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Neuropsychological assessment of dementia: state of the art
Author(s) -
Almkvist O.,
Bråne G.,
Johanson A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1996.tb00372.x
Subject(s) - dementia , neuropsychology , psychology , neuropathology , neuropsychological assessment , neurochemistry , personality changes , neuroimaging , personality , cognition , executive functions , clinical psychology , neuropsychological test , neurology , psychiatry , cognitive psychology , medicine , disease , pathology , social psychology
A comprehensive neuropsychological examination includes an assessment of both cognitive functions and personality characteristics. In order to evaluate dementia, the patient's present as well as the premorbid functioning has to be assessed, which is performed by means of tests, behavioral observations, rating scales, and inquiries. These methods are used for diagnostic purposes, for differential diagnostics, follow‐up studies, and for evaluation of treatment effects. Recent research has shown that neuropsychological methods have a high sensitivity and specificity in detection of dementia, utilizing measures of episodic memory. For staging of dementia, episodic memory as well as other cognitive functions are necessary. The effectiveness of dementia differentiation by means of neuropsychological methods varies from quite good regarding frontal lobe degeneration to less good regarding cerebrovascular dementias, probably due to the variation in site, extent, number, and temporal characteristics of the lesion. Future development is required regarding methods for evaluation of premorbid functioning, instruments for assessment of executive functions, and personality characteristics in dementia. Furthermore, brain‐behavior studies are needed to learn more about the relation between neuropsychological measures vs neuropathology, neurochemistry, and neuroimaging.