Issues in Neuropsychology

Overview of Topics

3 Levels of Inquiry

Organizational Plan

Assessment Strategies

References

THREE BASIC LEVELS OF INQUIRY

1. DIAGNOSTIC
   1. Cerebral dysfunction
   2. Laterality
   3. Focal

2. DESCRIPTIVE (evaluation of impact of lesions on behavior)
   1. Strengths
   2. Weaknesses
   3. Relationship to behavioral dimensions

3. DEVELOPING A TREATMENT PLAN
   1. Outline & Prioratize basic level of functioning
      1. self help
      2. management of finances
      3. locomotion
      4. work/school
   2. Identify basic program needs
      1. Custodial care
      2. Comprehensive rehabilitation program
      3. Day treatment program
      4. Outpatient rehabilitation program

Development - Organizational Plan for Studying Nervous System

1. What is mental status?
2. How does it relate to neuropsychological assessment?
3. What role does it play in medical diagnosis?
4. Why not emphasize objectivity?
5. The Mental Status Model (Strube & Black, 1977)
   1. Consciousness
   2. Attention
   3. Behavioral Observations
   4. Language
   5. Memory
   6. Constructional Ability
   7. Higher Cortical Functions
   8. Related Cortical Functions

Organizational Plan for the study of the nervous system

1. Finalize Mental Status
2. Geschwind review
3. Tie up loose ends
4. Schedule time to observe Neuropsych. Eval.

Revised Conceptual Model - Evaluation Brain-Behavior Relations

1. A look back at the empirical vs. theoretical assessment strategies.
2. Once more: subjectivity vs. objectivity
3. One model for all behavior?
4. Revised model (Long's Plan)
   1. Simple sensory functions.
      1. Vision
      2. Audition
      3. Somatosensory
      4. Olfaction-taste
   2. Complex sensory functions
   3. Memory (label, store, retrieve)
   4. Abstract reasoning and problem solving
   5. Language
      1. Receptive
      2. Connections
      3. Expressive
      4. Oral vs. visual
   6. Planning and behavioral regulation (feedback)
   7. Complex motor functions
   8. Basic motor functions
   9. Consciousness (level of activation)
   10. Motivation - emotion - attention

TOP

Assessment Strategies

1. Screening Devices
   1. Bender
   2. Graham-Kendall
   3. Hooper
   4. Others
2. Needs of a good screening device/s.
3. WAIS
4. WISC
5. Aphasia tests
6. Perceptual functions
7. Visuopractic functions
8. Cognitive-Information processing
9. Reaction time
10. Hemispheric differences
11. Demographic variables
12. Emotional adjustment - cortical functions confound
13. Memory functions
14. Sensory-Motor processing
15. Wechsler Memory Scale

TOP

References

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Becker, B. Intellectual changes afer closed head injury. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1975, 31, 307-309.

Belmont, I., Handler, A., & Karp, E. Delayed sensory motor processing following cerebral damage. II. A multisensory defect. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1972, 155(5), 345-349.

Black, F.W. The utility of the Shipley-Hartford as a predictor of WAIS full-scale IQ for patients with traumatic head injuries. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 30, 168- 169.

Brooks, D.N. Weschler Memory Scale performance and its relationship to brain damage after severe closed head injury. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 1976, 39, 593-601.

Cauthen, N. Normative data for the Tactual Performance Test. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1978, 34(2), 456-460.

Costa, L.D., Vaughan, H.D., Levita, E., & Farber, N. Purdue Pegboard as a predictor of the presence and laterality of cerebral lesions. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1963, 27(3), 133-137.

Dikmen, S. & Reitan, R.M. MMPI correlates of adaptive ability deficits in patients with brain lesions. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1977, 165, (4), 247- 254.

Drewe, E.A. The effect of type and area of brain lesion in Wisconsin Card Sorting test performance. Cortex, 1974, 10, 159-170.

Fogel, M.L. The proverbs test in the appraisal of cerebral disease. Journal of General Psychology, 1965, 72, 269-275.

Hafner, J.L., Corotto, L.V. & Curnutt, R.H. The development of a WAIS short form for clinical populations. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1978, 34(4), 935-937.

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Jones-Gotman, M., & Milner, B. Design fluency: the invention of nonsense drawings after focal cortical lesions. Neuropsychologia, 1977, 15, 653-674.

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Knights, R.M. & Ogilvie, R.M. A comparison of test results from normal and brain damaged children. Research Bulletin No. 53 Univ. of W. Ontario), July, 1967.

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Reitan, R.M. Psychological correlates of traumatic brain injuries. In J.R. Youmans (Ed.) Neurosurgery: A comprehensive Reference Guide to the Diagnosis and Management of Neurosurgical Problems. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co.

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