Neuropsychology for Health Care Professionals and Attorneys


Book Description

Regardless of your specialty - physician, psychologist, nurse, rehabilitation specialist, or attorney -post-traumatic stress disorder cases and brain injury cases are arguably the most difficult to understand, treat, and evaluate. All of the tools you need are in the new Neuropsychology for Health Care Professionals and Attorneys, Second Edition. It contains An easy-to-understand description of the neuroanatomy of the brain Four chapters devoted to neurobehavioral disorders such as amnesia, attentional deficits, delirium, dementia, disorders of executive functions of the brain, electrical injury, hypoxic encephalopathy, neurotoxic encephalopathy, learning disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), post-concussive syndrome, seizure disorders, and others A detailed description of neuropsychological assessment, including a critique of approximately 80 neuropsychological tests: their intended use, purpose, administration, sensitivity to brain damage, reliability, validity, strengths, and limitations How factors such as medical illness, medication, psychiatric disorders, stress, anxiety, culture, language, suboptimal motivation, and pre-existing neurological disorders can alter test performance Ways to determine whether the neuropsychological test results are consistent with brain damage or due to non-neurological factors A discussion of how the use of test norms can result in the misdiagnosis of brain damage A critical review of actual neuropsychological reports A glossary of neuropsychological and neurological terms




Neuropsychology for Psychologists, Health Care Professionals, and Attorneys


Book Description

Extensively revised and expanded, this third edition of Neuropsychology for Psychologists, Health Care Professionals, and Attorneys provides a clear, concise, and comprehensive discussion of neuropsychology, outlining its purpose, use, and historical development. It covers the anatomy of the brain, a wide variety of neurobehavioral disorders, compr




A Guide to Neuropsychological Testing for Health Care Professionals


Book Description

Neuropsychological assessments are now widely used to identify learning disabilities and shape educational interventions. However, many special education teachers, speech therapists, lawyers, pediatricians, psychiatrists, rehabilitation counselors, and a host of other "helping" professions know very little about how to interpret and act on information contained in neuropsychological assessments. The neuropsychological evaluations discussed in this text help shed light on a wide variety of psychiatric and medical conditions, including learning disabilities, severe and persistent mental illness, traumatic brain injury, neuropsychiatric disorders with accompanying chronic cognitive deficits, and acquired or congenital neurological conditions. This book emphasizes the breadth and depth of neuropsychological assessments and the many practical uses they have, such as treatment planning, diagnosis, interventions, and many more. The authors offer practical guidance on neuropsychological testing and assessment across the lifespan, from pediatric through geriatric patients. The book is designed specifically for those professionals with little to no training in neuropsychology that need to apply knowledge gleaned from neuropsychological assessments. Key topics discussed: Neuropsychological testing and psychoanalysis Using neuropsychological instruments in school settings: possibilities and limitations Using neuropsychological information in vocational rehabilitation planning Neuropsychology and speech/language therapy




Civil Capacities in Clinical Neuropsychology


Book Description

Clinical neuropsychologists are increasingly involved in the evaluation of civil capacities and are in demand by other professionals, particularly attorneys and judges, to assist their decision-making about these sometimes complex issues. While there has been some neuropsychological research in this area, this has not been assembled into a single volume nor have practice recommendations been provided. This volume fills these gaps. The first part of this volume reviews and synthesizes the research literature on neuropsychological aspects of civil capacities. The specific capacities addressed include driving, financial and healthcare decision-making, testamentary (i.e., will-making) capacity, and personal care and independence. Each chapter addresses relevant background issues, conceptual/theoretical advances, and empirical findings. The chapters also include an illustrative case study that demonstrates how the authors (each expert in the various areas) evaluated and conceptualized the case. Each chapter is written from an evidence-based perspective and, where appropriate, uses research to inform practice recommendations. The second part of this volume provides recommendations to practitioners on how to conduct civil capacity evaluations that utilize neuropsychological assessment. There are chapters on an evaluative framework for the assessment, capacity test selection and psychometric issues, working with other data sources besides testing (e.g., collateral interviews), best practices in report-writing and testifying, as well as common ethical issues in such cases. Throughout, these chapters provide practical "how to" advice to improve neuropsychological practice and consulting in civil capacity cases. In addition to these chapters, there is a chapter written by legal consumers of psychological reports. This chapter offers a wealth of useful information and recommendations that, if followed, will further serve to advance psychological report-writing and consultation in civil capacity evaluations.




Pediatric Forensic Neuropsychology


Book Description

Pediatric Forensic Neuropsychology is the premier reference text on the practice and process of civil forensic neuropsychological assessment of children and adolescents. Written by an expert group of authors, this text is a comprehensive and authoritative guide for neuropsychologists who engage in forensic work.




