Unit 3: Neuropsychological Assessment Tools
Expert-defined terms from the Professional Certificate in Neuropsychological Testing course at London School of Business and Administration. Free to read, free to share, paired with a professional course.
ADHD Rating Scale – a standardized questionnaire used to assess attention… #
Related terms: Conners’ Rating Scales, DSM‑5 criteria. The scale quantifies inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, allowing clinicians to track symptom severity over time. Practical application includes monitoring treatment response; a challenge is distinguishing ADHD from comorbid conditions such as anxiety or learning disorders.
Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination‑III (ACE‑III) – a brief screening too… #
Related terms: Mini‑Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Example: a 68‑year‑old with suspected dementia scores 65/100, indicating moderate impairment. Challenges involve cultural and educational bias, requiring norm‑adjusted scores.
Boston Naming Test (BNT) – a confrontation naming task assessing lexical… #
Related terms: Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), Semantic Fluency. The examiner presents 60 line drawings; errors suggest aphasia or semantic memory loss. Practical use includes tracking recovery after stroke; difficulty arises when patients have visual impairments affecting picture recognition.
Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) – a computer… #
Related terms: Neuropsychological software, computerized testing. Example: the Paired Associates Learning task reveals deficits in visual episodic memory in early Alzheimer’s disease. Limitations include the need for technical expertise and potential motor skill confounds.
Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) – a verbal fluency task whe… #
Related terms: Semantic Fluency, Letter Fluency. Performance reflects executive control and lexical access; low scores may indicate frontal lobe dysfunction. Challenges include variability due to education level and language proficiency.
Digit Span (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) – a subtest measuring shor… #
Related terms: Working Memory Index, Forward and Backward Span. The examiner reads a series of numbers; the participant repeats them forward and backward. Practical use includes diagnosing attention deficits; however, anxiety can artificially lower scores.
Digit Symbol Coding (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) – assesses proces… #
Related terms: Symbol Search, Trail Making Test. Participants match symbols to numbers under a time constraint. It is sensitive to white‑matter changes; motor impairments may confound interpretation.
Delis‑Kaplan Executive Function System (D‑KEFS) – a battery of tests eval… #
Related terms: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Tower Test. Example: the Color‑Word Interference Test isolates inhibitory control deficits in traumatic brain injury. Challenges include lengthy administration time and the need for specialized training.
Dominance Index (Handedness Questionnaire) – a self‑report measure determ… #
Related terms: Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, Laterality. Knowledge of handedness aids interpretation of language lateralization in neuroimaging studies. Limitations involve ambidextrous individuals and cultural influences on hand use.
Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) – a method of collecting real‑time… #
Related terms: Experience Sampling, Digital Phenotyping. EMA captures fluctuations in attention or memory during daily activities, enhancing ecological validity. Barriers include participant compliance and data privacy concerns.
Executive Function Index (EFI) – a self‑report questionnaire assessing pl… #
Related terms: Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), Frontal Assessment Battery. Useful for screening executive deficits in mild traumatic brain injury; self‑awareness deficits may reduce reliability.
Figure Copy Task (Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure) – a visuoconstructional… #
Related terms: Clock Drawing Test, Block Design. Errors indicate visuospatial or executive dysfunction; scoring includes organization and accuracy. Practice effects and motor dexterity can affect results.
Fletcher‑Reid Profile – a comprehensive battery evaluating attention, mem… #
Related terms: Neuropsychological Profile, Cognitive Assessment. Often used in forensic settings to document deficits. The extensive nature may cause fatigue, impacting performance.
Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) – a brief set of six tasks measuring con… #
Related terms: D‑KEFS, Stroop Test. Scores below 12 suggest frontal lobe pathology; limited depth restricts detection of subtle deficits.
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) – a self‑report inventory screening for… #
Related terms: Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Cognitive impairments can mimic depressive symptoms; thus, concurrent neuropsychological testing is recommended.
Grooved Pegboard Test – a fine‑motor dexterity assessment requiring place… #
Related terms: Purdue Pegboard, Finger Tapping. Sensitive to basal ganglia dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. Motor speed limitations may confound interpretation of cognitive components.
Halstead‑Reitan Neuropsychological Battery – a classic battery covering a… #
Related terms: Luria–Nichols, Luria‑Neuropsychological Assessment. Provides a comprehensive profile but is time‑intensive; modern clinicians may prefer modular approaches.
Hayling Sentence Completion Test – assesses response inhibition and verba… #
Related terms: Stroop, Go/No‑Go. High error rates indicate impaired inhibitory control, common after frontal lesions. Test‑retest reliability can be modest.
Hopkins Verbal Learning Test‑Revised (HVLT‑R) – a brief list‑learning tas… #
Related terms: California Verbal Learning Test, Logical Memory. Frequently employed in dementia screening; practice effects are minimal due to alternate forms.
International Aphasia Screening Test (IAST) – a rapid bedside tool for de… #
Related terms: Western Aphasia Battery, Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination. Provides a global severity rating; limited granularity for subtype classification.
Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K‑ABC) – a cognitive assessment… #
Related terms: WISC‑V, Woodcock‑Johnson. Useful for identifying learning disabilities; cultural fairness is enhanced but normative data may be outdated for some populations.
