Abstract
As the population is aging, there is increasing need for clinicians with expertise in the evaluation and management of cognitive and emotional disorders in older adults. Neuropsychological evaluations are a critical tool in the assessment of these conditions, providing information as to cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Pertinent emotional and behavioral symptoms are also assessed. This article provides an introduction to what these assessments entail (i.e., length of assessment, insurance coverage) and the domains that are typically covered (i.e., attention, language, memory, psychiatric symptoms). Examples are provided as to the types of referral questions that can be addressed. We also discuss how information gleaned from these evaluations can aid in differential diagnosis. Specifically, pattern of test performance may be suggestive of a particular disorder. Assessment results can also aid in the treatment, management, and dispositional planning for aging patients. Case examples, relevant to geriatric psychiatry, are used to illustrate these points.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. Older Americans 2012: Key indicators of well-being. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 2012, June.
Plassman BL, Langa KM, Mccammon RJ, Fisher GG, Potter GG, Burke JR, et al. Incidence of Dementia and Cognitive Impairment, Not Dementia in the United States. Annals of Neurology. 2011;70(3):418–26.
Steffens DC, Fisher GG, Langa KM, Potter GG, Plassman BL. Prevalence of Depression Among Older Americans: The Aging, Demographics and Memory Study. International Psychogeriatrics. 2009;21(05):879–11.
Papers of Particular Interest, Published recently, Have Been Highlighted as: •of Importance
APA. Guidelines for the evaluation of dementia and age-related cognitive decline. Am Psychol. 2012;67(1):1–9 This article provides a good summary and overview of standard of care for psychological assessments in older adults.
Lezak MD, Howieson DB, Bigler ED, Tranel D. Neuropsychological assessment. 5 ed. NY: Oxford University Press, Inc ; 2012.This book is a comprehensive text on neuropsychological testing, highlighting the major syndromes, including how these conditions are assessed and treated
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
Gayle Heady, Lauren Schwarz, and Phil Ruppert declare no conflict of interest.
Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent
This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.
Additional information
This article is part of the Topical Collection on Geriatric Psychiatry
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schwarz, L., Ruppert, P. & Heady, G. Utility of Neuropsychological Evaluations in the Clinical Management of Geriatric Patients. Curr Geri Rep 5, 248–251 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13670-016-0187-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13670-016-0187-4