Contemporary Approaches To Neuropsychological Assessment

This volume reflects, in part, an update of Clinical Application of Neuropsycho logical Test Batteries, edited by Theresa Incagnoli, Gerald Goldstein, and Charles Golden some 10 years ago. While the initial concept of the present editors involved doing a straightforward update of each chapter, it soon became apparent that the field of clinical neuropsychology had changed so dramatically and rapidly that substantial changes in the outline had to be made. It was our view that sufficient interest remained in the standard comprehen sive neuropsychological test batteries to make an update worthwhile. We asked four senior people to take on this assignment, James Moses, Jr. , andAmold Purisch in the case of the Luria-Nebraska Battery, and James Reed and Homer Reed for the Halstead-Reitan Battery. These individuals all have long-term associations with these procedures and can be viewed as pioneers in their development. How ever, it also seemed to us that there was an increasing interest in the psychometric aspects of the standard procedures and in assessment issues related to the relative merits of using standard or individualized assessment strategies. Thus, we have chapters by Elbert Russell and Gerald Goldstein that provide discussions of these current methodological and clinical issues. During the past 10 years, the cognitive revolution has made a strong impact on neuropsychology. The interest of cognitive psychologists in brain function has increased dramatically, and we now have an active field of cognitive neuropsy chology, something that was only beginning 10 years ago.

Since the late 1800s psychologists have been interested in discerning the strategies subjects employ to solve psychological tests (Piaget, 1928, Werner, 1940, Gesell, 1941). Much of this work, however, has relied on qualitative observations. In the 1970s, Edith Kaplan adopted this approach to the analysis of standardized neuropsychological measures. Unlike her predecessors, Dr. Kaplan and her colleagues emphasized the application of modern behavioral neurology to the analysis of the test data. Her approach was later termed the Boston Process Approach to neuropsychological assessment. While Edith Kaplan's work generates a great deal of enthusiasm, the qualitative nature of her analyses did not allow for its adoption by mainstream neuropsychologists. However, in recent years this limitation has begun to be addressed. Clinicians and researchers have developed new methodologies for quantifying the Boston Process Approach, leading to the emergence of a new field, which is collectively termed the Quantified Process Approach. Quantified Process Approach to Neuropsychological Assessment outlines the rationale for the emergence of this new approach and reviews the state of the art research literature and up to date clinical applications as they pertain to the evaluation of neuropsychiatric, head injured, and learning disabled patients. When available, norms and scoring forms are included in the appendices.

Quickly acquire the knowledge and skills you need to confidently administer, score, and interpret the most popular neuropsychological assessment instruments Neuropsychological testing can identify changes in cognition, behavior, and emotion; aid in determining the cause of a disorder or developmental problem; and assist clinicians in planning treatment and rehabilitation. To use these tests properly, professionals need an authoritative source of advice and guidance on how to administer, score, and interpret them. Now fully revised and in a second edition, Essentials of Neuropsychological Assessment is that source. Completely updated to include the most current instruments, including the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV), and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition (WMS-IV), Essentials of Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition presents an overview of the assumptions, logic, knowledge base, and skills underlying the practice of neuropsychological assessment. Neuropsychological experts Nancy Hebben and William Milberg describe how clinical history, behavioral observations, and formal test results are used to make inferences about the contribution of brain dysfunction to psychological functioning. Like all the volumes in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, this book is designed to help busy mental health professionals quickly acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make optimal use of major neuropsychological assessment instruments. Each concise chapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as test questions that help you gauge and reinforce your grasp of the information covered. Essentials of Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition provides comprehensive instruction on neuropsychological test administration, scoring, interpretation, and report writing. It also addresses practical and conceptual issues related to neuropsychological assessment in geriatric, pediatric, forensic, and other specialized settings. Other titles in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series: Essentials of Assessment Report Writing Essentials of WAIS-IV Assessment Essentials of WISC-IV Assessment, Second Edition Essentials of WIAT-II and KTEA-II Assessment Essentials of WJ IIITM Cognitive Abilities Assessment Essentials of WJ IIITM Tests of Achievement Assessment Essentials of School Neuropsychological Assessment Essentials of Cross-Battery Assessment, Second Edition Essentials of KABC-II Assessment Essentials of NEPSY Assessment Essentials of Executive Function Assessment Essentials of Processing Assessment

