Week 2

Question 1

3 types of neuromyths

Answer 1

Nonsense: All experts agree
Lack of facts: Experts on this topic agree
Controversy: Experts on this topic are debating

Question 2

Reasons for neuromyths

Question 3

Bandwagonitis

Answer 3

Taking over ideas of friends and colleagues because they said so

Question 4

What acute exercise does to your brain

Answer 4

› Increase in cerebral blood flow
› Increase in availability of neurotransmitters:
dopamine and noradrenaline
› Increase in Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor
(BDNF) availability
 Promotion of neurogenesis
 Promotion of growth of nerve cells in the brain
› Greater activity in brain areas related to executive functions and attention regulation

Question 5

Wide range achievement test (WRAT)

Answer 5

Test for academic performance

Question 6

Acute effects on cognition: results

Answer 6

Increased brain activity on incompatible trials
 Improved accuracy on flanker task
 Improved reading comprehension performance (WRAT)
 But NOT on math performance
-Its better to train executive functions to improve them
Exercise supports but does not improve executive functions

Question 7

How to be a critical consumer of MBE research

Answer 7

Brain explanations are very appealing
› Brain findings do not apply to other levels: cognition, academic performance, behavior
› Lab findings do not apply to real environments
› Do not overgeneralize: acute effects, in children
› Only one study -> accumulating evidence is necessary

Question 8

The SANE effect

Answer 8

The seductive allure of neuroscience explanations
- Circular explanations are judged more credible when combined with brain info

Question 9

Chronic physical exercise has beneficial effects for:

Answer 9

-Symptoms of ADHD as rated by parents and teacher
-Executive functioning
-Increased frontal brain activity
-Motor functioning
Social and emotional functioning
-Behaviour problems

Question 10

Antecedent based intervention

Answer 10

Prevention of externalizing behaviours
-Extra recess time
-Multiple desks
-Motor breaks
-Stability balls

Question 11

Consequent based interventions

Answer 11

Strategies for after the behaviour takes place
-Running errands
-Toys for fidgeting
-Exercise/dancing breaks as group reinforcer

Question 12

Neuropsychological tests prior to 1990

Answer 12

Halstead-Reitan
Luria-Nebraska batteries

Question 13

Differences between NEPSY and NEPSY II

Answer 13

Extended test to 16yrs 11 months
Includes new subtests and removed domain scores

Question 14

NEPSY

Answer 14

-Developmental
-First neuropsychological assessment battery specifically for children age 3-12
-Lurian and process oriented approach
-results interpreted in both qualitative and quantitative matter

Question 15

Purposes of NEPSY-II

Answer 15

-Assess brain damage even if cause is not known
-Use as a LT follow up
-Identify patterns of deficiencies that are consist with research on neurodevelopmental disorder
-To identify strengths and weaknesses that can be directly linked to prescriptive interventions

Question 16

NEPSY-II assesses 6 functional domains:

Answer 16

(SMALVS)
Sensorimotor
Memory and learning
Attention/ executive functioning
Language
Visuospatial
Social perception

Question 17

Four types of assessment batteries in NEPSY-II

Answer 17

Full assessment
Selective assessment
Diagnostic referral battery
General referral battery

Question 18

Full assessment in NEPSY

Answer 18

-Purpose: To see students neurocognitive strengths and weaknesses in order to use evidence based interventions
-All subtests that are age-appropriate across all 6 domains
-For children with:
Severe brain damage or dysfunction
Neurodevelopmental risk factors (eg. prenatal exposure to alcohol)
Severe learning or behavioural problem
Sever medical treatments that may affect the CNS

Question 19

General referral battery for NEPSY-II

Answer 19

Subset of all the NEPSY-II tests
5of 6 domains- Not social perception
Recommended as starting point for school based referrals- When referral Q is unclear or multiple problems

Question 20

Diagnostic referral battery of NEPSY-II

Answer 20

8 diagnostic referral batteries to assess specific problems (SBALLLPS)
-Social perception
-Behaviour management
-Attention/ concentration
-Learning differences: Reading
-Learning differences: Math
-Language delays/disorders
-Perceptualmotor delays/disorders
-School readiness
Subtests selected based on:
-Largest effect sizes
-Deficits associated based on literature

Question 21

Selective assessment batteries

Answer 21

-Selected subtests can be used as part of cross battery assessment, since they are not subject to order affects
-Subtests can be selected due to relevance to referral question

Question 22

Scores generated by NEPSY-II

Answer 22

Scaled scores:
-Normalized and corrected by age
-Mean= 10
-SD=3

Percentile rank ranges:
-Normalized and corrected by age
-Expressed in a percentile score
Less than or equal to 2= Well below expected level
3-10= below expected
11-25= slightly below expected
26-75= at expected level
above 75= above expected level

Cumulative percentages (Base rates):
-Cumulative percentages of the standardization sample
-Descriptive base rates not actual % marks (eg. 26% of same age children obtained same score)

Combined scores:
-2 standardised scores integrated into one from the same subtest
-Only be used when there isn’t a significant difference between the 2 scores

Contrast scores:
-difference between 2 scores
-Creates a norm based value
-Shows statistical difference between 2 scores

Process scores: Evaluate subtle differences in performance

Qualitative behavioural observations:
-Number of occurrences or the absence of qualitative behaviours
-Base rates can be determined with comparisons made to same age group within the standardization sample

Question 23

WISC-V Integrated

Answer 23

-6-16.11yrs
-Qualitative info
-Extension of the WISC-V, NOT A STAND ALONE BATTERY
-Tests the limits for low WISC-V scores (greater than 1 SD below average)
-14 subtests

Question 24

Subtests of WISC-V Integrated

Answer 24

8 adapted:
-Similarities multiple choice
-block design multiple choice
-picture vocab multiple choice
-vocab multiple choice
-cancellation abstract-written arithmetic
-figure weights process approach
-arithmetic process approach

Question 25

Subtests of the WISC-V Integrated and their domains

Answer 25

Verbal comprehension: Similarities MC, Vocab MC, Picture vocab MC, Comprehension MC, Info MC
(Response format changed from free recall to recognition)

Visual-spatial: Block design MC
(Removes the motor planning and execution demands from original block design subtest)

Fluid reasoning: Figure weights process approach, arithmetic process approach, written arithmetic

Working memory: Spatial span, sentence recall

Processing speed: Coding recall, coding copy, cancellation abstract

Question 26

D-KEFS Test

Answer 26

-8-89 (Except proverbs test: 16-89)
-Advantages on previous versions:
Updated normative sample
Integration of a process assessment approach into each test
-Tests: Trail making, verbal fluency, design fluency, colour word inference, card sorting, word context, 20 questions, tower test, proverbs test

Question 27

RBANS Update

Answer 27

-Measures cognitive decline
-12-89.11 yrs

Question 28

Major functions of frontal-subcortical circuit:

Answer 28

-Skeletomotor: Regulates large and fine muscle movements
-Oculomotor: Regulates eye movements
-Dorsolateral prefrontal: ‘Executor of the brain’
-Orbitofrontal (lateral, ventromedial): Integrates emotional info into contextually appropriate responses
-Anterior Cingulate: Motivational mechanism, behavioural initiation responses, creativity and concept formation, allocation of attentional resources
-Inferior temporal posterior parietal: Working memory