Summary Clinical neuropsychology

A snapshot of the summary - Clinical neuropsychology Author: Roy Kessels ISBN: 9789089537591

• 2 Neuropsychology in practice

• 2.2 neuropsychological tests

• Which 4 stages does the diagnostic cycle in neuropsychology consist of?

  1. Complaint analysis
  2. problem analysis
  3. diagnosis
  4. indication for treatment
• What are some considerations when trying to asses whether or not a test result is abnormal?

  • Are the results reliable, valid and truly reflective of the level of cognitive/emotional functioning of the patient
    
  • determine the test cut-off point based on the normative data
  • qualitative aspects
• What is meant by a differential diagnosis?

  You always have to do a check to make sure the complaints and problems might not also have another explanation
  

  • don't just pay attention to results that confirm your hypothesis
  • first diagnosis seen as most plausible one 

• 2.3 reliability and validity

• What is meant by reliability and which types are there?

  Reliability is the accuracy of the measurement, there are 2 types
  

  •  test-retest: same result when test is taken at different times
  • inter-rater: correspondence between results of different researchers (cohens kappa)
• What is meant by validity and which types are there?

  Validity is whether the test measures what it is supposed to measure, there are 5 types:
  

  • face validity: validity at first glance
  • content validity: extent to which a test is representative of the measured topic
  • construct validity: extent to which the result of the result reflects the cognitive function
  • criterion validity: extent to which a test can predict  the performance of a patient with regard to external criterion
  • ecological validity: how wel does the test predict daily functioning

• 3 Neuropsychology: the scientific approach

• Fundamental neuropsychological research

  Focuses on the understanding of underlying cognitive disorders/processes and related brain structures using experimental paradigms
• Clinically oriented neuropsychological research

  Focuses on (improving) the assessment and treatment of brain disorders

• 4 Neuroimaging

• BOLD - Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent response (used in fMRI)

  Measures the ratio between oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor haemoglobin

• 5 Recovery and treatment

• Direct neurological symptom of brain injury

  A loss of of a change in behaviour or cognitive proces as a direct consequence of damage to a functional brain system

• 5.1 introduction

• What is recovery in the context of this chapter?

  Recovery is regarded as progress in functioning in comparison with the time of brain injury, not a full return to premorbid functioning
  

  • Neurological level
  • Cerebral: brain plasticity
  • Psychological level
  • Behavioral and experiential: learning, newly acquired behavior resulting in brain modifications, plasticity