Psychiatry & Neuropsychology

Psychiatry focuses on diagnosing and treating mood, anxiety, behavioral and other psychiatric symptoms, while neuropsychology evaluates how brain function affects memory, language, attention, behavior and thinking. In brain and spine care, these specialties often work together because neurological conditions can affect both emotional health and cognition.

This is especially important for patients whose symptoms are complex or overlapping. A person may appear to have worsening memory, for example, when the cause may relate to dementia, depression, medication effects, seizures, brain injury or another neurological issue.

You may need this program if you or a loved one is experiencing changes in mood, memory, behavior, decision-making, attention or coping that seem connected to a neurological or medical condition. These services are often helpful for patients being evaluated for dementia, but they also support people with epilepsy, stroke, traumatic brain injury and other disorders.

Early evaluation can be valuable because changes in thinking or behavior are not always caused by the same problem. Getting the right assessment can help guide treatment, clarify next steps and reduce uncertainty for patients and families.

Diagnosis starts with a detailed history, symptom review and collaboration with the patient’s medical team. Psychiatric disorders are generally diagnosed through clinical evaluation, while neurocognitive concerns may also involve structured testing of memory, language, executive functioning and other thinking skills.

When needed, our specialists work with neurologists to place symptoms in the right context. That may mean evaluating whether mood changes are worsening neurological symptoms, whether medications are contributing to cognitive concerns or whether a dementia workup needs neuropsychological testing for added clarity.

Treatment depends on the patient’s diagnosis, symptoms and overall neurological picture. Some patients need medication support, some benefit from careful monitoring and counseling-based care, and others may be candidates for advanced therapies for treatment-resistant depression.

Options may include:

• Psychiatric evaluation and medication management for mood, anxiety, behavioral or other psychiatric symptoms
• Neuropsychological testing to clarify thinking, behavior and functional changes
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a noninvasive treatment for major depression that uses targeted magnetic pulses and does not require sedation or surgery
• Emerging and alternate treatment pathways through Baptist Health Brain & Spine Care | FIU, including SPRAVATO® nasal spray for selected patients with treatment-resistant depression

Recovery may mean different things for different patients. For some, it means better mood, fewer depressive symptoms or improved coping. For others, it means getting a clearer diagnosis, understanding cognitive strengths and weaknesses, or helping families plan more effectively around dementia or another neurological condition.

Treatment is often ongoing rather than one-time. Our team focuses on helping patients function as well as possible while adapting care over time as symptoms, diagnoses and treatment needs evolve.