Clinical Presentation of Cognitive Disorders

Question 1

What can neuropsychology do in terms of diagnosis?

Answer 1

Pinpoint pathology/disease/syndromes

Question 2

What can neuropsychology do in terms of rehabilitation?

Answer 2

Provide strategies to enhance outcome after brain injury/insult

Question 3

What can neuropsychology do in terms of management?

Answer 3

Provide techniques for behavioural disturbance caused by brain injury

Question 4

What can diagnostic assessments of cognition include?

Answer 4

Cognitive complaints
Time frames
Good interviewing and observation
Assessment of key domains of cognition
Incorporate knowledge from other medical professionals

Question 5

What is cognitive rehabilitation?

Answer 5

Application of techniques and procedures
Implementations of supports to allow people to function
- Safely
- Productively
- Independently

Question 6

What is the most important aspect of cognitive rehabilitation?

Answer 6

What are the patient’s goals? - Not yours!

Goals set with patient

Question 7

What is the model used in cognitive rehabilitation?

Answer 7

Active participation model

Question 8

What is the active participation model of cognitive rehabilitation?

Answer 8

Rehabilitation takes place in real world contexts - where person most likely to use/need skills
Focus on enhancing participation and reducing functional limitations

Question 9

What are the interventions in cognitive rehabilitation?

Answer 9

Must be tailored to individual

Question 10

What are cognitive interventions linked with?

Answer 10

Emotional and behavioural reactions

• High rates of depression and anxiety
• Changes in emotional regulation post-injury

Question 11

What are the two categories of cognitive interventions?

Answer 11

Environmental modifications

Compensatory strategies

Question 12

What are environmental modifications?

Answer 12

Change physical and social environment to facilitate greater independence and reduce impact of person’s cognitive and behavioural difficulties

Question 13

When are environmental modifications useful?

Answer 13

Reduced insight
Reduced self monitoring and regulation
Significant/catastrophic attentional, memory, and executive deficits

Question 14

What are compensatory cognitive interventions?

Answer 14

Training people to use behaviours/processes > circumvent difficulties caused by cognitive deficits

Question 15

What are internal strategies in compensatory cognitive interventions?

Answer 15

Improvement of skill set/learn to use other skills

Question 16

What are external strategies in compensatory cognitive interventions?

Answer 16

Use cues and aids to assist compensation of deficit

Question 17

Is there a difference between being mentally active and brain training?

Answer 17

Yes

Question 18

Is there any evidence that brain training work?

Answer 18

No evidence of transference of skills from training