Neuropsychological Tools for Dementia

Neuropsychological Tools for Dementia

With the aging of the baby boomers and medical advances that promote longevity, older adults are rapidly becoming the fastest growing segment of the population. As the population ages, so does the incidence of age related disorders. Many predict that 15% - 20% of the baby-boomer generation will develop some form of cognitive decline over the course of their lifetime, with estimates escalating to up to 50% in those achieving advanced age. Although much attention has been directed at Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, it is estimated that nearly one third of those cases of cognitive decline result from other neuropathological mechanisms. In fact, many patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease likely have co-morbid disorders that can also influence cognition (i.e., vascular cognitive impairment), suggesting mixed dementias are grossly under diagnosed. The Clinical Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Aging and Dementia is a unique work that provides clinicians with expert guidance and a hands-on approach to neuropsychological practice with older adults. The book will be divided into two sections, the first addressing special considerations for the evaluation of older adults, and the second half focusing on common referral questions likely to be encountered when working with this age group. The authors of the chapters are experts and are recognized by their peers as opinion leaders in their chosen chapter topics. The field of neuropsychology has played a critical role in developing methods for early identification of late life cognitive disorders as well as the differential diagnosis of dementia. Neuropsychological assessment provides valuable clinical information regarding the nature and severity of cognitive symptoms associated with dementia. Each chapter will reinforce the notion that neuropsychological measures provide the clinician with sensitive tools to differentiate normal age-related cognitive decline from disease-associated impairment, aid in differential diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction in older adults, as well as identify cognitive deficits most likely to translate into functional impairments in everyday life.

This fully updated and expanded second edition of a successful book reviews the most important neuropsychological measures currently used in the assessment of dementia by the principal clinicians and researchers associated with the tests. Several clinicians and research workers, who have been at the forefront in developing the tests in question, provide clear practical guidance on the scope of each test, use in research, as well as an analysis of their accuracy and limitations. The international contributors have brought together a concise and practical guide on the role of neuropsychological testing to support the dementia assessment. Neuropsychological Assessments of Dementia in Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities, Second Edition is an essential reference for all those working in the field of dementia and intellectual disabilities.

Rehabilitation provides a core concept around which to organise support, intervention and care for people with impairments in memory and other cognitive functions. This book introduces a conceptual framework and rationale for the application of a neuropsychological rehabilitation approach for people with dementia, helping them to manage, bypass or overcome these problems and experience optimum well-being. Methods and techniques of cognitive rehabilitation are described and the process of goal-setting is discussed in detail, showing how effective strategies may be linked to form an individualised, goal-oriented approach to intervention. The application of a rehabilitation approach in real-life contexts is explored, demonstrating the role and value of neuropsychological rehabilitation within a holistic, psychotherapeutic framework of care and support. This overview of the neuropsychological rehabilitation approach to dementia care will be of great interest to psychologists as well as to those studying or practising in the area.

An accessible, authoritative book aimed at the clinician, The Oxford Textbook of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia covers the dramatic developments that have occurred in basic and clinical neuroscience in an integrated fashion. With contributions from a range of international experts, this is the one essential textbook for clinicians with an interest in cognition and dementia - including neurologists, geriatricians and psychiatrists. A textbook that is more than the sum of its constituent parts, it provides a powerful means of bringing together different aspects of conceptual understanding and factual knowledge in a way that usually can only come after many years in the field.

A unique analysis of the pediatric and adult manifestations of the most common neuropsychological conditions treated in clinical practice.

One in ten adults over 65 has some form of mild cognitive impairment or MCI--thinking problems that go beyond those associated with normal aging, but that fall short of the serious impairments experienced by people with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias. This is the first book written specifically for individuals with MCI, for their loved ones, and for the health care professionals who treat them. Written by three clinicians and researchers who have devoted their careers to MCI patients, this book provides up-to-date and reliable information on the nature of this disorder, how it may affect people, and what can be done about it. The authors explain how MCI is diagnosed and treated and they offer advice on how to improve cognitive health through diet and exercise, through social engagement, and through the use of practical, effective memory strategies. Throughout, case studies illustrate the real-life issues facing people living with MCI. The book includes "Questions to Ask Your Doctor," recommended readings and links to relevant websites, and worksheets to guide readers through healthy lifestyle changes.

