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Psychological Assessment > Neuropsychological > Flashcards

Neuropsychological Flashcards

1
Q

What was neuropsychology before it became a new separate discipline?

A

An area of clinical psychology

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2
Q

What does neuropsychology focus on?

A

The relationship between brain functioning and behaviour

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3
Q

What is a neuron?

A

a nerve cell

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4
Q

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

A

The brain and the spinal cord

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5
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

A

The neurons that convey messages to and from the rest of the body

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6
Q

What are the different sides of the brain called?

A

The cerebral hemispheres

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7
Q

What is it called when one side of the brain controls motor responses on the opposite side of the body?

A

Contralateral control

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8
Q

What is contralateral control?

A

When one side of the brain controls motor responses on the opposite side of the body

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9
Q

What is the rubbery casing around the axon called?

A

The myelin sheath

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10
Q

Is the resting potential of a cell negative or positive?

A

Slightly negative

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11
Q

When is the electrical voltage of a cell absent of a disturbance or stimulant?

A

When it is in resting potential

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12
Q

What does Na+ stand for?

A

Sodium

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13
Q

What does K+ stand for?

A

Potassium

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14
Q

What is the state of Na and K when in resting potential state?

A

Na+ gates are closed

K+ gates are nearly closed

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15
Q

What maintains an electrical gradient (a difference in electrical charge)?

A

The neuron membrane

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16
Q

What it hyperpolarisation?

A

When the electrical signal drops until the charge inside is considerably less than the outside

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17
Q

What is depolarisation?

A

Na+ flowing into the cell to make the electrical signal very positive

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18
Q

When do the Na+ gates fly open?

A

When the cell threshold is reached (after some Na+ has seeped in)

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19
Q

When do the Na+ gates snap shut?

A

When the cell is depolarised completed (full of Na+)

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20
Q

When do the K+ gates fly open?

A

When Na+ gates snap shut (when depolarised and cell is more positive than the outside)

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21
Q

What happens when the K+ gates fly open?

A

K+ can move out of the cell because its more positive inside than outside

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22
Q

What does the sodium potassium pump do?

A

Remove sodium and bring back potassium to restore back to resting potential

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23
Q

When does the sodium pump kick in?

A

When hyperpolarised

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24
Q

What are the specialised junctions between neurons called?

A

Synapses

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25
Q

When does synaptic transmission begin?

A

When the nerve impulse reaches the presynaptic axon terminal

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26
Q

What initiates the sequence of events that lead to the transmitter release and activation of receptors on the post synaptic membrane?

A

Depolarisation of the presynaptic membrane

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27
Q

What is an example of a neurotransmitter?

A 
acetylcholine 
serotonin 
dopamine 
melatonin 
oxytocin 
glutamate
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28
Q

What do neurotransmitters do?

A

transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synaptic cleft

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29
Q

Neurotransmitters can be classified based on whether they are:

A

Excitatory or inhibitory (some can be both depending on the receptor type)

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30
Q

Where is acetylcholine released?

A

In the CNS and the neuromuscular junction

31
Q

What type of neurotransmitter do people with depression need more of?

32
Q

What do people with Schizophrenia have too much of?

33
Q

Less acetylcholine is sometimes associated with which mental disorder?

A

Alzheimers

34
Q

Dopamine and norepinephrine imbalances are strongly related to which mental disorder?

35
Q

What are two examples of a psychostimulants?

A

Cocaine (increases dopamine)

Ecstasy (increases serotonin)

36
Q

What are two types of opiate drugs?

A

Heroin (reduce GABA and increase dopamine)

Morphine (reduce GABA and increase dopamine)

37
Q

What does acetylcholine do?

A

Activates skeletal muscles

38
Q

What is the largest part of the brain?

39
Q

What is the forebrain mainly made up of?

A

The cerebrum (the two cerebral hemispheres)

40
Q

What is the white matter that connects the two hemispheres of the cerebrum?

