3rd Unit
Bender Gestalt Test
• The Bender-Gestalt Test is a widely used neuropsychological test developed by
Lauretta Bender in the 1930s.
• It assesses visual-motor integration skills and provides insights into cognitive
functioning, especially perceptual and motor abilities.
• The test consists of nine geometric gures, known as designs, which the
individual is required to copy onto a blank sheet of paper.
• The designs vary in complexity, including simple shapes like a square or circle,
as well as more intricate patterns like a diamond or a complex interlocking gure.
• The individual is given a pencil and asked to copy each design as accurately as
possible within a speci c time limit.
• The test is usually conducted in a quiet and distraction-free environment to
minimize external in uences on performance.
• The administrator provides standardized instructions and demonstrations to
ensure consistency across administrations.
• The test can be administered to individuals of di erent ages, including children,
adolescents, and adults.
• The primary purpose of the test is to assess visual-motor integration skills, which
involve coordinating visual perception and motor control to accurately reproduce
the designs.
• The examiner evaluates the individual's performance based on several criteria,
including accuracy, organization, rotation, distortion, and closure.
• Accuracy refers to how closely the copied design resembles the original.
• Organization assesses the spatial arrangement of the elements within the
design.
• Rotation refers to the degree of rotation or tilting of the design.
• Distortion assesses any changes or alterations made to the original design
during the copying process.
• Closure evaluates the individual's ability to complete partially presented designs
by mentally lling in the missing parts.
• The examiner scores each design based on speci c criteria and provides an
overall score re ecting the individual's performance on the test.
• The Bender-Gestalt Test can be used in conjunction with other
neuropsychological assessments to gain a comprehensive understanding of an
individual's cognitive abilities.
• It has been used in various settings, including clinical, educational, and research
contexts, to assess cognitive functioning, detect brain damage or impairment,
and monitor progress over time.
• Interpretation of the test results requires expertise in neuropsychology and
consideration of individual factors, such as age, developmental level, cultural
background, and clinical history.
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
Neurological Assessment in
Neuropsychology
- Neurological assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of a person's
nervous system functioning, speci cally focusing on the brain and its
associated structures.
- It involves a combination of clinical interviews, observations, and
standardized tests to assess cognitive, sensory, motor, and emotional
functioning.
- The assessment begins with a thorough review of the individual's
medical history, including any neurological conditions, injuries, or
surgeries they have undergone.
- Neuropsychological assessment aims to understand how neurological
conditions or injuries may a ect an individual's cognitive, emotional,
and behavioral functioning. It helps in diagnosing and developing
appropriate treatment plans.
- The results of the neurological assessment provide valuable
information for diagnosis, treatment planning, monitoring progress, and
assessing the e ectiveness of interventions.
- It is important to consider cultural, linguistic, and educational factors
when conducting a neurological assessment to ensure accurate and
culturally sensitive evaluation.
The eld of neuropsychology is continually evolving, with ongoing
research and advancements in assessment techniques and
understanding of the brain's functioning. Therefore, staying updated
with current research and best practices is crucial for
neuropsychologists to provide accurate and e ective assessments.
fi
ff
ff
fi
ff
Goals of Neurological
assessment
1. Identify and diagnose neurological disorders: Neurological assessment
aims to identify and diagnose various neurological disorders by examining
the cognitive, sensory, motor, and emotional functioning of an individual. This
helps in understanding the underlying causes and designing appropriate
treatment plans.
2. Evaluate cognitive abilities: Assessing cognitive abilities, such as
memory, attention, language, and problem-solving skills, is a crucial goal of
neurological assessment. This evaluation provides insights into an
individual's cognitive strengths and weaknesses, aiding in the diagnosis and
treatment of cognitive disorders.
3. Assess motor functioning: The assessment of motor functioning involves
evaluating an individual's muscle strength, coordination, balance, and ne
motor skills. This goal helps in identifying motor impairments, such as
weakness or coordination di culties, which could be indicative of
neurological conditions.
