2. INTRODUCTION
Cognition refers to the mental
processes dealing with acquiring,
processing and storing information.
Cognitive skills include various kind of
abilities like auditory and visual
processing, staying focused on a given
task, processing speed, recalling
information, making associations, problem
solving.
3. • Neuropsychological testing is a procedure that
measures and identifies cognitive impairment
and functioning in individuals.
• Neuropsychological testing provides
diagnostic clarification and grading of clinical
severity for patients with subtle or obvious
cognitive disorders.
• These include:
- Children who are not achieving appropriate
developmental milestones.
4. - Infants exposed to drugs, alcohol or illness in
uterus.
- Patients with head injury
- Patients with Parkinsons disease or other
neurological disorders.
- Patients exposed to chemicals or toxins
- Substance abusing patients.
- Stroke Victims
- Patients with dementia
6. • Academic achievement:
- Weschler individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
- Woodcock-Johnson Achievement Test
• Language Processing:
- Multilingual Aphasia Examination
- Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination
- Token test
• Visuo-Spatial Processing
- WAIS Block design subtest
- Judgement of Line Orientation
- Hooper visual Organisation test
7. • Attention/ Concentration:
- Digit span Forward and Reversed
- Cancellation Tests(Letter and symbol)
- Mini mental status examination
• Verbal learning and memory:
- Visual Reproduction I and II
- Non-verbal Selective Reminding Test
- Continuous Recognition Memory Test
- Visual-Motor Integration test-Block Design
8. • Executive functions:
- Wisconsin Card sorting Test
- WAIS Subtests of Similarities and Block
design
• Speed of Processing:
- Simple and Choice Reaction Time
- Symbol Digit Modalities Test- written and oral
• Sensory- Perceptual functions:
- Halstead –Reltan Neuropsychological Battery
- Actual Performance Test and Sensory
Perceptual Examination
9. • Motor Speed and strength:
- Index Finger Tapping
• Motivation:
- Rey 15 item Test
- Dot counting
- Forced- Choice Symptom Validity testing
• Personality assessment:
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
- Rorschach ink blot test
- Thematic Apperception Test for Children or
Adults
10. USES OF PSYCHOMETRIC
ASSESSMENT
• It helps for early identification of
developmental delays.
• It helps to detect intellectual disabilities.
• It can be used for patients with brain injury
or damage to know about the
Neuropsychological status.
• In clinical setting, it is used to assess the
level of depression.
11. • It is useful for elderly who have a memory
related problems and helps to distinguish
dementia from age related memory loss.
• It is used to understand the strengths and
weakness of children who have learning
difficulties.
12. ALTERATIONS IN COGNITIVE
FUNCTIONING
• Delirium:
-Acute organic brain syndrome.
- Generally associated with any illness or
medications, which may be irreversible.
-Common features include:
. Disorganised thinking and altered thinking
. Altered levels of consciousness and
attention problems.
13. • Dementia:
- Characterised by many cognitive deficits
especially in memory.
- This is progressive deterioration.
-Memory lapses and word finding difficulties
are common in early stages, leads to
confusion, mood swings and irritability.
• Amnestic disorders:
- This disorders are isolated disturbance of
memory without impairment of other cognitive
functions. They may be due to general
medical conditions like trauma, hypoxia or
due to substance abuse.
14. • Brain disorders:
- Brain injury
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
In the above mentioned diseases, patients
may have impaired cognition.
16. CONCLUSION
• Nurses should update their knowledge
related to all the cognitive functions and
related assessment tests , thereby easily
we can approach the patients and provide
care to them.