Chapter 14

Neuropsychological Assessment

1 Hard sign is to soft sign as

a. biological is to psychological.
b. inborn is to acquired.
c. functional is to organic.
*d. probable is to definate.
Topic: The Neuropsychological Examination

2. Which of these is likely to be a hard sign of neurological damage?

a. headaches
*b. abnormal reflex responses
c. poor attention
d. sleep disturbances
Topic: The Neuropsychological Examination

3. The Bender-Gestalt II added seven new items to the original test

*a. in order to extend the range of ability tested.
b. because some of the original items were too verbal in nature.
c. in order to improve the Auditory Gestalt subscale.
d. because some of the original items were impossible to complete for assessees with
certain kinds of colorblindness.
Topic: Tests of perceptual, motor, and perceptual-motor functions

4. Distortions in the sense of touch and distortions in bodily self-perception are related to
damage in the
a. frontal lobe.
b. temporal lobe.
c. occipital lobe.
*d. parietal lobe.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior

5 You blindfold a patient and then move the patient’s arms and legs in various positions but
the patient cannot identify where his limbs are located. You might suspect damage to the
a. frontal lobe.
b. temporal lobe.
c. occipital lobe.
*d. parietal lobe.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior

6. The thalamus acts as a(n)

a. executive controller for volitional motor movements.
*b. communications relay station for sensory information being transmitted to the
cerebral cortex.
c. visual-spatial sequencer for perceiving complex patterns of movements such as the
path of a baseball coming toward a person.
d. brake on emotional impulses from the limbic system.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior

7. The hypothalamus
 a. inhibits the emotional impulses generated by the thalamus.
*b. regulates basic bodily functions such as eating, drinking, body temperature, sexual
behavior, and emotion.
c. makes smooth movements possible for complex motor sequences.
d. is involved in the perception of complex visual patterns.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior

8. The hypothalamus
a. inhibits the emotional impulses generated by the thalamus.
*b. regulates basic bodily functions such as eating, drinking, body temperature, sexual
behavior, and emotion.
c. makes smooth movements possible for complex motor sequences.
d. is involved in the perception of complex visual patterns.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior

9 A brain-injured patient appears impulsive and inattentive. He tends to make tactless

comments in conversations and fails to anticipate the consequences of his actions. The area
of the brain that is most likely damaged is the
a. frontal lobe.
b. temporal lobe.
c. occipital lobe.
*d. parietal lobe.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior

10. Symptoms of a neurological deficit

a. may become evident during an intake interview.
b. may become evident during the administration of psychological tests.
c. may become evident as the result of a psychological test.
*d. all of the above
Topic: Overview

11. Neuropsychologists
a. are trained to screen for signs and symptoms of neurological deficit.
b. make use of case-study information in the evaluation process.
c. may administer a test such as “Trail Making” in the evaluation process.
*d. all of the above
Topic: Overview

12. The phenomenon of ________ operates when an injury to the right side of the brain results
in sensory or motor deficit on the left side of the body.
a. diffuse organicity
*b. contralateral control
c. bilateral functioning
d. reticular formation
Topic: Neurological damage and the concept of organicity

13. If a patient experiences deficits in visual reception, visual scanning, and recall of visual
imagery, we might suspect damage to the
a. frontal lobes.
b. limbic system.
*c. occipital lobes.
d. reticular formation.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior
 14 If a patient suddenly begins to experience extremes in mood ranging from blunted affect
to emotional outbursts, we might suspect damage to
*a. the limbic system.
b. the cerebellum.
c. the occipital lobes.
d. the spinal cord.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior

15. If an individual exhibits disturbances in sound discrimination, voice recognition, and

auditory memory, we might suspect damage to
a. the cerebellum.
*b. the temporal lobe.
c. the occipital lobe.
d. the parietal lobe.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior

16. The terms organicity and neurological damage

a. both refer to damage to the brain, the spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system.
b. are basically the same diagnostic entities and are unitary in nature.
*c. were generally used interchangeably from about the time of World War I to the
1950s.
d. refer to the fact that most brain-damaged children share a similar pattern of
cognitive, behavioral, and motor deficits.
Topic: Neurological damage and the concept of organicity

17. A person who exhibits deficits in word recall, vocabulary, and finding words to name
things may be suffering from
a. akinesia.
b. apraxia.
*c. anomia.
d. agraphia.
Topic: Neurological damage and the concept of organicity