When Handbook of Normative Data for Neuropsychological Assessment was published in 1999, it was the first book to provide neuropsychologists with summaries and critiques of normative data for neuropsychological tests. The Second Edition, which has been revised and updated throughout, presents data for 26 commonly used neuropsychological tests, including: Trailmaking, Color Trails, Stroop Color Word Interference, Auditory Consonant Trigrams, Paced Auditory Serial Addition, Ruff 2 and 7, Digital Vigilance, Boston Naming, Verbal Fluency, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, Hooper Visual Fluency, Design Fluency, Tactual Performance, Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, Rey Auditory-Verbal learning, Hopkins Verbal learning, WHO/UCLA Auditory Verbal Learning, Benton Visual Retention, Finger Tapping, Grip Strength (Dynamometer), Grooved Pegboard, Category, and Wisconsin Card Sorting tests. In addition, California Verbal learning (CVLT and CVLT-II), CERAD ListLearning, and selective Reminding Tests, as well as the newest version of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-III and WMS-IIIA), are reviewed. Locator tables throughout the book guide the reader to the sets of normative data that are best suited to each individual case, depending on the demographic characteristics of the patient, and highlight the advantages associated with using data for comparative purposes. Those using the book have the option of reading the authors' critical review of the normative data for a particular test, or simply turning to the appropriate data locator table for a quick reference to the relevant data tables in the Appendices. The Second Edition includes reviews of 15 new tests. The way the data are presented has been changed to make the book easier to use. Meta-analytic tables of predicted values for different ages (and education, where relevant) are included for nine tests that have a sufficient number of homogeneous datasets. No other reference offers such an effective framework for the critical evaluation of normative data for neuropsychological tests. Like the first edition, the new edition will be welcomed by practitioners, researchers, teachers, and graduate students as a unique and valuable contribution to the practice of neuropsychology.

"This book provides an overview of the cognitive and behavioral profiles of the cortical dementias in a readable and clinically relevant manner. Its emphasis on disease entities primarily affecting cortical structures allows for a more comprehensive description of the latest insights into the pathogenesis and assessment of a number of different disease processes... Weighted Numerical Score: 98 - 5 Stars!" Melissa Jones, MD (University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine) Doody's Medical Reviews The Neuropsychology of Cortical Dementias addresses in depth the neuropsychological impact and features of the full range of cortical dementias. It examines the differential neuropathological and pathophysiological bases of these dementias and emphasizes their behavioral and cognitive aspects in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. The book also presents the most advanced techniques and strategies for disease-specific treatment. Important legal/ethical issues and the role of caregivers in treating dementia patients are also covered. Featuring contributions from such diverse disciplines as neuropsychology, neurology, psychiatry, and clinical psychology, this volume provides a broad interdisciplinary perspective for practicing clinical neuropsychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, gerontologists, and psychologists who work with patients with dementia. Key Features: Includes comprehensive, clinically focused coverage of all major cortical dementias Covers neuroanatomy, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of dementia patients, as well as legal and ethical issues Discusses assessment and diagnosis from the perspectives of neuroimaging and cognitive and behavioral symptoms Discusses a range of interventions (pharmacological, cognitive behavioral, etc.) and management issues related to dementia treatment Informed by contributions from such diverse disciplines as neuropsychology, neurology, psychiatry, and clinical psychology

This volume presents current research information on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in a format suitable for clinicians. The authors address the principal components and neuropsychological features of dementia syndromes, as well as recent developments in brain imaging.

This book reviews important neuropsychological measures currently used in the assessment of dementia by the principal clinicians and researchers associated with the test, offering practical guidance on each test along with an analysis of its limitations.

