chapter 28: neuropsychological assessment

Question 1

3 types of factors that combine to influence adaptation to head injury

Answer 1

Neurocognitive, psychological, socio-environmental

Question 2

Term for lifestyle factors important in contextualizing patient before neuropsychological assessment (and examples).

Answer 2

Biopsychosocial factors:

e.g. history of disease, addiction, family history, stressors, psychological issues, living arrangements, relationships, finances

Question 3

Neuropsych assessment first introduced in response to what world event? What goal associated w assessment?

Answer 3

WWII, goal to have one standardized test to identify brain damage (unsuccessful)

Question 4

Cognitive neuroscience began as field in (decade), (year) study found little change in tests since.

Answer 4

1980s, 2016

Question 5

5 stages of Houston Guideline in Neuropsychology

Answer 5

Assessment, Treatment and Intervention, Consultation, Research, Teaching and Intervention

Question 6

Describe organicity, its implication in standardized testing, and its associated controversy.

Answer 6

Organicity: atypical behaviour with a biological basis

key feature tested for in standardized tests as deviation from norm, controversial due diversity vs deficiency argument

Question 7

An advantage of individualized tests is that they produce (qualitative/quantitative) results.

Answer 7

qualitative

Question 8

What are the goals of neuropsychological assessment?

Answer 8

• Determine level of functioning
• Facilitate care and rehabilitation
• Describe disturbances in function
• Identify unusual brain organization
• Support abnormal EEG finding
• Demonstrate recovery of function
• Communicate realistic outcomes

Question 9

What 5 subscales are tested in the WISC-IV Wechsler test?

Answer 9

General ability, verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, processing speed.

Question 10

Difference of more than __ points between verbal and perceptual subtests deemed clinically significant in intelligence tests.

Answer 10

10

Question 11

What are the ten core features of neuropsychological assessment?

Answer 11

Collaborative, assess early, developmental history, comorbidities, subjective complaints, maximize potentials, not for everyone, limitations, adequate intervals, transparency.

Question 12

Describe the problem of effort.

Answer 12

Need to evaluate whether subject is performing test to best of ability. Effort has greater effect on results than brain damage

Question 13

What is symptom validity testing?

Answer 13

Assesses whether subject is making good-faith effort on tests via control questions and context from others. Attempts to combat/prevent malingering.

Question 14

Neuropsych assessment is estimated to be __ years behind advances in neuroscience.

Answer 14

30

Question 15

What are some goals of improved future neuropsychological opsych assessment procedures?

Answer 15

insight into/implications of wrong answers, common scale across scales, adaptive testing, incorporating demographics, real-time comparative performance assessment