Week 11

Question 1

Define neuropsychology

Answer 1

How dysfunction in the brain relates to changes in personality and psychological functioning.

Question 2

How do neuropsychologists assess brain function

Answer 2

Clinical neuropsychologist will administer neuropsychological assessment testing (battery, scales, and individual tests on top).

Question 3

What are the different cause of brain dysfunction

Answer 3

Stroke – blockage restricting blood flow to part of brain, making brain tissue die.
Traumatic brain injury – Trauma – an impact on the brain caused by a blow or a sudden violent movement of the head.
Neurodegenerative diseases – conditions in the brain that result in a gradual loss of nerve cells and of the cognitive or other functions in which those cells are normally involved. E.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s.

Question 4

What are and list Amnesic Disorders

Answer 4

They are neuropsychological disorders involving memory loss.
Anterograde amnesia – cannot form long-term memories because of damage to the hippocampus.
Korsakoff’s psychosis/syndrome – B12 deficiency resulting in anterograde amnesia and confabulation (making up false memories).

Question 5

What are and list Consciousness Disturbances

Answer 5

They are impairments in the ability to be aware of the world. Results from damage to the reticular formation. COMA or vegetative state.
Delirium – abnormally impaired or abnormally elevated levels of consciousness.
Anosognosia – impairment but no knowledge of impairment by patients.

Question 6

What are and list Perceptual Disturbances

Answer 6

They are neuropsychological disorders in which there are impairments in the ability to organise, recognise, interpret and make sense of incoming sensory information.
Visual agnosia – know an item, can describe and draw but can’t identify the item in a picture
Prosopagnosia – can no longer recognise faces.
Capgras Syndrome/delusion –Think know people are imposters.
Simultanagnosia – can see part of a visual scene but not all.
Hemineglect – pays attention to one side of perception only
Aphasia – disruptions to language/communication

Question 7

What are and list Movement Disorders

Answer 7

Apraxia – learned motor skills are disrupted.
Dementia – significant disruptive impairments in memory as well as in perceptual ability, language or learned motor skills.
Mild cognitive impairment – may proceed some kinds of dementia.
Amnestic MCI – memory issues to certain degree but no other deficits and can maintain daily life.
Alzheimer’s – 60-80% of dementia cases.
Anomia – problem naming objects.
Vascular dementia – dementia caused by restrictions of the brains blood supply.
Aprosodia – using tone of voice as communication tool is difficult.