A neuropsychologist is a psychologist who specializes in studying brain behavior relationships. Neuropsychologists have extensive training in the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the nervous system. Some neuropsychologists specialize in research while other neuropsychologists specialize in evaluating and treating people who are thought to have something wrong with the way in which their nervous system is functioning.
Neuropsychologists study brain behavior relationships under very specific circumstances which are both controlled and standardized. As a general rule, this means using tests which have been validated and which have been shown to have acceptable levels of sensitivity and specificity. This means the test can measure the thing it is trying to measure even when the thing it is trying to measure is only present in small amounts and it also means the test can distinguish the thing it is trying to measure from other things.
If we wish to measure a thing "A" then the test has to be able to measure "A" even when very little of "A" is present; this is sensitivity. Specificity means when we measure "A" with our test, we know that the test does not measure "B", "C," or "D."
Clinical neuropsychologists evaluate patients using one of three general methods. The first method is to use an assessment technique in which a fixed battery of tests is given and in which we only want to know what functions are impaired and what functions are not impaired.
The most commonly used representative of this type of test is the Halstead - Reitan Neuropsychological Battery. The second method is to use an assessment technique in which a fixed battery of tests is given but in this method there is a hierarchical each subtest so that if a function is impaired, the level at which it is impaired can be determined. The most common representative of this type of test is the Luria - Nebraska. Common to both of these tests is a long history of research studies examining the ability of the two batteries to measure dysfunction of the brain and to accurately identify why that dysfunction is occurring.
The third method used by neuropsychologists is the flexible battery approach. By definition, the flexible approach is not a battery because when one uses this approach one gives a group of tests allegedly picked for just the particular patient. This means that the particular group of tests is not given to other patients and it is not
Rowland, Lewis P. (ed.): Merritt's Textbook of Neurology, eighth edition. Lea and Febiger. Philadelphia, 1959, pp. 630--631.
...e highly individualized, there are a variety of ways to interpret the results. There are four categorical scores that can all be combined or individually analyzed in addition to the percentile and age-adjusted subtest norms. These quanitiative scores can be used to determine whether a child exhibits higher, lower, or average level cognitive or social functioning (Korkman, et al., 2007a). In addition to the NEPSY-II results, it is important for administrators to integrate the results of other educational, environmental, neurobiological, and medical records in order to make a more thorough assessment and recommend more comprehensive interventions. While the NEPSY-II may help educators, parents, and professionals indicate the neuropsychological of the child, it is important to understand that it is not to be used for the localization of brain dysfunction (Kemp, 2010).
...however issues such as reliability, validity and bias occur when studying brain damaged patients therefore is not always a valid way of studying working memory (in Smith, 2007).
Rowland, L. P., ed. Merritt’s Textbook of Neurology. 7th ed. Lea and Febiger. Philadelphia: 1984.
Many of the studies involve the participants sitting a neuropsychological test and compared their results. Neuropsychological tests are designed to examine cognitive abilities, such as speed information processing, memory, language attention and executive functions. Neuropsychological testing is important for assessing and treating traumatic brain injury, but also important for testing and examining the effects of medical conditions on brain functioning (Iverson et al., 2004). A Neuropsychological test that is frequently used through out these studies is known as ImPACT.
-“Find evidence of damage in at least two separate areas of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves AND
The report will critique Woodcock Johnson III Diagnostic Reading Battery (WJ III DRB) and compare my report to the Mental Measurement Yearbook (MMY). The assessment will include the evaluation, in relation to Woodcock et al.’s (1989) WJ III DRB, on the description and purpose of such tests along with ease of use, administrating and interrupting results based on converting raw scores to standard scores including analyzing the results. Finally, assess the overall quality of the test.
Brain-Based Research can be researched plenty of ways, such as ultrasound, MRI, PET, and noninvasive ways to study brain chemistry. The sayings “use it or lose it” means if a person doesn’t use the knowledge they have taken in right away, they will lose it (not remember
... to one single neuron, eliminating cats and other animals from brain altering tests (“Alternatives” 2-4).
Among the numerous components in the human body, the brain ranks superior due to its vital role in maintaining a suitable environment for life to continue. Injuries and conditions that affect this system have the ability to cause severe and life-threatening damage, which is why doctors that specialize in this field of medicine are so indispensable to healthcare institutions. According to healthline.com, a neurologist is a physician who has undergone additional training to diagnose and treat disorders of the nervous system. The nervous system includes the brain and the nerves that send signals to allow the body to function properly. However, many neurologists specialize in more specific conditions such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. They can also treat injuries such as concussions or strokes. Additionally, a neurologist can work as a reference for other physicians by advising them about the effects of certain medical conditions like AIDS or substances such as drugs and alcohol on the nervous system. (Hoyle)
This normative base was especially important because such factors as age and development are crucial to the interpretation of scores. The scoring of Bender-Gestalt II was designed to assess visual-motor integration functioning. Thus, it is helpful in differentiating the neurological, learning and psychological problems. Basically when interpreting the test scores for the Bender-Gestalt test II of copy and recall phase have been converted to standard scores and percentile scores, the mean is 100 and standard deviation is 15. The classification of scores ranges from 145-160 (extremely advanced or high) to 40-54 (extremely low or moderately delayed) (Brannigan et al.,
Stuss and colleagues (2002) argue that clinical neuropsychology at its simplest is “the understanding of brain-behaviour links and their applications to clinical situations”. In their review of the history of clinical neuropsychology, they speak of three fields that have contributed to our current understanding of brain behaviour links including 1) behavioural neurology, 2) neuropsychiatry and 3) clinical neuropsychology. Within these disciplines, a range of techniques are used to investigate loca...
In conclusion, the clinical and statistical approaches in psychology can be beneficial to clinicians depending on the types of situations or specific areas that are being observed. As I mentioned earlier in my paper, the statistical method is useful when results are large and from heterogeneous samples and when they pertain to objective and specific areas. The clinical approach is beneficial in circumstances where situations are unforeseen rendering statistical tests moot. In addition, they are also useful when the interest in an individual case is high. Due to each individual being different and unique in their own way, I believe that clinicians should not rely heavily on statistical predictions and prepackaged treatments as opposed to clinical judgment and individual patients.
The mental status exam investigates global and limbic brain functions, left and right parietal functionality and language. This is achieved through tests such as, level of consciousness, memory, and language assessment (Blumenfeld, 2010). Yanagawa and Miyawaki (2012) highlight the importance of obtaining reports from witnesses to assist with a mental status examination. They state that pre-hospital patients can deteriorate quickly into unconsciousness, limiting the ability for para...