Neuropsychology is a specialized branch of psychology which focuses on the relationship between the brain and human functions including cognition, behaviour, and emotion. With an emphasis on a scientific approach which includes analysing quantitative data, neuropsychology follows an information processing approach to brain activity using standard assessments to evaluate various mental functions. This book examines the standardized battery of tests in neuropsychology, with a particular focus on forensic applications of these tests, suggesting that a united theory of assessment needs to be established. Bringing together multiple articles related to forensic neuropsychology, this book offers an exploration of the neurological and psychometric theoretical basis for standardized batteries as well as a comparison between flexible and standardized batteries. Ultimately, it is argued that a standardized battery of tests need to be used and explains the justification for the reliability of this approach, especially in relation to expert witness testimony. While doing this, formal procedures, including advanced mathematical procedures such as formulas and decision tree algorithms, are presented to be utilized in assessments. With its thorough examination of the theoretical and practical applications of a standardized battery in neuropsychological assessment, this book will prove helpful to clinical practitioners and attorneys using assessment for their cases. Provides a unified theoretical basis for a standardized neuropsychological assessment battery Shows the justification for using neuropsychological assessment in forensic applications Offers practical examples which can be used to create a standardized assessment battery

When Handbook of Normative Data for Neuropsychological Assessment was published in 1999, it was the first book to provide neuropsychologists with summaries and critiques of normative data for neuropsychological tests. The Second Edition, which has been revised and updated throughout, presents data for 26 commonly used neuropsychological tests, including: Trailmaking, Color Trails, Stroop Color Word Interference, Auditory Consonant Trigrams, Paced Auditory Serial Addition, Ruff 2 and 7, Digital Vigilance, Boston Naming, Verbal Fluency, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, Hooper Visual Fluency, Design Fluency, Tactual Performance, Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, Rey Auditory-Verbal learning, Hopkins Verbal learning, WHO/UCLA Auditory Verbal Learning, Benton Visual Retention, Finger Tapping, Grip Strength (Dynamometer), Grooved Pegboard, Category, and Wisconsin Card Sorting tests. In addition, California Verbal learning (CVLT and CVLT-II), CERAD ListLearning, and selective Reminding Tests, as well as the newest version of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-III and WMS-IIIA), are reviewed. Locator tables throughout the book guide the reader to the sets of normative data that are best suited to each individual case, depending on the demographic characteristics of the patient, and highlight the advantages associated with using data for comparative purposes. Those using the book have the option of reading the authors' critical review of the normative data for a particular test, or simply turning to the appropriate data locator table for a quick reference to the relevant data tables in the Appendices. The Second Edition includes reviews of 15 new tests. The way the data are presented has been changed to make the book easier to use. Meta-analytic tables of predicted values for different ages (and education, where relevant) are included for nine tests that have a sufficient number of homogeneous datasets. No other reference offers such an effective framework for the critical evaluation of normative data for neuropsychological tests. Like the first edition, the new edition will be welcomed by practitioners, researchers, teachers, and graduate students as a unique and valuable contribution to the practice of neuropsychology.

Neuropsychological assessment is a difficult and complicated process. Often, experienced clinicians as well as trainees and students gloss over fundamental problems or fail to consider potential sources of error. Since formal test data on the surface appear unambiguous and objective, they may fall into the habit of overemphasizing tests and their scores and underemphasizing all the factors that affect the validity, reliability, and interpretability of test data. But interpretation is far from straightforward, and a pragmatic application of assessment results requires attention to a multitude of issues. This long-awaited, updated, and greatly expanded second edition of the Clinician's Guide to Neuropsychological Assessment, like the first, focuses on the clinical practice of neuropsychology. Orienting readers to the entire multitude of issues, it guides them step by step through evaluation and helps them avoid common misconceptions, mistakes, and methodological pitfalls. It is divided into three sections: fundamental elements of the assessment process; special issues, settings, and populations; and new approaches and methodologies. The authors, all of whom are actively engaged in the clinical practice of neuropsychological assessment, as well as in teaching and research, do an outstanding job of integrating the academic and the practical. The Clinician's Guide to Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition will be welcomed as a text for graduate courses but also as an invaluable hands-on handbook for interns, postdoctoral fellows, and experienced neuropsychologists alike. No other book offers its combination of breadth across batteries and approaches, depth, and practicality.

