Clinical Neuropsychology and the Psychological Care of Persons with Brain Disorders is written for individuals seeking to improve psychological care services for persons with a brain disorder. It provides background information regarding the normal development and decline of brain functions and how various brain disorders impact neuropsychological functioning. It then provides examples of how to improve the psychological care of individuals with various brain disorders (e.g. traumatic brain injury, cerebral anoxia, multiple sclerosis, cerebral vascular accidents, Parkinson's disease, and various dementias).

The administration of psychological care to persons with brain disorders requires a series of skills that integrate the knowledge of clinical neuropsychology with developmental psychology, psychotherapy, rehabilitation, and the study of the humanities. In Clinical Neuropsychology and the Psychological Care of Persons with Brain Disorders, Dr. Prigatano describes his approach to this complex topic. He reviews some of the defining characteristics of human nature, and blends that discussion with an understanding of how the brain normally develops and declines with age. The psychological struggles of people at each stage of development are further described as different brain disorders occur at different times in development.

Clinical neuropsychology is a rapidly evolving specialty whose practitioners serve patients with traumatic brain injury, stroke and other vascular impairments, brain tumors, epilepsy and nonepileptic seizure disorders, developmental disabilities, progressive neurological disorders, HIV- and AIDS-related disorders, and dementia. . Services include evaluation, treatment, and case consultation in child, adult, and the expanding geriatric population in medical and community settings. The clinical goal always is to restore and maximize cognitive and psychological functioning in an injured or compromised brain. Most neuropsychology reference books focus primarily on assessment and diagnosis, and to date none has been encyclopedic in format. Clinicians, patients, and family members recognize that evaluation and diagnosis is only a starting point for the treatment and recovery process. During the past decade there has been a proliferation of programs, both hospital- and clinic-based, that provide rehabilitation, treatment, and treatment planning services. This encyclopedia will serve as a unified, comprehensive reference for professionals involved in the diagnosis, evaluation, and rehabilitation of adult patients and children with neuropsychological disorders.

Regardless of your specialty - physician, psychologist, nurse, rehabilitation specialist, or attorney -post-traumatic stress disorder cases and brain injury cases are arguably the most difficult to understand, treat, and evaluate. All of the tools you need are in the new Neuropsychology for Health Care Professionals and Attorneys, Second Edition. It contains An easy-to-understand description of the neuroanatomy of the brain Four chapters devoted to neurobehavioral disorders such as amnesia, attentional deficits, delirium, dementia, disorders of executive functions of the brain, electrical injury, hypoxic encephalopathy, neurotoxic encephalopathy, learning disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), post-concussive syndrome, seizure disorders, and others A detailed description of neuropsychological assessment, including a critique of approximately 80 neuropsychological tests: their intended use, purpose, administration, sensitivity to brain damage, reliability, validity, strengths, and limitations How factors such as medical illness, medication, psychiatric disorders, stress, anxiety, culture, language, suboptimal motivation, and pre-existing neurological disorders can alter test performance Ways to determine whether the neuropsychological test results are consistent with brain damage or due to non-neurological factors A discussion of how the use of test norms can result in the misdiagnosis of brain damage A critical review of actual neuropsychological reports A glossary of neuropsychological and neurological terms

Describes neuropsychological approaches to the investigation, description, measurement and management of a wide range of mental illnesses.

First Published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

"Neuropsychologists consult in diverse health care settings, such as emergency care, oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. A pocket reference is a critical resource for interns, postdoctoral fellows, and practicing clinicians alike. With over 100 quick-reference tables, lists, diagrams, photos, and decision trees, this handbook offers guidance through the complicated work of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. This new edition of Clinical Neuropsychology builds on the success of the best-selling first edition by adding information on how to use and interpret cutting-edge neuroimaging technologies and how to integrate pharmacological approaches into treatment. The reader will also find new chapters on neuro-oncology, schizophrenia, late-life depression, and adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder"--Cover.