Neuropsychological testing & neuroimaging Flashcards

1
Q

Standardized MSE

A

brief (<10 mins) mental status examinations to detect the presence of cognitive impairment (e.g. MoCA, MMSE)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Abbreviated battery

A

test that takes around 20-40 mins (e.g. ImPACT, RBANS)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Comprehensive neuropsychological battery

A

lengthy test (4-6 hours) for profiling

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Evolution of the role of neuropsychological testing from 40s-80s to 90s

A

having to identify presence and location of brain damage; invention of CT and MRI; descriptive, psychometric assessment of ecologically relevant cognitive functions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Examples of tests for working memory

A

reorder digits, mental arithmetic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Examples of tests for cognitive flexibility

A

alternating sequences, concept sorting, rule changes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Examples of tests for response inhibition

A

stroop, go-no/go

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Examples of tests for episodic memory

A

delayed recall of word lists, stories, shapes, designs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Examples of tests for processing speed

A

shape matching, symbol decoding

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Examples of tests for language

A

verbal fluency, object naming

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Examples of tests for visuospatial

A

complex figure copy, line orientation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

5 properties of neuropsychological tests

A

standardized, reliability, norm-referenced (using reference values), criterion validity, ecological validity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Criterion validity

A

degree to which test performance relates to brain function

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

2 ways to test criterion validity

A

lesion studies; functional neuroimaging

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Ecological validity

A

degree to which test scores relate to everyday function

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

5 stages of interpretive procedure

A

test validity; estimated premorbid functioning; impaired (and normal) test scores; impaired (and preserved) abilities; etiology/prognosis and treatment/management

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

2 steps in estimating premorbid function

A

make predictions based on age, education level, etc; performance-based ways to refine estimate (e.g. “hold” test)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

3 interpretive strategies

A

pattern analysis, process measures, contrast scores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Pattern analysis

A

looking at different tests that assess the same kind of cognitive ability

20
Q

Provecss measures

A

looking at how someone goes about performing in a test

21
Q

8 indications for neuropsychological testing

A

differential diagnosis; monitor disease progression; clarify impact of disease/injury; determine rehabilitation needs; capacity for IADLs, work, study; surgical candidacy; legal competency; medicolegal

22
Q

Legal competency

A

whether someone is competent enough to stand trial, consent to healthcare procedures, sign a will, etc.

23
Q

Medicolegal

A

how much compensation victim of an accident or someone with a brain injury gets

24
Q

4 limitations of neuropsychological tests

A

most measure more than one cognitive ability (i.e. multifactorial); few validated tests for important abilities (e.g. social cognition); quiet and distraction-free setting (may limit ecological validity); cultural bias

25
Q

4 future innovations of neuropsychological tests

A

computer-adapted administration; adapting tests from translational neuroscience; improved ecological validity with virtual reality; concurrent measurement of hemodynamic, electrophysiological, and metabolic function

26
Q

3 main purposes of a neurological exam

A

lesion localization; diagnosis; triaging

27
Q

When is a neurological exam most useful?

A

disorders that involve focal lesions (e.g. stroke, tumor, MS flare-ups); disorders of the peripheral nerve and spinal cord

28
Q

6 components of a neurological exam

A

mental status; cranial nerves; motor system (tone, power, reflexes); coordination (balance, gait, cerebellar); involuntary movements; sensory (temperature, touch, vibration, position sense)

29
Q

How does computed tomography (CT) work?

A

rotates X-ray source and detector to reconstruct image based on the physical density of tissue (fat>tissue>bone)

30
Q

What are CT scans used for?

A

skull fracture, intracranial bleeds, mass lesions (e.g. tumors)

31
Q

Pros vs cons of CT scans

A

quick and inexpensive; radiation exposure

32
Q

How does MRI work?

A

measures radiofrequency signal produced during proton realignment after magnet perturbation

33
Q

What is MRI used for?

A

small/subtle lesions (better spatial resolution than CT), conditions affecting white matter

34
Q

Pros vs cons of MRI

A

spatial resolution and many contrast types available; slow and expensive, and contraindicated for patients with pacemaker, implants, metal

35
Q

Diffusion tension imaging

A

research tool (limited clinical use) wherein molecules of water flowing in one direction indicate an intact white matter track

36
Q

How does EEG work?

A

electrodes on surface of scalp detect electrical activity in cerebral cortex

37
Q

What is EEG used for?

A

epilepsy, delirium, encephalitis

38
Q

Pros vs cons of EEG

A

quick and inexpensive; hard to measure deep brain structures

39
Q

2 principles of fMRI

A

BOLD (blood oxygen level dependence) signal and subtraction methodology

40
Q

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)

A

chemical composition of tissue within a voxel

41
Q

Positron emission tomography (PET)

A

cellular metabolism

42
Q

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)

A

regional cerebral blood flow

43
Q

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

A

magnetic field signature of cortical neuronal activity

44
Q

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)

A

changes in hemoglobin concentrations via light absorption

45
Q

BOLD signal

A

regional increases in blood supply; delayed from neural activity

46
Q

Subtraction methodology

A

isolate pattern of activation in the brain associated with a task