Chapter 1-4 Neuropsychology: past, present, and future methods!

Question 1

What was classical neuropsychology before 1914 based upon?

Answer 1

It was based upon patients
who had suffered cerebrovascular accidents (and patients with progressive or degenerative conditions, including neurosyphilis).

Question 2

How did the neuropsychological research and assessment change after 1914?

Answer 2

Due to the wars, neurologists were now also dealing with the behavioural sequelae of focal lesions caused by high-velocity projectile injury to the brains of young, previously healthy men (and, more rarely, women).

Question 3

What gained interest in neuropsychology as a consequence of young men suffering severe focal lesions?

Answer 3

Cognitive rehabilitation due to patients often surviving 30-50 years following the injury.

Question 4

What tool in neuropsychology was developed during the period 1914-1956?

Answer 4

The standardized test was developed and introduced, assessing language, memory, praxis, and
visuospatial skills.

Question 5

Did anything worth noting happen with the field of psychology during the period 1914-1956?

Answer 5

YES! Clinical neuropsychology as a field emerged.

Medical doctors weren’t as skilled in assessing and treating the whole person following traumatic brain injury.

Question 6

What is cognitive neuropsychology?

Answer 6

The distinctive character of cognitive neuropsychology lies in the explicit endeavour to interpret disorders of cognition in relation to formal information processing models of normal (brain/mind) systems.

Question 7

What is the objective of assessment?

Answer 7

Neuropsychological assessment is concerned with identifying the cognitive, emotional, and behavioural consequences of brain dysfunction.

Question 8

Is there evidence of organic brain dysfunction?

Answer 8

What a fucking stupid question asked by the book. The answer is yes btw.

Question 9

What is most important in a neuropsychological assessment?

Practical or functional consequences of cognitive impairment?

Answer 9

Haha, trick question. Both are equally important.

Question 10

How do you assess functional consequences of cognitive impairment?

Answer 10

Standardized tests, test batteries etc.

Question 11

How do you assess practical consequences of cognitive impairment?

Answer 11

Typically surveys either specific for the person or caregivers, partners, teachers or otherwise qualified individuals that know and knew the patient prior to injury.

Question 12

Is the following statement true or not?
Neuropsychological assessment is used in forming an opinion regarding a person’s capacity to manage his or her affairs, particularly financial affairs, or consent to treatment.

Answer 12

Mega true. Like so true. Couldn’t be more true. I know more than the experts. For real. It’s true.
- Donald Trump.

Question 13

What are the implications of the pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses for the rehabilitation process?

Answer 13

It doesn’t really matter if you’re capable of performing well on WISC, WAIS or other standardized tests if you can’t tie your shoes, boil an egg or open the fridge. If you catch my drift.

Question 14

Can mood and behaviour be affected by medication, neurosurgery and/or traumatic brain injuries?

Answer 14

Combined stupid questions from the book. yes. yes. YES! YEEEEEEEEES! Trillion times yes. Shit’s affected, yo.

Question 15

What is the most beloved assessment tool in the neuropsychologists tool box?

Answer 15

The glorious standardized test!

Question 16

What is important to be aware of when assessing patients with standardized tests?

Answer 16

Concentration
Comprehension
Motivation and Effort
Malingering! (Motivation by hopes of secondary gain)

Question 17

Name the three steps of the assessment proces.

Answer 17

1. Review of material from the referrer
2. Interview of patient, relatives or any other relevant parties (boss, teacher etc.)
3. Administration of standardized tests

Question 18

Name at least two important factors related to standardized tests.

Answer 18

1. Whether to use “big battery tests” or specialized tests.

2. Awareness od the normative data.

Question 19

Premorbid function is..

Answer 19

The patient’s functioning prior to brain injury.

Question 20

Name some important considerations regarding premorbid function.

Answer 20

Does the premorbid functioning resemble that of a normative population? (Low IQ beforehand most likely won’t increase following an injury).

It’s necessary to do a thorough background check of the patient: Demographically, education-wise etc.

Question 21

What is psychometrics?

Answer 21

Psychometrics is a specific domain of measurement in psychology concerned with the assignment of numerals to one (or several) property/ies of objects or events according to fixed rules.

Question 22

What are tests measuring optimal performance called?

Answer 22

Aptitude, achievement or proficiency tests.

Question 23

Name at least 4 out of 7 characteristics of psychometric testing.

Answer 23

◆ Unlike physical attributes, psychological attributes of a person cannot be measured directly.

