Neuropsychology & Spouse/Family Members

I intend to explore the effects of a parietal brain injury

from the perspective of a neuropsychologist; ranging from types

of tests that are employed when trying to determine the extent

of the damage, to gaining an understanding of how this damage

will affect the rest of the brain and/or the body. I will also

explore the effects of a brain injury from the perspective of

the family members, and their experiences with the changes that

occur during the rehabilitation process.

According to The Neuropsychology Center,

“neuropsychological assessment is a systematic clinical

diagnostic procedure used to determine the extent of any

possible behavioral deficits following diagnosed or suspected

brain injury”(www.neuropsych.com). As mentioned previously, a

brain injury can be the result of many types of injuries or

disorders, thus a broad range of assessment procedures have been

developed to encompass these possibilities. Two types of

assessment procedures that are currently being used are the

Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB), and the

Halstead Russell Neuropsychological Evaluation System (HRNES-R).

The LNNB is used to diagnose cognitive deficits, while the

HRNES-R indicates both the presence and degree of impairment.

Both procedures involve tasks that require the patient to

complete a series of functions that test abilities and/or

perceptions. Such tasks would include, but are not limited to,

problem solving, memory, sensorimotor functioning, and

psychological/emotional status.

Other testing procedures that are commonly employed, in

order to gain a better visual image of the excitatory activity

in the brain are the PET scan and the MRI. According to Kalat

(2004), these methods are non-invasive, meaning that they don’t

require the insertion of objects into the brain, yet they yield

results that allow researchers to record brain activity. The

PET scan (positron emission tomography) involves the researcher

injecting a radioactive chemical into the patient’s body, which

is then absorbed mainly by the brain’s most active cells. With

the use of radioactive detectors, placed around the patient’s

head, a map is produced that shows which areas of the brain are

most active. The MRI, on the other hand is less expensive and

much safer (as it doesn’t expose the patient to potentially

harmful radioactive chemicals). The MRI or magnetic resonance

imaging device, as an safer alternative, applies a powerful

magnetic field around the head of the patient.