Aging and Neuropsychological Assessment


Book Description

This clinical introduction to the neural effects of aging provides new insights into the effects of aging on the brain and behavior and serves as a guide to the psychological assessment of older patients. Dr. La Rue focuses on the most common neuropsychiatric disorders and uses numerous case studies to demonstrate the applications of different treatment techniques.




Contemporary Perspectives on Ageism


Book Description

This open access book provides a comprehensive perspective on the concept of ageism, its origins, the manifestation and consequences of ageism, as well as ways to respond to and research ageism. The book represents a collaborative effort of researchers from over 20 countries and a variety of disciplines, including, psychology, sociology, gerontology, geriatrics, pharmacology, law, geography, design, engineering, policy and media studies. The contributors have collaborated to produce a truly stimulating and educating book on ageism which brings a clear overview of the state of the art in the field. The book serves as a catalyst to generate research, policy and public interest in the field of ageism and to reconstruct the image of old age and will be of interest to researchers and students in gerontology and geriatrics.




Neuropsychological Evaluation of the Older Adult


Book Description

One of the largest patient populations seen by neuropsychologists are older adults suffering from problems associated with aging. Further, the proportion of the population aged 65 and above is rising rapidly. This book provides a guide to neuropsychological clinicians increasingly called upon to assess this population. The book details in a step-by-step fashion the phases and considerations in performing a neuropsychological assessment of an older patient. It covers procedural details including review of patient's medical records, clinical interview, formal testing, interpretation of test scores, addressing referral questions, and preparing an evaluation report. Outlines a clear, logical approach to neuropsychological evaluation Provides specific clinical practice guidelines for each phase of the evaluation Integrates clinical practice with up-to-date research findings Recommends specific tests for evaluating older adults Details how to interpret test findings and identify the patient's neuropsychological profile Illustrates important points with examples and case materials, many neuropathologically-confirmed Includes forms useful in clinical practice




Neuropsychological Assessment of Dementia and Depression in Older Adults


Book Description

Two of the most common psychological disorders of later life are dementia and depression. The diagnosis of these conditions presents a challenge to clinicians because the symptoms of depression and dementia often overlap; in addition, the symptoms of either of these disorders in their early stages may be attributed to the normal effects of aging. [This book] reviews the most up-to-date research on the diagnosis of dementia and depression [in older adults] and offers concrete recommendations for evaluating this unique population. The contributors to this volume, all experts in the psychological assessment of older adults, give clinicians and practitioners clear and practical guidance on differentiating psychological disorders from normal events in the aging process, identifying symptoms of depression and symptoms of dementia, performing differential assessment of dementia and depression, determining legal competency of older adults, providing clinical interpretations to clients and their families, and applying assessment to therapy and interventions.




Neuropsychological Assessment in the Age of Evidence-Based Practice


Book Description

Evidence-based practice has become the benchmark for quality in healthcare and builds on rules of evidence that have been developed in psychology and other health-care disciplines over many decades. This volume aims to provide clinical neuropsychologists with a practical and approachable reference for skills in evidence-based practice to improve the scientific status of patient care. The core skills involve techniques in critical appraisal of published diagnostic-validity or treatment studies. Critical appraisal skills assist any clinician to evaluate the scientific status of any published study, to identify the patient-relevance of studies with good scientific status, and to calculate individual patient-probability estimates of diagnosis or treatment outcome to guide practice. Initial chapters in this volume review fundamental concepts of construct validity relevant to the assessment of psychopathology and cognitive abilities in neuropsychological populations. These chapters also summarize exciting contemporary development in the theories of personality and psychopathology, and cognitive ability, showing a convergence of theoretical and clinical research to guide clinical practice. Conceptual skills in interpreting construct validity of neuropsychological tests are described in detail in this volume. In addition, a non-mathematical description of the concepts of test score reliability and the neglected topic of interval estimation for individual assessment is provided. As an extension of the concepts of reliability, reliable change indexes are reviewed and the implication of impact on evidence-based practice of test scores reliability and reliable change are described to guide clinicians in their interpretation of test results on single or repeated assessments. Written by some of the foremost experts in the field of clinical neuropsychology and with practical and concrete examples throughout, this volume shows how evidence-based practice is enhanced by reference to good theory, strong construct validity, and better test score reliability.




