Abstract

TIRAPU USTARROZ, Javier. The neuro-psychological assessment. Psychosocial Intervention [online]. 2007, vol.16, n.2, pp.189-211. ISSN 2173-4712.

During the last few years there has been an increasing demand of neuro-psychological tests aiming at identifying treatment needs of people with altered high brain functions. Before making the decision about what assessment tools to use, a number of questions have to be asked. Are the test content and its level of difficulty appropriate? Does the test content provide information about underlying altered cognitive mechanisms? What is the ecological validity of the tests? To what extent are these tests sensitive to changes in the patient’s clinical condition? Assessing the consequences of the brain damage requires observation, an interview and a number of neuro-psychological assessment tests. Since the results of this assessment are the starting point for the neuro-psychological treatment and rehabilitation, the assessment process must be checked. Finally, a quick account of difficulties underlying the assessment of frontal functions is given.

Keywords : Neuro-psychological assessment; Ecological validity; Cuantitative/cualitative; Neorimage; Specific test; Emotional alterations.

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