Memory assessment (memory clinic): report template

Memory complaints are one of the most frequent reasons for neuropsychological assessment, particularly in adults and the elderly. The memory assessment objectively documents memory functioning and places it within the overall cognitive profile.

Essential clarification: the diagnosis is medical; the neuropsychologist measures and interprets, without making the diagnosis. This page details the structure of a report and proposes a template.

A targeted assessment, distinct from other examinations

The memory assessment should not be confused with:

• the intellectual functioning report (WAIS-IV / WISC-V), centred on overall intellectual functioning;
• the broad neuropsychological assessment, which sweeps across all functions.

Here, the entry point is memory and its systems, even if the assessment also explores the functions that support it (attention, executive functions, language).

What the memory assessment explores

• Episodic memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval (free recall, cued recall, recognition).
• Working memory: maintenance and manipulation of information.
• Semantic memory: general knowledge, lexical access.
• Associated functions: attention, executive functions, language, which can explain a complaint without primary memory impairment.
• Scales and questionnaires: complaint, impact, sometimes the perspective of relatives.

Distinguishing where the difficulty lies (encoding vs. retrieval, memory vs. attention) is the key challenge of the analysis.

The structure of the report

1. Identification and reason for referral. Who referred, complaint, context.
2. Clinical history. Medical history, treatments, complaints, daily impact.
3. Behaviour during the examination. Qualitative observations.
4. Tests and results. By memory system and associated functions, scores compared to norms, without disclosing proprietary material.
5. Analysis. Profile of strengths and weaknesses, hypotheses, consistency with the complaint.
6. Conclusion and recommendations. Cautious summary, recommendations, medical referral for diagnosis.

Caution and ethics

The report remains factual and nuanced: it distinguishes between what is measured and what is interpreted, avoids any diagnostic assertion reserved for the physician, and protects the confidentiality of test materials. It is this rigour that makes the document useful for the memory clinic and partners.

Save time on your reports

A memory assessment produces a lot of data to synthesize, often in a sensitive context. The winning logic: start from a fixed template, standardise the sections, and write the analysis while observations are fresh.

This is what Delta allows: you capture your observations via live note-taking or post-session dictation, and the tool generates a structured report according to your template, with a longitudinal patient history from one assessment to another. HDS hosting, GDPR compliant.

Frequently asked questions