◆ Psychological attributes are constructs or hypothetical concepts the existence of which can never be confirmed in an absolute way nor is there universal acceptance how to measure any construct.

◆ The degree or extent to which some psychological construct is characteristic of a person can only be inferred from limited samples of that person’s behaviour.

◆ Before any measurement of a construct can be made, one has to establish an operational definition (i.e. a rule of correspondence between the theoretical construct and observable behaviours that may be considered indicators of the construct).

◆ Any measurement obtained is always subject to error.

◆ The units of measurement on the measurement scales are not well- defined per se.

◆ The measurements on one construct must also have demonstrated relationships to other constructs within a theoretical system.

Question 24

Name four neurological factors affecting the rehabilitative outcome.

Answer 24

◆ Location, Type, and Extent of Lesion
◆ Secondary Effects (e.g., edema, increased intracranial pressure, hematoma)
◆ Coma Severity and Duration
◆ Post-Traumatic Amnesia Duration

Question 25

Name at least 4 out of 7 neuropsychological functioning factors affecting the rehabilitative outcome.

Answer 25

◆ Attention 
◆ Memory 
◆ Language Functioning 
◆ Visual-Spatial Skills 
◆ Motor Skills 
◆ Problem-Solving/Mental Flexibility
◆ Information Processing Speed

Question 26

Name the four psychosocial factors affecting the rehabilitative outcome.

Answer 26

◆ Awareness of Deficit
◆ Motivation
◆ Coping Style
◆ Anxiety and Depression Background

Question 27

Name at least 5 relevant factors in the background history of the patient that could affect the rehabilitative outcome.

Answer 27

◆ Age 
◆ Personality 
◆ Premorbid Level of Functioning 
◆ Social Supports 
◆ Financial Supports

Question 28

Name advantages and disadvantages in group approaches to rehabilitation.

Answer 28

+ Cost-efficient
- Not very specifically tailored
+ Offers Peer support

Question 29

Name advantages and disadvantages in individual approaches to rehabilitation.

Answer 29

• Cost
  + Specifically tailored
• Peer support

Question 30

Name the two approaches to rehabilitation.

Answer 30

1) Cognitive Retraining

2) Compensatory strategies

Question 31

Define cognitive retraining.

Answer 31

Retraining programs usually involve repeated practice of specific cognitive exercises designed to strengthen basic skills (e.g., attention, encoding) that are essential for more complex cognitive function.

Question 32

Define compensatory strategies.

Answer 32

Compensatory approaches are based on the principle that individuals can offset reduced cognitive abilities by utilizing different ways of performing a task.

Question 33

There exists three types of compensatory strategies. Name them!

Answer 33

1) Internal strategies
2) External strategies
3) Domain-specific techniques

Question 34

Give at least three examples of internal strategies.

Answer 34

1) Face-name strategy in which one identifies a salient facial feature.
2) The familiar method-of- loci, in which a visual image is associated with each of a series of locations or items on a list.
3) Spaced retrieval techniques to train prospective memory–the ability to remember to do things in the future.
4) Verbal mediators such as forming
semantically meaningful associates or easily connected rhymes of material to be remembered
5) Self-instruction, wherein one talks his/her way through an activity in order to maintain appropriate attention
6) ‘Goal Management Training’, designed to reduce executive impairments related to frontal lobe damage. This is a manual-based protocol for helping patients organize their behaviour and execute tasks in a goal-directed manner.

Question 35

Give at least two examples of external strategies.

Answer 35

1) Physical remedies like a map, a checklist, alarms etc.
2) Verbal feedback
3) Response costs (e.g. monetary loss when forgetting)

Question 36

Which of the following cities has never been the capital of Denmark?
Randers
Ribe
Viborg
Nyborg
Lund (Sverige)
Århus
Roskilde

Answer 36

Randers :’( og Århus.

Question 37

Of notable characters, who’s going to attend this years Tonder Festival?

Answer 37

Seb & Pete

MAYBE MOOOREE??

Question 38

Name and explain two domain-specific techniques.

Answer 38

1) Method of vanishing cues.
- memory- impaired people are provided with
enough cues to allow successful performance, and
as learning occurs, cues are gradually withdrawn.
2) The errorless learning procedure.
- minimizing the possibility of errors.

Question 39

Give examples of incorporation of adjuvant interventions.

Answer 39

Diet and physical exercise.
- promotes neural angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and
up-regulation of neuroprotective molecules (in
rodents at least)