December 08, 2025

543. Research Review: Natural Language Processing (NLP) in Neuropsychology

49 minutes

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In this episode, I take a deep dive into how natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning are beginning to reshape neuropsychological assessment. Beyond the surface-level hype around AI, I explore what’s actually happening under the hood: how speech, language, and narrative data can function as digital biomarkers for conditions like ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, and psychosis. Drawing primarily from a 2025 review in The Clinical Neuropsychologist, I walk through emerging research, practical implications for clinicians, and the ethical and methodological challenges we’ll need to confront as these tools move closer to real-world clinical use.

Main Topics Covered

00:00: Why NLP and machine learning matter for neuropsychology right now

02:15: Defining NLP, digital biomarkers, and what clinicians usually discard

04:40: How linguistic, acoustic, and semantic features are analyzed

06:30: ADHD applications: narrative coherence and executive functioning

08:55: Alzheimer’s and MCI: voice biomarkers vs. traditional measures

11:30: Task design and why speech prompts matter

12:45: Psychosis and schizophrenia: quantifying disorganized speech

15:30: Clinical tools, ambient AI, and the “human-in-the-loop” model

17:45: Bias, privacy, test security, and ethical risks

19:55: The future of neuropsych assessment and hybrid AI models

Cool Things Mentioned

The Testing Psychologist mastermind groups and business consulting

Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists

Brittany Wolff’s source article: https://doi.org/10.1080/13854046.2025.2547934

Featured Resources

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About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.

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