Aging and Neuropsychological Assessment


Book Description

It is a privilege to be asked to write the foreword for so excellent a book, so timely and so much needed by the field. Not only is it most unusual these days to have a single authored volume on so broad a topic, but Dr. La Rue has done a superb job of providing both a scholarly treatise and a practical handbook. With a burgeoning elderly population and the corresponding increase in geriatric psychopathology, the needs of mental health services are exceeding by far the supply of appropriate providers. In an effort to meet this need, psychiatry, medicine, neurology, pharmacology, psychology, nursing, and social work have all made the provision of training in geriatrics and gerontology a high priority-but I fear we are losing the race. For example, multidisciplinary teams that assess, diagnose, and treat mental health disorders in elderly patients are incomplete without clinical psychologists and neuropsy chologists, and yet there is barely a handful of clinical psychologists trained in dealing with geriatric patients. We can count on our fingers the additional ones graduated each year. In hospitals, clinics, and private practices across the country, otherwise skilled psychologists are unprepared to respond to the special mental health needs of the elderly. A few CME programs are helping to address this need, but they are clearly not enough.




Handbook of Neuropsychology and Aging


Book Description

Leaders in neuropsychology, behavioral neurology, speech and language science, neuropsychiatry, and many other disciplines contribute to this volume, the first comprehensive review of knowledge in the field. They discuss a wide range of disorders, including areas of recent research - such as frontal lobe dementias and the neuropsychological aspects of late life depression - and clinical problems typically given insufficient consideration in other works, such as seizure disorder, head injury, and mental retardation. Normal aging is also covered in detail, and assessment procedures and clinical interventions are given thorough treatment. Other highlights include discussions of guardianship and caregiving personality and behavior, psychotic disorders, Alzheimer's, and head trauma.




Cognitive Aging


Book Description

For most Americans, staying "mentally sharp" as they age is a very high priority. Declines in memory and decision-making abilities may trigger fears of Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases. However, cognitive aging is a natural process that can have both positive and negative effects on cognitive function in older adults - effects that vary widely among individuals. At this point in time, when the older population is rapidly growing in the United States and across the globe, it is important to examine what is known about cognitive aging and to identify and promote actions that individuals, organizations, communities, and society can take to help older adults maintain and improve their cognitive health. Cognitive Aging assesses the public health dimensions of cognitive aging with an emphasis on definitions and terminology, epidemiology and surveillance, prevention and intervention, education of health professionals, and public awareness and education. This report makes specific recommendations for individuals to reduce the risks of cognitive decline with aging. Aging is inevitable, but there are actions that can be taken by individuals, families, communities, and society that may help to prevent or ameliorate the impact of aging on the brain, understand more about its impact, and help older adults live more fully and independent lives. Cognitive aging is not just an individual or a family or a health care system challenge. It is an issue that affects the fabric of society and requires actions by many and varied stakeholders. Cognitive Aging offers clear steps that individuals, families, communities, health care providers and systems, financial organizations, community groups, public health agencies, and others can take to promote cognitive health and to help older adults live fuller and more independent lives. Ultimately, this report calls for a societal commitment to cognitive aging as a public health issue that requires prompt action across many sectors.




Geriatric Neuropsychology


Book Description

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.




WAIS-IV, WMS-IV, and ACS


Book Description

This book provides users of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) with information on applying the WAIS-IV, including additional indexes and information regarding use in special populations for advanced clinical use and interpretation. The book offers sophisticated users of the WAIS-IV and Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-IV) guidelines on how to enhance the clinical applicability of these tests. The first section of the book provides an overview of the WAIS-IV, WMS-IV, and new Advanced Clinical Solutions for Use with the WAIS-IV/WMS-IV (ACS). In this section, examiners will learn: - Normal versus atypical score variability - Low-score prevalence in healthy adults versus clinical populations - Assessing whether poor performance reflects a decline in function or is the result of suboptimal effort New social cognition measures found in the ACS are also presented. The second part focuses on applying the topics in the first section to specific clinical conditions, including recommended protocols for specific clientele (e.g. using demographically adjusted norms when evaluating individuals with brain injury). Common clinical conditions are discussed, including Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury, and more. Each chapter provides case examples applying all three test batteries and using report examples as they are obtained from the scoring assistant. Finally, the use of the WAIS-IV/WMS-IV and the ACS in forensic settings is presented. - Coverage of administration and scoring of WAIS-IV, WMS-IV and ACS - Information contained on the use of WAIS-IV with special populations - Case studies in each chapter - Written by the creators of WAIS-IV, WMS-IV and ACS