18. Focal brain lesions

a. are diffusely scattered throughout the brain.
*b. may have broad ramifications with regard to behavioral deficits.
c. generally result in paralysis.
d. rarely have serious consequences.
Topic: Neurological damage and the concept of organicity

19. A neuropsychological examination by an experienced neuropsychologist

*a. varies widely as a function of the referral question.
b. consists of a standard battery of tests.
c. is usually initiated only if “hard signs” are found in screening.
d. is usually initiated only if “hard signs” are suspected.
Topic: The neuropsychological examination

20. A client complains of memory loss, headaches, and hand tremors. Which test or
assessment technique is LEAST likely to be used by a neuropsychologist?
a. a thorough case history and diagnostic interview
b. a mental status examination
*c. measures of self-concept
d. measures of intelligence
Topic: The neuropsychological examination
 21. A 16-year-old male suspected of drug abuse is referred for psychological evaluation.
Which test or other assessment tool is LEAST likely to be used?
a. case history data including school records
b. familial medical history data
c. referral for physiological examination including blood and urine tests
*d. measures of creative thinking
Topic: The neuropsychological examination

22. Neuropsychologists
a. do not conduct physical examinations of an individual, since that is the responsibility
of the neurologist.
*b. perform many of the noninvasive procedures that a neurologist might perform as
part of a physical examination.
c. are trained in the use of equipment such as CT scans and PET scans.
d. usually evaluate only muscle tone and strength as part of their physical examination
of the individual.
Topic: The neuropsychological examination

23. A typical neuropsychological evaluation includes

a. a medical history of the patient.
b. a psychosocial history of the patient.
c. a history regarding developmental milestones.
*d. all of the above
Topic: The neuropsychological examination

24. A mental status examination conducted during the course of a neuropsychological

evaluation may yield data regarding
a. the examinee’s motor abilities.
b. the examinee’s estimated intellectual functioning.
c. the examinee’s sensory perception.
*d. all of the above
Topic: The neuropsychological mental status examination

25. The mental status examination used as part of the neuropsychological evaluation
a. is exactly the same as a mental status examination used during a clinical or
counseling assessment.
*b. will typically delve into specific areas of interest more extensively than the one used
as part of a clinical or counseling assessment.
c. typically includes the administration of an intelligence test.
d. typically includes the administration of a neuropsychologically oriented adjective
checklist.
Topic: The neuropsychological mental status examination
 26. All of the following are assessed as a part of the mental status examination during a
neuropsychological evaluation except
a. consciousness.
b. thought content.
c. physical appearance.
*d. orientation to taste.
Topic: The neuropsychological mental status examination

27. Each of the following might be performed by a neuropsychologist during the course of a
neuropsychological evaluation EXCEPT
a. testing of reflexes.
*b. administration of X rays.
c. physical examination of muscle tone.
d. asking the assessee to skip from one end of the room to the other.
Topic: The neuropsychological examination

28. Which of the following does the 7-Minute Screen and the Mini-Mental State Examination
measure?
a. cognitive ability
b. language
c. memory
*d. all of the above
Topic: Interviews and rating scales

29. The 7-Minute Screen was developed to identify symptoms associated with which of the
following?
a. personality disorders
*b. Alzheimer’s disease
c. seizure disorders
d. all of the above
Topic: Interviews and rating scales

30. Which of the following is TRUE of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-64 Card Version?
a. The test is only useful for screening for neurological impairment with suspected
frontal lobe injury.
*b. Caution in interpretation is necessary because test results may suggest neurological
impairment when the testtaker is exhibiting mental illness without neurological
impairment.
c. In addition to frontal lobe injury, the test is useful in diagnosing seizure disorders.
d. All of the above are true.
Topic: Neuropsychological tests

31. The Tower of Hanoi is a useful tool for which of the following purposes?
a. as a measure of various aspects of executive functioning
b. as a measure of planning ability
c. as a measure of cognitive flexibility
*d. all of the above
Topic: Neuropsychological tests

32. For which of the following has the Porteus Maze Test NOT been found useful?
a. as a measure of executive functioning
b. to study personality traits of testtakers
*c. for use with children
d. all of the above
Topic: Neuropsychological tests

33. Which of the following represents a difference between the Trail Making Tests, Tower of
Hanoi, and the Porteus Maze Test?
a. The three do not all measure aspects of cognitive functioning.
*b. The three require paper and pencil.
c. The three measure planning ability.
d. None of the above represents a difference between the three neuropsychological
tests.
Topic: Neuropsychological tests

