Psych Testing Flashcards
Behavioral
Psychological test ASSESS …
mental abilities and attributes
- achievement & ability
- personality
- neurological fxn
Psychological test ALLOW…
- an assessment of a pt’s cognitive and behavioral fxn
2. an analysis of changes related to; mental or physical disease, injury, abn development of the brain
Psychological test are used to address questions about peoples’s …
- fxning
- diagnostic classification
- co-morbidity
- choice of txt approach
General situation in which physicians uses psychologist …
- presence of underlying psych disorder
- emotional factors assoc with medical complaints
- psychological txt for chronic pain
- Treatment of chemical dependence
- Assessment of neuropsychological deficit (neuropsych assessment represents 1/3 of all psychological referrals to psychiatric and medical settings)
What is the purpose of neuropsychological testings?
method from evaluating pts who demonstrate cognitive or behavioral abnormalities
What are the ways neuropsychological testing is used in the medical context?
- differentiate btwn organic and functional disorders
- already documented neurologic disease/injury
- differentiate btwn neurological diseases/injuries and depression
- monitor drug therapy of epilepsy or hydrocephalus (efficacy or cognitive side effects)
- assess post surgical changes (to guide further txt)
- cognitive deterioration assoc with AIDS
- Alzheimers Disease (initial evaluation)
- Neurotoxic effects of alcohol and/or drugs
- children in educational context
- ADHD
Difference between organic and functional disorders
Organic: symptomatic manifestation of structural cerebral or system medical pathology
Functional: Psychological or emotional in nature
Reasons to neuropysch test someone with document neurological disease or injury
- uncertainty about the degree
- information on anatomic location and extent of dysfxn
- systematically track progress- rate of recovery and potential for returning to work
Difference between neurological disease/injuries from depressive disorders or other psy conditions and when to differentiate the two..
neurological disease: one of the types of dementia
injuries: trauma to the brain, stroke
(vignette: diagnosis is uncertain in a pt. with documented changes in cognitive fxn or pt. presents with complaints of memory impairment and slowness in thinking)
How is neuropsychological test used for deterioration assoc with AIDS
used for ..
- initial evaluation of cognitive deterioration
- re-evaluation of person with AIDS (distinguishes between organic deterioration and depression of chronic illness)
When is it inappropriate to assess the neurotoxic effects of alcohol or drugs …
during the detoxification period or within the early period of abstinence (results are thus unreliable)
When is neuropsych testing used in educational context with children
- changes in school performance (learning disorder)
- specific learning disabilities
- help child improve cognitive fxn at school, work, home
(testing not considered treatment of disease, thus not covered by insurance and provided by the school)
Testing for ADHD is NOT necessary unless …
- there is strong evidence of neurological disorder
How is ADHD best diagnosed?
through careful history, use of structural clinical interviews and rating scales
Commonly used rating scales for ADHD..
- Connors rating scale
- Achembach Child Behavior Checklist
- ADHD Symptoms Rating Scale