"I am pleased to include this text in my library, and I am confident that it will serve as an excellent resource for years to come."--PsycCRITIQUES This book serves as an A-Z reference that addresses the neuropsychological aspects of 300 neurological, neuropsychiatric, and neuromedical disorders. Each entry follows a 5 section structure that will cover (1) essential features of the disorder (2) physiological basis of the disorder (3) neuropsychological and other clinical presentation (4) assessment and diagnostic practices (5) evidence-based treatments and interventions. This book is written for clinical professionals and students in training to aid in clinical awareness, diagnostic accuracy, and intervention successfulness. The text goes beyond the emotional and behavioral aspects of each disorder and views the broader impacts of the symptoms. This approach emphasizes the importance of looking at the other functional impacts of these manifestations (e.g. cognitive deficits secondary to depression, orthodopaedic ambulation issues). The emphasis on neuropsychological sequelae, physiological basis, and means of diagnosing and treating of 300 conditions across the lifespan make this the most comprehensive resource available to professionals in and around neuropsychology, neuropsychiatry and the behavioral neurosciences. Key Features: Presents 300 highly-structured entries providing disorder features, pathology and physiology, clinical representation, assessment and diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments and interventions Covers neurological, neuropsychiatric, and neuromedical disorders across the lifespan (pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations) Includes interventions and methods of treatment for the outcomes patients may experience

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating and dehumanizing illness affecting increasingly large numbers of elderly and even middle-aged persons in a worldwide epidemic. Alzheimer’s Disease: A Physician’s Guide to Practical Management was written by selected clinicians and scientists who represent some of the world’s leading centers of excellence in AD research. The editors are proud and grateful for their profound contributions. This book is particularly designed to assist physicians and other health-care professionals in the evaluation, assessment, and treatment of individuals with AD. At the same time, by illuminating the basic scientific background, we hope to provide state-of-the art information about the disease and possible future therapeutic strategies. The recent psychiatric treatment aspects of AD are also clearly presented. Because the early diagnosis of the dementia process is now considered of increasing importance, we focus particularly in several chapters on early changes and preclinical conditions, such as mild cognitive impairment and predementia AD.

Written by a multidisciplinary team of experts in neurobehavior, this concise, well-illustrated book provides normative data on clock drawing from ages 20 to 90 years. A practical guide to the quantitative assessment of clock drawing, it also takes a process-oriented approach to qualitative impairment. The authors discuss clock drawing as a neuropsychological test instrument and the rationale for selecting specific time settings, as well as the basis for using different clock conditions. The book contains numerous examples of clocks drawn by patients with cognitive impairment due to dementia, metabolic encephalopathy, traumatic brain injury, disconnection syndrome and focal brain lesions. Insight into changes in clock drawing ability that may represent the earliest markers of cognitive decline in dementia are also presented. This volume will be of interest to clinicians and researchers in neuropsychology, neurology, psychiatry, geriatric medicine, language therapy, and occupational therapy.

This major clinical reference and text is the first volume to systematically address the entire process of neuropsychological assessment and intervention with older adults. The expert editors and contributors detail the current state of knowledge about frequently encountered conditions ranging from mild cognitive impairment to progressive, stable, and reversible dementias. Evidence-based assessment and intervention strategies are described, and specific guidance is provided for linking neuropsychological evaluation to individualized treatment planning. Demonstrating an array of cognitive training, compensatory, and psychotherapeutic approaches, the volume shows how these can successfully be used to improve patients' functioning and quality of life.

There is a wide scope of clinical phenomenology in Alzheimers disease, regarding the age of onset, presenting features, rate of progression and appearance of other clinical manifestation. Although clinical appearance and neuropathological hallmarks have been defining AD since its first description, major factors which trigger pathology are still unknown. The role of comorbidity is discussed controversially. Important environmental risk factors in AD development are continuous stress, low education and cardiovascular risk factors such as alcohol intake, smoking, hypertension. The role of lipids and cholesterol has been recognized, but the relevant pathogenetic steps are still to be identified. There is an urgent need to understand molecular disease pathogenesis in order to develop early therapeutic targets for the disease.