Methodology in Neuropsychological Assessment: An Interpretative Approach to Guide Clinical Practice provides practical and methodological guidance for neuropsychologists working with people with brain lesions or brain dysfunctions. The textbook underlines the principles that can be used to guide clinicians in recognizing and interpreting signs and symptoms while enabling a complete neuropsychological assessment through a series of well-defined steps. The text provides a detailed methodological approach towards neuropsychological tools, with guidance on how to select the right test and how to interpret the outcome, which can act as a primer for a clinician through every step of the assessment in a coherent and reasoned way. The textbook presents an exhaustive discussion of the varied tools that a clinician can employ to complete a rigorous and consistent neuropsychological assessment. It guides the reader from the first step of collecting the personal history of the examinee – the anamnesis – to the selection of suitable psychometric tests and scoring, which is accordingly integrated to formulate the neuropsychological diagnosis and write up the neuropsychological report. Chapters also include coverage of the neuropsychological interview with the examinee and their family and the probability of identifying a disorder with a neuropsychological assessment. The authors have further included a series of detailed and explanatory clinical cases from their experience to expand upon the evaluation process. The textbook is valuable reading for students in clinical neuropsychology who are learning to carry out neuropsychological evaluations as well as clinicians who are seeking to develop a more comprehensive approach towards performing a thorough neuropsychological assessment.

Interpret the WISC–V to help diagnose learning disabilities and to translate profiles of test scores to educational action The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fifth Edition (WISC–V) is a valuable tool for assessing children and adolescents with learning disorders—and Intelligent Testing with the WISC–V offers the comprehensive guidance you need to administer, score, and interpret WISC–V profiles for informing diagnoses and making meaningful educational recommendations. This essential resource provides you with cutting-edge expertise on how to interpret the WISC–V, which has an expanded test structure, additional subtests, and an array of new composites. Intelligent Testing offers valuable advice from experienced professionals with regard to clinically applying the WISC–V in an effort to understand a child's strengths and weaknesses—and to create a targeted, appropriate intervention plan. Ultimately, this book equips you with the information you need to identify the best theory-based methods for interpreting each child's profile of test scores within the context of his or her background and behaviors. Intelligent Testing provides a strong theoretical basis for interpreting the WISC–V from several vantage points, such as neuropsychological processing theory and the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model, yet it permits you to interpret children's profiles using simple, straightforward steps. The most frequently used IQ test in the world, the WISC–V (like previous versions of the WISC) plays an integral role in evaluating children for learning and intellectual disabilities, developmental and language delays, and gifted and talented classifications. As such, understanding how to use the latest version of WISC is extremely important when assessing children and adolescents ages 6 to 16 years. Explore all aspects of both the conventional WISC–V and WISC–V Digital Read objective, independent test reviews of the WISC–V from independent, highly-respected expert sources Review 17 clinical case reports that spotlight experiences of children and adolescents referred to psychologists for diverse reasons such as reading problems, specific learning disabilities, ADHD, intellectual giftedness, and autistic spectrum disorders Learn how a broad-based, multi-faceted approach to interpretation that calls upon several scientific concepts from the fields of cognitive neuroscience, clinical and school neuropsychology, neuropsychological processing, and the CHC model, can benefit children by providing meaningful recommendations to parents, teachers, and often to the children and adolescents themselves Use the results of WISC–V as a helping agent to assist in creating the best intervention plan, rather than allowing test results to dictate placement or labeling Intelligent Testing with the WISC–V is an indispensable resource for professionals who work with the WISC–V, including school psychologists, clinical psychologists, educational diagnosticians, and more.