Letter‑Number Sequencing (Wechsler Scales) – a working memory subtest whe… #
Related terms: Digit Span, Spatial Span. Performance reflects the ability to manipulate information; low scores may signal frontal or parietal compromise.
Logical Memory (Wechsler Memory Scale) – a story‑recall test evaluating i… #
Related terms: Narrative Memory, Verbal Learning. Impairments are characteristic of hippocampal injury; confounding factors include attention deficits during encoding.
Mini‑Mental State Examination (MMSE) – a widely used 30‑point screen for… #
Related terms: MoCA, ACE‑III. Scores below 24 suggest cognitive impairment; ceiling effects limit sensitivity in highly educated individuals.
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) – a 30‑point screening instrument co… #
Related terms: MMSE, ACE‑III. More sensitive than MMSE for mild cognitive impairment; requires proper training to administer consistently.
Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) – a modular collection of tes… #
Related terms: Halstead‑Reitan, D‑KEFS. Allows targeted evaluation based on referral question; licensing fees and software requirements may be barriers.
Neuropsychological Interview (NP‑Interview) – a semi‑structured interview… #
Related terms: Clinical History, Diagnostic Interview. Essential for contextualizing test results; interviewer bias can influence data quality.
Neuropsychological Screening Battery for Children (NSBC) – a brief set of… #
Related terms: Bender‑Gestalt, NEPSY. Useful for school‑based evaluations; limited depth may miss subtle deficits.
Neuropsychological Test of Attention (NTA) – a computerized paradigm meas… #
Related terms: Continuous Performance Test, PVT. Provides millisecond‑level data; susceptibility to environmental distractions can affect reliability.
NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery – a standardized, tablet‑based suite assess… #
Related terms: PROMIS, Computerized Neuropsychology. Norms are available across the lifespan; learning effects across repeated administrations require alternate forms.
North American Adult Reading Test (NAART) – an estimate of premorbid inte… #
Related terms: WRAT‑4, Vocabulary Subtest. Useful for adjusting cognitive scores; dyslexia or speech disorders can reduce accuracy.
Oral Trail Making Test (OTMT) – an auditory version of the visual Trail M… #
Related terms: Trail Making Test, Symbol Search. Beneficial for individuals with visual impairments; auditory processing deficits may confound results.
Patient Health Questionnaire‑9 (PHQ‑9) – a self‑report inventory screenin… #
Related terms: GDS, Beck Depression Inventory. Scores influence interpretation of cognitive test performance, as depression can mimic attentional deficits. Cultural stigma may lead to under‑reporting.
Phonemic Fluency Test – a verbal fluency task where participants generate… #
g., “F”) within a minute. Related terms: COWAT, Semantic Fluency. Sensitive to frontal‑subcortical circuitry; educational level heavily influences output.
Premorbid Functioning Estimates – methods such as the Barona Index or dem… #
Related terms: NAART, Vocabulary Subtest. Accurate estimates aid in quantifying decline; inaccurate demographic data can skew predictions.
Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) – a list‑learning task deliveri… #
Related terms: HVLT‑R, CVLT‑II. Provides indices of learning rate, retention, and recognition; proactive interference can mask true memory capacity.
Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) – a dual task assessing visuoco… #
Related terms: Figure Copy, Delayed Recall. Scoring includes accuracy and process; deficits are common in right‑hemisphere lesions. Time constraints may affect individuals with slowed processing.
Ruff 2 & 7 Selective Attention Test – a paper‑pencil task measuring susta… #
Related terms: Continuous Performance Test, Symbol Search. Participants cross out target digits within a matrix; errors indicate lapses in vigilance. Test‑retest reliability is moderate.
Stroop Color‑Word Test – a classic interference task where participants n… #
Related terms: Hayling Test, Go/No‑Go. Longer reaction times reflect reduced inhibitory control; practice effects necessitate alternate versions.
Trail Making Test (TMT) Part A & B – a timed visual scanning task; Part A… #
Related terms: OTMT, Symbol Search. The difference score (B‑A) isolates executive set‑shifting. Motor speed deficits can inflate completion times.
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale‑Fourth Edition (WAIS‑IV) – a comprehens… #
Related terms: WISC‑V, K‑ABC. Subtest selection can tailor assessment to clinical needs; cultural bias remains a concern.
Wechsler Memory Scale‑Fourth Edition (WMS‑IV) – a battery evaluating audi… #
Related terms: Logical Memory, Visual Reproduction. Useful for delineating memory profiles in dementia; lengthy administration may be taxing for severely impaired patients.
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) – a set‑shifting task requiring partic… #
Related terms: D‑KEFS, Trail Making Test. Perseverative errors indicate frontal lobe dysfunction; computerised versions can capture response latency.
Woodcock‑Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ‑COG) – a multidimension… #
Related terms: WAIS‑IV, K‑ABC. Norms are stratified by age; extensive administration time may limit feasibility in acute settings.
Yale #
Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y‑BOCS) – a clinician‑rated instrument measuring severity of obsessive‑compulsive symptoms. Related terms: OCI‑R, Anxiety Scales. High scores can affect attentional performance on neuropsychological tasks; comorbid anxiety may confound interpretation.
Zigzag Trail Test – a simplified version of the Trail Making Test used in… #
Related terms: TMT, Simple Motor Sequencing. Provides an estimate of processing speed and visual scanning; limited sensitivity to executive deficits.