that involves brief (60 min) neurocognitive screening exams of patients who are seen in conjunction with a neurology dementia specialtist at the UF Normal Fixel Institute of Neurological Disease. One unique aspect of this clinic is that the trainee participates with the Neuropsychology Team, who interprets findings and provides clinical impressions “on the spot” to the Neurologist, who examines the same patients immediately after our screening. The clinic is highly interactive and didactic, with neuroimaging, testing, and other results being integrated into jointly made differential diagnoses and treatment plans. Brief 1 page reports are completed during clinic. Though the common referral concern is “memory”, the actual range of patients is highly diverse including typical and atypical dementias, MCI variants, rare genetic syndromes, ALS, MS, hydrocephalous, etc. A solid working knowledge of dementia variants (including language disturbances) is expected of interested trainees . This clinic is ideal for more advanced neuropsychologically trainees who wish to fine tune their diagnostic and interprofessional skills.

Provides clinical therapy hours and research experience with multiple baseline treatment approaches. This is typically done vis a vis patients who have cognitive complaints (i.e., memory, processing speed, executive). Treatment approaches can include specific cognitive training modules from programs such as Stringer’s EON-Exec and EON-Memory, computer based cognitive training, to more psychological approaches for minimizing stress/anxiety (i.e., mindfulness, CBT). Also available is an 8 week telehealth program for treatment of apathy, called the Parkinson Active Living (PAL) program. Though developed for individuals with Parkinson disease, it can be used with other patients as well and delivered in vivo or via telehealth modalities. One unique opportunity for trainees is The PEACE OF MIND program led by Dr. Glenn Smith, Ph.D. , ABPP/CN. This program offers training experience in an intensive multicomponent model of intervention for amnestic MCI. Trainees variously receive training in memory compensation techniques, supportive group therapy for patients and caregivers, wellness education, and computerized cognitive training. This is a 10 day program occurring at the end of each semester. It requires special arrangements with all other supervisors as the student must be available for half-days M-F for the 2 weeks of the program.