Author Description

For the practicing neuropsychologist or researcher, keeping up with the sheer number of newly published or updated tests is a challenge, as is evaluating the utility and psychometric properties of neuropsychological tests in a clinical context. The goal of the third edition of A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests, a well established neuropsychology reference text, is twofold. First, the Compendium is intended to serve as a guidebook that provides a comprehensive overview of the essential aspects of neuropsychological assessment practice.Second, it is intended as a comprehensive sourcebook of critical reviews of major neuropsychological assessment tools for the use by practicing clinicians and researchers. Written in a comprehensive, easy to read reference format, and based on exhaustive review of research literature in neuropsychology, neurology, psychology, and related disciplines, the book covers topics such as basic aspects of neuropsychological assessment as well as the theoretical background, norms, and the utility, reliability, and validity of neuropsychological tests.For this third edition, all chapters have been extensively revised and updated. The text has been considerably expanded to provide a comprehensive yet practical overview of the state of the field. Two new chapters have been added: "Psychometrics in Neuropsychological Assessment" and "Norms in Psychological Assessment." The first two chapters present basic psychometric concepts and principles. Chapters three and four consider practical aspects of the history taking interview and the assessment process itself. Chapter five provides guidelines on report writing and chapters six through sixteen consist of detailed, critical reviews of neuropsychological tests, and address the topics of intelligence, achievement, executive function, attention, memory, language, visual perception, somatosensory olfactory function, mood/personality, and response bias. A unique feature is the inclusion of tables that summarize salient features of tests within each domain so that readers can easily compare measures. Additional tables within each test review summarize important features of each test, highlight aspects of each normative dataset, and provide an overview of psychometric properties. Of interest to neuropsychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and educational and clinical psychologists working with adults as well as pediatric populations, this volume will aid practitioners in selecting appropriate testing measures for their patients, and will provide them with the knowledge needed to make empirically supported interpretations of test results.