4. Determine sensory processing: Neurological assessment involves
examining sensory processing, including sensory perception, discrimination,
and integration. This goal helps in understanding if there are any
abnormalities or impairments in sensory functioning, such as changes in
vision, hearing, or touch.
5. Evaluate emotional and behavioral functioning: Assessing emotional
and behavioral functioning is important in neurological assessment. It helps
in identifying mood disorders, emotional regulation di culties, and
behavioral changes that may be associated with neurological conditions.
6. Monitor treatment progress and outcomes: Neurological assessment
serves as a means to monitor the progress and e ectiveness of treatment
interventions. Regular assessments allow for the evaluation of changes in
cognitive, motor, sensory, and emotional functioning over time, enabling
adjustments to treatment plans as needed.
ffi
ff
ffi
fi
Neuropsychological Assessment Battery
The Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) is a set of tests designed
by Stern and White in 2003 to assess di erent areas of our thinking abilities.
These areas are called "modules" and include Attention, Language, Memory,
Spatial skills, and Executive functions. There is also a screening module that
combines tests from the other modules to assess di erent ability levels. The
NAB can be used exibly, and each module can be used separately. Norms,
which are like benchmarks, are provided for each test.
Neuropsychological testing is an important tool used to diagnose conditions
like dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease, stroke,
multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and epilepsy. While simple
screening tests can give us general information about a person's thinking
abilities, detailed neuropsychological evaluation provides more speci c
information about di erent cognitive skills such as attention, memory,
language, problem-solving, and behavior. The NAB consists of 33 tests
divided into ve modules that cover the major domains of cognitive
functioning.
Each module assesses:
- The Attention Module measures things like how well a person can focus,
remember information, process information quickly, and switch between
di erent tasks.
- The Language Module assesses language skills such as speaking,
understanding, and nding words.
- The Spatial Module looks at how well a person can perceive and interpret
visual information, pay attention to details, and understand spatial
relationships.
- The Memory Module evaluates a person's ability to learn and remember
information both in words and visuals, as well as their ability to recall
information after a delay.
- The Executive Functions Module assesses skills related to planning,
problem-solving, decision-making, and exible thinking.
There is also a Screening Module that gives a quick overview of a person's
performance and helps determine if further assessment is needed. It can
also provide initial ideas about diagnosis and treatment recommendations
when a more detailed examination is not possible or necessary.
ff
fi
fl
fi
ff
fl
ff
ff
fi
Attention involves our ability to respond to speci c things, maintain focus
over time, lter out distractions, switch between tasks, and multitask.
Di erent parts of the brain are responsible for di erent aspects of attention.
For example, the occipital lobe handles visual attention, while the parietal
and occipital lobes work together for visuo-spatial analysis. Auditory
attention relies on the temporal lobes, especially the dominant one for
speech. More complex attention tasks involve the anterior cingulate and
frontal cortices, the basal ganglia, and the thalamus.
Memory refers to our ability to record, retain, and recall information. It is not
a single process but consists of di erent types of memory. Explicit memory
involves conscious awareness, while implicit memory occurs without us
realizing it. The NAB's Memory Module assesses explicit memory, including
the ability to learn and remember verbal and visual information, recall
information after a delay, and recognize familiar information we encounter in
everyday life.
Some technical information about the NAB:
- The tests were standardized on a large group of over 1,400 healthy adults.
- Studies on the reliability of the tests showed excellent agreement between
di erent raters who scored the tests subjectively. A study conducted over a
6-month period with 95 participants showed good consistency over time and
provided important information about practice e ects.
- The NAB Index scores, which summarize overall performance, have
excellent reliability.
- The battery has been extensively validated through various analyses and
studies, including comparisons with other measures and investigations of its
relationship to functional independence and symptom validity.
In summary, the NAB is a set of tests designed to assess di erent cognitive
abilities. It can help diagnose various neurological conditions and provide
detailed information about a person's thinking skills. Each module focuses
on a speci c area of cognitive functioning, and the battery has been
extensively validated for reliability and validity.
ff
ff
fi
fi
ff
ff
ff
fi
ff