Essentials of Neuropsychological Assessment


Book Description

Quickly acquire the knowledge and skills you need to confidently administer, score, and interpret the most popular neuropsychological assessment instruments Neuropsychological testing can identify changes in cognition, behavior, and emotion; aid in determining the cause of a disorder or developmental problem; and assist clinicians in planning treatment and rehabilitation. To use these tests properly, professionals need an authoritative source of advice and guidance on how to administer, score, and interpret them. Now fully revised and in a second edition, Essentials of Neuropsychological Assessment is that source. Completely updated to include the most current instruments, including the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV), and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition (WMS-IV), Essentials of Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition presents an overview of the assumptions, logic, knowledge base, and skills underlying the practice of neuropsychological assessment. Neuropsychological experts Nancy Hebben and William Milberg describe how clinical history, behavioral observations, and formal test results are used to make inferences about the contribution of brain dysfunction to psychological functioning. Like all the volumes in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, this book is designed to help busy mental health professionals quickly acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make optimal use of major neuropsychological assessment instruments. Each concise chapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as test questions that help you gauge and reinforce your grasp of the information covered. Essentials of Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition provides comprehensive instruction on neuropsychological test administration, scoring, interpretation, and report writing. It also addresses practical and conceptual issues related to neuropsychological assessment in geriatric, pediatric, forensic, and other specialized settings. Other titles in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series: Essentials of Assessment Report Writing Essentials of WAIS-IV Assessment Essentials of WISC-IV Assessment, Second Edition Essentials of WIAT-II and KTEA-II Assessment Essentials of WJ IIITM Cognitive Abilities Assessment Essentials of WJ IIITM Tests of Achievement Assessment Essentials of School Neuropsychological Assessment Essentials of Cross-Battery Assessment, Second Edition Essentials of KABC-II Assessment Essentials of NEPSY Assessment Essentials of Executive Function Assessment Essentials of Processing Assessment




Handbook of Forensic Neuropsychology


Book Description

"This book brings together excellent contributions spanning the historic basis of neuropsychology in forensic practice, ethical and legal issues, and practical instruction....The editors have done an outstanding job in providing us with a volume that represents state-of-the-art in forensic neuropsychology. This volume also will be useful for graduate students, fellows, and practitioners in clinical neuropsychology." --Igor Grant, MD, Executive Vice Chair, UCSD Department of Psychiatry This book serves as an updated authoritative contemporary reference work intended for use by forensic neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, pediatricians, attorneys, judges, law students, police officers, special educators, and clinical and school psychologists, among other professionals. This book discusses the foundations of forensic neuropsychology, ethical/legal issues, practice issues and special areas and populations. Key topics discussed include the principles of brain structure and function, history of clinical neuropsychology, neuropsychology of intelligence, normative and scaling issues, and symptom validity testing and neuroimaging. Special areas and populations will include disability and fitness for duty evaluations, aging and dementia, children and adolescents, autism spectrum disorders, substance abuse, and Neurotoxicology. A concluding section focuses on the future of forensic neuropsychology.




Neuropsychological Aspects of Brain Injury Litigation


Book Description

This accessible handbook focuses on the importance of neuropsychological evidence and the role of the neuropsychologist as expert witness in brain injury litigation. This thorough, evidence-based resource fosters discussion between the legal profession and expert neuropsychological witnesses. The chapters reflect collaborations between leading personal injury lawyers and neuropsychologists in the UK. Key issues in brain injury litigation are addressed that are essential to an understanding of the role of the neuropsychologist as expert witness and of neuropsychological evidence for the courts. These include neuropsychological testing, assessment of quantum, vocational rehabilitation, mental capacity, forensic outcomes, the frontal paradox, mild TBI and more. Combining the scientific and legal background with practical tips and case examples, this book is valuable reading for legal professionals, particularly those working in personal injury and clinical negligence, as well as trainees, students and clinicians in the field of neuropsychology, neurorehabilitation and clinical psychology.




The Neuropsychology Handbook


Book Description

ìA fantastic and monumental contribution to our field.î ñ Ralph M. Reitan, PhD "The field of neuropsychology has many specialized books on particular diseases, but there is always a need for a general text to cover the major aspects of neuropsychology from neuroanatomy to assessment to practice issues. This is one such book that attempts to provide comprehensive coverage of the field." --Doody's In the last decade, the number of books, courses, training opportunities, and journals dealing with clinical neuropsychology has greatly increased. Demand for a complete reference in the field is growing as practitioners in private practice, the court system, and the medical field continue to make discoveries and advance our knowledge of the brain system and how it affects our everyday lives. In order to address this urgent need, Drs. Horton and Wedding have edited this Third Edition of the classic Neuropsychology Handbook. In its pages are reviews of all the major areas in which clinical neuropsychologists work: the foundations of clinical neuropsychology brain structure and function neurological disorders psychiatric disorders diagnostic decision-making symptom validity testing neuroimaging behavioral change following traumatic brain injury disability determination rehabilitation planning, and more Very specialized areas of practice such as clinical neuropsychology with children, clinical neurotoxicology, and neuropsychological assessment in criminal law cases also receive chapters.




Forensic Neuropsychology


Book Description

In recent years, forensic neuropsychology has become a practice area of explosive growth and interest. This text elucidates the practice of forensic neuropsychology for those who need to understand the scope and limitations of this field. Fifteen chapters by neuropsychology and legal experts organized into four sections (Fundamentals, Practice Expertise, Relevant Populations, and Parameters of the Legal Arena) convey authoritatively a breadth of relevant information and the state-of-the-art of forensic neuropsychology. Topic coverage includes essential psychometrics, evaluation of premorbid function, personality and emotional functioning, complexities of executive functions, variables affecting decision-making, clinical and scientific foundations of the neuropsychological evaluation, differential diagnosis, malingering, ecological validity, mild traumatic brain injury, neurotoxin-related encephalopathy, special pediatric issues. Forensic Neuropsychology will be useful for: practicing clinical neuropsychologists and those in advanced training, plaintiff and defense attorneys whose practices include brain injured individuals, and other health care providers in non-psychology disciplines (e.g., psychiatry, neurology) who are providing expert opinions in litigated brain injury cases, and in doing so use and interact with opinions of neuropsychologists.