Neuropsychological Assessment Quiz

Neuropsychological assessment is a method to determine the extent of impairment to a particular skill and to attempt to determine the area of the brain which may have been damaged following brain injury or neurological illness. It focuses on the assessment of cognition and behavior, including examining the effects of any brain injury or neuropathological process that a person may have experienced. It includes an evaluation of the person's mental status, psychological, personal, interpersonal, and wider contextual circumstances. The three broad goals of neuropsychological assessment are diagnosis, understanding the nature of any brain injury or resulting cognitive problem, and measuring change in functioning over time. To diagnose a neuropsychological disorder, psychologists can use history-taking, interviewing, test-taking, and intelligence testing. Neuropsychological assessment can clarify the nature of the disorder and determine the cognitive functioning associated with a disorder. It can also determine whether the individual is faking a disorder (malingering) in order to attain a lesser sentence. Most neuropsychological testing can be completed in 6 to 12 hours or less, but this time does not include the role of the psychologist interpreting the data, scoring the test, making formulations, and writing a formal report. Neuropsychological assessments are usually conducted by doctoral-level psychologists trained in neuropsychology, known as clinical neuropsychologists. They will usually have postdoctoral training in neuropsychology, neuroanatomy, and brain function.