Neuropsychological disorders

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Neuropsychological disorders

• Disorders of the nervous system
• 2 main causes
• Progressive neurological illness
• Head injury
• Closed vs. open
• In most cases damage is permanent

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Testing for neurological damage

• Neuropsyche tests
• Test for functional ability
• Psychomotor tests
• Fingertapping, pegboard
• Memory tests
• WMS
• California Verbal Learning Test
• Visual/Spatial Tests
• Bender-Gestalt
• Executive Functioning
• Stroop
• Wisconsin Card Sort Test
• Trailmaking AB
• Language
• Boston Naming Test

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Stroop

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Uses of neuropsychological testing

• Comparison with norm
• Comparison with general cognitive ability
• Memory vs. IQ
• Comparison with self across time
• Base ratesee progression of illness

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Common problem symptoms

• Memory loss (particularly anterograde)
• Speech disturbances
• Aphasia
• Motor symptoms
• Ataxia/apraxia
• dyskinesia
• Hemispheral neglect
• Planning/executive functioning disturbances
• Agnosia/prosopagnosia
• Mood disturbances
• Paranoia in some cases

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Closed head injuries

• Blunt force trauma injury
• Coup/contra coup injuries
• Hematoma
• Microshear
• Mixed with alcohol

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Open (Piercing) Head Injuries

• More immediate structural damage
• Partial ablation of brain
• Less risk of hematoma

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Toxin Exposure

• EtOH
• Karsikoffs syndrome
• Anterograde anmesia/confabulation
• Fine motor tremors/apraxia
• Dyskinesia
• Confusion
• Lead, mercury, other heavy metals, some
  pesticides linked with dementia

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Dementia

• Progressive cognitive decline
• Memory deficit
• Aphasia
• Apraxia
• Paranoia
• Loss of executive functioning
• Progressive drop in IQ

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Alzheimers Disease

• May be cluster of related illnesses
• Causes progressive brain tissue damage
• Most common cause of dementia
• 5-10 year illness span
• Neurofibrillary tangles
• Amyloid plaques
• Cell death in cortex and hippocampus

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Parkinsons Disease

• Progressive decline of dopamineurgic centers
• Gait problems
• Initiation of movement
• Dementia in some cases
• L-Dopa

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Multiple Sclerosis

• Cluster of illnessesall involve demyelization
• Genetic, autoimmune, toxin exposure
• Measles, herpes, chlamydia
• Symptoms weakness, confusion, memory loss,
  numbness, pain, dizziness, fatigue
• Relapsing-remitting type
• Treatment no sure. Common treatments include
  interferon-based agents (Avonex, Betaserone)
• Viral replication interference agents
• Can cause depression, anemia, liver damage, heart
  problems, thyroid damage