Neuropsychological Definition, Evaluation, Testing

Neuropsychological

Neuropsychology is the study of the relationship between behaviour, emotion, and cognition on the one hand, and brain function on the other.

Neuropsychological Test -

Neuropsychological tests are specifically designed tasks used to measure a psychological function known to be linked to a particular brain structure or pathway. Tests are used for research into brain function and in a clinical setting for the diagnosis of deficits.

Types of Neuropsychology Testing -

• Intelligence
• Memory
• Language
• Executive function
• Visuospatial
• Dementia specific

Neuropsychology Evaluation -Most neuropsychological tests in current use are based on traditional psychometric theory. In this model, a person's raw score on a test is compared to a large general population normative sample, that should ideally be drawn from a comparable population to the person being examined. Normative studies frequently provide data stratified by age, level of education, and/or ethnicity, where such factors have been shown by research to affect performance on a particular test. This allows for a person's performance to be compared to a suitable control group, and thus provide a fair assessment of their current cognitive function.

The most useful factor of Neuropsychology evolution is that it provides an accurate identification of the disorder for the patient when it is unclear to the psychologist what exactly he/she has. This allows for accurate treatment later on in the process because treatment is driven by the exact symptoms of the disorder and how a specific patient may react to different treatments.

Neuropsychology