A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests: Administration, Norms, and Commentary

For the practicing neuropsychologist or researcher, keeping up with the sheer number of newly published or updated neuropsychological tests is a challenge, as is evaluating the utility and psychometric properties of each test in a clinical context. The goal of the thrid edition of A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests, a well-established neuropsychology reference text, is twofold. First, the Compendium is intended to serve as a guidebook that provides a comprehensive overview of the essential aspects of neuropsychological assessment practice. Second, it is intended as a sourcebook of critical reviews of major neuropsychological assessment tools for the use of practicing clinicians and researchers. Written in an easy-to-read reference format, and based on exhaustive reviews of research literature in neuropsychology, neurology, psychology and related disciplines, the book covers topics such as basic aspects of neuropsychological assessment as well as the theoretical background, norms and the utility, reliability and validity of neuropsychological tests. For this thrid edition, all chapters have been extensively revised and updated. The text has been considerably expanded to provide a practical overview of the state of the field. Two new chapters have been added: "Psychometrics in neuropsychological assessment" and "Norms in neuropsychological assessment". The first two chapters present basic psychometric concepts and principles. Chapters three and four consider practical aspects of the history-taking interview and the assessment process itself. Chapter five provides guidelines on report writing. Chapters six through sixteen consist of detailed, critical reviews of specific neuropsychological tests, and address the topics of intelligence, achievement, executive function, attention, memory, language, visual perception, somatosensory and olfactory function, mood/personality and response bias. A unique feature is the inclusion of tables that summarise salient features of tests wihtin each domain so that readers can easily compare measures. Additional tables within each test review present important features of each test, highlight aspects of each normative database, and provide an overview of psychometric properties. Of interest to neuropsychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists and educational and clinical psychologists working with adults as well as with paediatric populations, this volume will aid practitioners in selecting appropriate testing measures for their patients, and will provide them with the knowledge needed to arrive at empirically supported interpretations of test results.