Citation

Zucchella C, Federico A, Martini A, Tinazzi M, Bartolo M, Tamburin S. Pract. Neurol. 2018; 18(3): 227-237.

Affiliation

Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/practneurol-2017-001743

PMID

29472384

Abstract

Neuropsychological testing is a key diagnostic tool for assessing people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment, but can also help in other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury and epilepsy. While cognitive screening tests offer gross information, detailed neuropsychological evaluation can provide data on different cognitive domains (visuospatial function, memory, attention, executive function, language and praxis) as well as neuropsychiatric and behavioural features. We should regard neuropsychological testing as an extension of the neurological examination applied to higher order cortical function, since each cognitive domain has an anatomical substrate. Ideally, neurologists should discuss the indications and results of neuropsychological assessment with a clinical neuropsychologist. This paper summarises the rationale, indications, main features, most common tests and pitfalls in neuropsychological evaluation.

© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Language: en

Keywords

alzheimer-s disease; cognition; cognitive neuropsychology; dementia; neuropsychology