AGENDA

Session Title: Understanding Brain–Behavior Changes After Work-Related Injury: The Role of Neuropsychology in Workers’ Compensation

Speaker: Dr. Cole Toovey

Cole Toovey, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist and postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neurology at the University of Iowa, where he works in the Benton Neuropsychology Clinic. His clinical practice spans outpatient and inpatient settings and includes evaluation of individuals with traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia, movement disorders, and complex medical and neurological conditions. He has particular experience conducting capacity evaluations, presurgical assessments for epilepsy (including Wada procedures), and evaluations in medically and legally complex cases, including frequent involvement in workers’ compensation evaluations at the Benton Clinic. This work has involved assessment of cognitive and functional outcomes following injury, careful consideration of effort and validity, and integration of neuropsychological findings with medical, occupational, and legal factors.

Dr. Toovey completed his APA-accredited internship in clinical neuropsychology at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and is currently completing an APPCN-accredited fellowship. His work emphasizes the application of neuropsychological assessment to real-world clinical and functional questions, including diagnostic clarification, treatment planning, and determination of functional abilities.

His research focuses on the use of speech and language biomarkers to improve the detection and prediction of cognitive decline, particularly in aging populations. He is also involved in developing tele-neuropsychology approaches to expand access to care for individuals in rural settings.

Dr. Toovey’s clinical and research work informs his approach to neuropsychological evaluation in the context of workers’ compensation, with an emphasis on objective assessment, functional implications of cognitive findings, and clear communication with multidisciplinary stakeholders, including medical providers, case managers, and legal professionals.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants should be able to:

• Provide an overview of what neuropsychological evaluation measures and how it helps characterize cognitive and behavioral effects of neurological injury.
• Describe common referral questions in workers’ compensation cases and when neuropsychological consultation is most useful.
• Discuss how cognitive, emotional, and psychological factors interact after injury and how these factors influence functional outcomes and return-to-work planning