Neuropsychological Testing Essay example -- Health, Diseases, Brain Im

Neuropsychological tryouting is utilise to assess and diagnosis brain impairments, such as a head injury, dementia, or Alzheimers (Gregory, 1999). Purposes of neuropsychological assessments include determining if the paradox is physiological (e.g., brain disablement or lesion), the nature of the dysfunction (e.g., location or type), and cognitive deficits caused by the problem (Class Notes VIII). For example, following a brain injury, a neurological onslaught of tests may be given in order to assess the more or lessbody to see if there has been any change in cognitive functioning. Results from neurological assessments offer provide information on the individuals real mental capacities, which allows for the development of a specific diagnosis and an individualized word plan (Gregory, 1999). Additionally, these tests help document the effects of a progressive distemper (i.e., Alzheimers) or suffer confirm the individuals recovery (Gregory, 1999). Furthermore, if irresolu tion or referral questions about cognitive functioning are presented, then book binding tests are often given beforehand to assess whether or non a neurological test assault and battery or flexible battery is required. These screening tests are shorter versions that are easier to administer and interpret than the long intensive neurological test batteries (Gregory, 1999).A neuropsychological battery of assessments examines areas that are thin to brain trauma or disorders, such as intelligence, memory, language, visuospatial and motor abilities, and facade lobe functioning. The WAIS is specifically useful to neuropsychological testing because it can be used to examine these same areas. The intelligence aspect is generally measured by a standard intelligence test like the WAIS-III or WAIS-I... ...r-level pattern formation. Furthermore, construe ability on the WAIS-III can predict the score on the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WRAT). Some problems with using this approach is that reading is dependent on education and verbal abilities and brain damage can cause problems with reading ability (e.g., aphasias), so another test would flip to be administered in the neuropsychological evaluation (Schoenberg et al., 2002).Overall, the WAIS can be a useful tool to include in a neuropsychological battery. It can help estimate a persons premorbid IQ and some of the individual subtests can provide insight into the section of the brain that may be dysfunctional. However, the WAIS may also be a difficult test to use to estimate cognitive decline, because there are so umpteen tasks involved in the WAIS tasks that it is hard to separate out what they real problem may be.