From translating the patient’s medical records and test results to providing recommendations, the neuropsychological evaluation incorporates the science and practice of neuropsychology, neurology, and psychological sciences. The Little Black Book of Neuropsychology brings the practice and study of neuropsychology into concise step-by-step focus—without skimping on scientific quality. This one-of-a-kind assessment reference complements standard textbooks by outlining signs, symptoms, and complaints according to neuropsychological domain (such as memory, language, or executive function), with descriptions of possible deficits involved, inpatient and outpatient assessment methods, and possible etiologies. Additional chapters offer a more traditional approach to evaluation, discussing specific neurological disorders and diseases in terms of their clinical features, neuroanatomical correlates, and assessment and treatment considerations. Chapters in psychometrics provide for initial understanding of brain-behavior interpretation as well as more advanced principals for neuropsychology practice including new diagnostic concepts and analysis of change in performance over time. For the trainee, beginning clinician or seasoned expert, this user-friendly presentation incorporating ‘quick reference guides’ throughout which will add to the practice armentarium of beginning and seasoned clinicians alike. Key features of The Black Book of Neuropsychology: Concise framework for understanding the neuropsychological referral. Symptoms/syndromes presented in a handy outline format, with dozens of charts and tables. Review of basic neurobehavioral examination procedure. Attention to professional issues, including advances in psychometrics and diagnoses, including tables for reliable change for many commonly used tests. Special “Writing Reports like You Mean It” section and guidelines for answering referral questions. Includes appendices of practical information, including neuropsychological formulary. The Little Black Book of Neuropsychology is an indispensable resource for the range of practitioners and scientists interested in brain-behavior relationships. Particular emphasis is provided for trainees in neuropsychology and neuropsychologists. However, the easy to use format and concise presentation is likely to be of particular value to interns, residents, and fellows studying neurology, neurological surgery, psychiatry, and nurses. Finally, teachers of neuropsychological and neurological assessment may also find this book useful as a classroom text. "There is no other book in the field that covers the scope of material that is inside this comprehensive text. The work might be best summed up as being a clinical neuropsychology postdoctoral residency in a book, with the most up to date information available, so that it is also an indispensible book for practicing neuropsychologists in addition to students and residents...There is really no book like this available today. It skillfully brings together the most important foundationsof clinical neuropsychology with the 'nuts and bolts' of every facet of assessment. It also reminds the more weathered neuropsychologists among us of the essential value of neuropsychological assessment...the impact of the disease on the patient’s cognitive functioning and behavior may only be objectively quantified through a neuropsychological assessment." Arch Clin Neuropsychol (2011) first published online June 13, 2011 Read the full review acn.oxfordjournals.org

Drawing on the most current research, this study is the perfect companion for those who work alongside elderly people with and without dementia. The book explains why changes in cognition, motor skills, and pain are typical for the elderly while describing the most prevalent subtypes of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Focusing on the motor skills of hand motor activity and gait, the study also illustrates changes in the various aspects of pain experience, explaining them clearly through the use of neuropathology of the medial and lateral pain systems. Updates concerning compensation and rehabilitation are also included.

Neuropsychology has become a very important aspect for neurologists in clinical practice as well as in research. Being a specialized field in psychology, its long history is based on different historical developments in brain science and clinical neurology. In this volume, we want to show how present concepts of neuropsychology originated and were established by outlining the most important developments since the end of the 19th century. The articles of this book that cover topics such as aphasia, amnesia and dementia show a great multicultural influence due to an editorship and authorship that spans all developmental initiatives in Europe, Asia, and America. This book gives a better understanding of the development of higher brain function studies and is an interesting read for neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, neurosurgeons, historians, and anyone else interested in the history of neuropsychology.

Popular with generations of practitioners, Brocklehurst's Textbook of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology has been the definitive reference of choice in the field of geriatric care. The new 7th Edition, by Howard M. Fillit, MD, Kenneth Rockwood, MD, and Kenneth Woodhouse, carries on this tradition with an increased clinical focus and updated coverage to help you meet the unique challenges posed by this growing patient population. Consistent discussions of clinical manifestations, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and more make reference quick and easy, while over 255 illustrations compliment the text to help you find what you need on a given condition. Examples of the latest imaging studies depict the effects of aging on the brain, and new algorithms further streamline decision making. Emphasizes the clinical relevance of the latest scientific findings to help you easily apply the material to everyday practice. Features consistent discussions of clinical manifestations, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and more that make reference quick and easy. Includes over 255 illustrations—including algorithms, photographs, and tables—that compliment the text to help you find what you need on a given condition. Provides summary boxes at the end of each chapter that highlight important points. Features the work of an expert author team, now led by Dr. Howard M. Fillit who provides an American perspective to complement the book’s traditional wealth of British expertise. Includes an expanded use of algorithms to streamline decision making. Presents more color images in the section on aging skin, offering a real-life perspective of conditions for enhanced diagnostic accuracy. Includes examples of the latest imaging studies to help you detect and classify changes to the brain during aging. Offers Grade A evidence-based references keyed to the relevant text.