Neuropsychological Assessment

Question 1

What does neuropsychological assessment contribute?

Answer 1

1. Provides knowledge which links anatomy with behavioral functions
2. Knowledge enables assessment
3. Accurate assessment is NB

Question 2

3 typical types of patients

Answer 2

1. With brain damage
2. At risk for BD
3. Suspected BD (but CT/MRI not showing damage)

Question 3

What is the assessment procedure?

Answer 3

1. Referrals
2. History
3. Testing
4. Reports

Question 4

What are typical questions of a referral?

Answer 4

What deficits were caused?
Describe impairment
Demented or depressed?
Normal aging or dementing process?
Can they return to work?

Question 6

What is the psychometric criteria for testing?

Answer 6

• Standardization
• Reliability
• Validity
• Sensitivity
• Specificity

Question 7

What is a type I and type II error?

Answer 7

Type I: measured is T but reality is F (F+)

Type II: measured is F but reality is T (F-)

Question 8

What are different types of patient history?

Answer 8

Medical
Collateral
Patient subjective

Question 9

What are examples of a fixed battery test?

Answer 9

Halstead-Reitan

Luria-Nebraska

Question 10

What are the pros and cons of a fixed battery test?

Answer 10

+ all abilities tested, good for beginners (but interp. is an issue), obj. interp. based on normative data

• expensive, too long to administer to in-patients
• tests only as good as their standardization
• scores may not reflect a single cognitive process

Question 11

What are the pros and cons of the process approach?

Answer 11

+ individuality, good in clinical evaluation, saves time by focusing on NB deficits, involves interaction
+ emphasises HOW patient fails test
+ non-standardised administration
- not useful in large-scale research, difficultly training, clinician bias

Question 12

What is the difference between fixed-battery approach and the process approach?

Answer 12

FBA: - long administration time
- all tests given to ALL patients (no deviations allowed)
- evaluates all major skills
PA: - tend to use in SA
- varies in time and tests selected
- tailored assessment based on knowledge of pathology, history and referral q

Question 13

Who does badly in Orientation tests?

Answer 13

Lowered state of consciousness or in confused/delirious state

Question 14

What should be tested up-front?

Answer 14

Attention, because it is the ‘gate-keeper’

Question 15

What does the Rey Complex figure test for?

Answer 15

• Visuoconstructional problems
• Neglect
• Executive problems
• Visuospatial memory

Question 16

What are the 6 components of language?

Answer 16

reading 
writing
repetition
production
naming
comprehension

Question 17

What are examples of visuospatial disorders and what damage usually causes it?

Answer 17

RH syndrome

• constructional apraxia
• unilateral neglect
• anosognoisa
• topographical (dis)orientation

Question 18

What types of memory is tested and what are their tests?

Answer 18

Working: digit-span backwards, corsi’s backwards
Verbal: babock test, wordlist
Visuospatial: Rey complex

Question 19

What types of executive memory is tested and what are the tests?

Answer 19

Abstract thinking: similarities, proverbs, 20 qs
Problem-solving: 18 Books q
Inhibition/set-shifting: stroop task
Perseveration: tapping

Question 20

What effects successful cross-cultural applications of neuropsych assessments?

Answer 20

e. g. SA:
- degree of influence of western culture predicts level of success on tests
- economic disparity, multilingual, educational quality
- age does not predict education

Question 21

Which tests are notably inaccurate in a cross-cultural setting?

Answer 21

Cookie Jar Picture (rather: washing line picture)

Boston Naming Test, not testing ability to name objects but testing knowledge of objects

Question 22

What is a critical problem in neuropsychological assessment?

Answer 22

We need normative comparison standards to create normative data