Clinical Foundations and Practice in the Neuropsychological Assessment of the Older Patient


Kenneth Adams
VA Healthcare System-Ann Arbor/University
of Michigan, USA




Course Prerequisites:  
 
At least one course in neuropsychological assessment and one course in neuropsychology at the graduate level.


Course Description:

In the first portion of this course, Dr. Adams will review the physical and central nervous system changes that form the basis for neuropsychological theories and models of normal and abnormal aging.  This part of the course will take a serious look at the issues and applicability of clinical neuropsychological assessment to the problems of older patients.  Students will learn the parameters which should underlie the construction of a neuropsychological test protocol to evaluate older patients at several levels of intactness.  Students will also have practiceal exercises in the construction of test protocols for varying purposes.  Issues of expected or normative performance will receive careful review and analysis.  Finally, the integration of psychopathology, personality and adjustment assessment with neuropsychological data will be addressed.


Reading List


Background Readings That Should Be Studied Prior To Attendance:


  1. Baltes, P.B., Staudinger, U.M., & Lindenberger, U. (1999). Lifespan psychology: Theory and application to intellectual functioning. Annual Review of Psychology, 50, 471-507.  pdf
  2. Busse, A., Bischkopf, J., Riedel-Heller, S.G., & Angermeyer, M.C. (2003). Mild cognitive impairment: Prevalence and predictive validity according to current approaches.  Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 108, 71-81.  pdf
  3. Raz, N. (2005). The aging brain observed in vivo: Differential changes and their modifiers.  In R. Cabezo, L. Nyberg & D. Park (Eds.), Cognitive neuroscience of aging (pp.19-57).  New York: Oxford University Press.