A

The corpus callosum

41
Q

Each hemisphere is divided into 4 lobes:

A

frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal

42
Q

What are the temporal lobes in charge of?

A

auditory reception and processing visual information

43
Q

What are the occipital lobes in charge of?

A

Visual reception

44
Q

What are the parietal lobes in charge of?

A

Touch and bodily position

45
Q

What are the frontal lobes in charge of?

A

Ordering and sorting information and motor skills (concentration, attention, planning, problem solving)

46
Q

What is the area of the brain involved in regulation of breathing, balance and posture?

A

The cerebellum

47
Q

What is the cerebellum in charge of?

A

Breathing, balance and posture

48
Q

What is the area of the brain involved in regulation of eating, drinking, body temperature, sex and emotion?

A

Hypothalamus

49
Q

What is the hypothalamus in charge of?

A

Regulation of eating, drinking, body temperature, sex and emotion

50
Q

What is the area of the brain involved in expression of emotion?

A

The Lymbic system

51
Q

What are the 3 parts of the lymbic system?

A

Amygdala, cingulate cortex and the hippocampus

52
Q

What part of the brain was damanged in phineas gage?

A

The lymbic system

53
Q

What are lesions?

A

changes to tissue resulting from injury or infection

54
Q

Lesions manifest themselves in various behavioural deficits which include? (2)

A

Focal (at one site)

Diffuse (scattered across sites)

55
Q

What is a hard sign?

A

A definite indicator of neurological deficit (e.g. through neuroimaging)

56
Q

What is a soft sign?

A

An indicator suggestive of neurological deficit (e.g. inability to do something)

57
Q

What are the 4 approaches to neuropsychology?

A

clinical
cognitive
neuroimaging
connectionist

58
Q

What is involved in neuropsychological assessment?

A

History/ background check
Interviewing
Testing

59
Q

What is the benefit of neurological assessment?

A 
diagnosis 
improve treatment 
early intervention 
monitor progress 
discount malingering
60
Q

What are the different types of memory?

A

immediate vs short term
delayed vs long term
working memory

61
Q

What does WMS-IV stand for?

A

Weschler memory scale/ test

62
Q

Why are there two types of batteries of the WMS?

A

different age groups

63
Q

What are the Index scores derived from the WMS?

A 
Auditory memory, 
Visual Memory, 
Visual Working Memory, 
Immediate Memory, and 
Delayed Memory
64
Q

What is the RAVLT?

A

Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (for memory)

65
Q

What are some confounds to memory assessment?

A
  • Tiredness
  • Physical issues (affecting praxis)
  • Depression
  • Drugs
  • Anxiety & stress
  • Thought disorders (seem functional until testing)
  • ADD/ADHD
66
Q

What are some tests for memory?

A

RAVLT
WMS
Wisconsin Card Sort
Clock Drawing task

67
Q

What are some tests for executive function?

A

Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure
Trail making task
Tower of Hanoi

68
Q

What is a test for language?

A

Boston Naming test

69
Q

What would it indicate if someone was to adapt poorly to rule changes?

A

frontal-lobe lesions

70
Q

What does perseverate mean?

A

To continue to respond in a previously correct fashion (to the previous rule)

71
Q

Why is the clock task great for testing dementia?

A

Good daily task that could be done but may be missing details (signs of loss of executive function)
More Sensitive than MMSE
Good for early detection

72
Q

What are the 3 conditions used in the ROCF (Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure) where participants have to draw figures?

A

Copy
Immediate Recall
Delayed Recall

73
Q

In the example of an individual being referred for neuropsychological testing as a paramedic for reading what are your options?

A
  1. Give standardised tests and decide on the basis of these whether
    there might be problems in the work environment.
  2. Determine where there might be risks and devise a test to determine whether the risk exists.
74
Q

What are some key red flags on the clock drawing task for people with dementia?

A 
 wrong time
 no hands
 missing numbers
 number substitutions 
 Repetition
 refusal

Psychological Assessment (10 decks)

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