34. The Trail Making Tests are part of which neuropsychological test battery?
*a. Halstead-Reitan
b. Kaufman Assessment Battery
c. Woodcock-Johnson III
d. none of the above
Topic: Neuropsychological tests

35. A task is which the testtaker is shown a sample item and then must scan a group of items
to match with the sample as quickly as possible is known as which of the following?
a. Trail Making Test
*b. Field of Search
c. Porteus Tests
d. none of the above
Topic: Neuropsychological tests

36. Which of the following neuropsychological tests have been found to assess abilities
important in piloting an aircraft and monitoring air traffic control?
a. Trail Making Test
*b. Field of Search
c. Tower of Hanoi
d. Boston Naming Test
Topic: Neuropsychological tests

37. Which of the following is NOT TRUE of picture absurdity items?

a. They are included as items on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale.
b. They are uncommon on contemporary cognitive ability tests and batteries.
c. They are used as a measure of neuropsychological functioning.
*d. All of the above are true.
Topic: Neuropsychological tests

38. Neuropsychological tests are most typically used as all of the following EXCEPT
a. an adjunct to medical examinations.
b. an aid in assessing a person’s ability to stand trial.
*c. an aid in identifying intellectual giftedness.
d. a measure of outcome in rehabilitation research.
Topic: Neuropsychological tests

39. Poor performance on the Block Design and other performance subtests of the Wechsler
scales along with high scores on the Verbal subtests indicates
*a. possible damage in the right hemisphere of the brain.
b. possible damage in the left hemisphere of the brain.
c. severe head trauma.
d. a “deterioration quotient” (DQ) often seen in adolescents who crave softserve ice
cream.
Topic: Neuropsychological tests

40. The Wechsler Memory Scale-III is appropriate for ages

a. 3–21.
b. 5–18.
*c. 16–74.
d. 6–74.
Topic: Memory tests

41. If a person performs poorly on informal interpretation of well-known proverbs, it could

signal
*a. a deficit in the ability to abstract.
b. a deficit in organizing and planning.
c. a disorder of orientation.
d. a concentration deficit.
Topic: Tests of general intellectual ability

42. Asking a patient to explain the meaning of proverbs such as “The early bird catches the
worm” may assist a neuropsychologist in assessing a cognitive deficit in which area?
a. planning
b. vocabulary
*c. abstraction
d. orientation
Topic: Tests of general intellectual ability

43. Aphasia patients suffer the loss of the ability to

a. perceive smell.
b. perceive sounds lower in volume than a “dollar watch.”
*c. express themselves orally or in writing.
d. hold their hands steady.
Topic: Tests of verbal functioning

44. A person who performs very poorly in reproducing abstract geometric forms on a paper-
and-pencil task is most likely to have a deficit in which area of functioning?
a. visual scanning ability
b. visual response speed
c. visual sequential memory
*d. visual-motor integration
Topic: Perceptual, motor, and perceptual-motor tests

45. The Bender-Visual Motor Gestalt Test

a. requires a considerable amount of time and special equipment to administer.
b. relies solely on qualitative clinical judgment because no normative data are available.
c. was restandardized according to the 1990 census.
*d. assesses perceptual maturation and neurological impairment.
Topic: The Bender-Visual Motor Gestalt Test

46. Which is true of a “flexible battery” in neuropsychological assessment?

*a. A “flexible battery” of tests is typically preferable to a standard or prepackaged
battery because it is more tailored to the assessee’s presenting problem.
b. Tests administered in a “flexible battery” frequently overlap with respect to some of
the functions typically assessed in a standard battery, although both should always
be administered.
c. All tests in a “flexible battery” have usually been normed on similar populations.
 d. Tests administered in a “flexible battery” are less time-consuming than those in a
standard battery.
Topic: The flexible battery

47. Most neuropsychologists prefer which of the following when conducting an evaluation?
a. a prepackaged neuropsychological battery
*b. a flexible neuropsychological battery
c. The Halstead-Reitan
d. The Luria-Nebraska
Topic: The flexible battery

48. Which characterizes a “prepackaged battery” of tests in neuropsychological assessment?

a. Great care is taken to ensure that the person’s specific disability does not adversely
influence performance on the tests.
b. Scoring methods are frequently vague and require much subjective clinical
judgment.
c. Each test typically measures only one neuropsychological variable.
*d. none of the above
Topic: The prepackaged battery

49. Which of the following is TRUE of a fixed neuropsychological battery?

*a. All of the tests in the battery are standardized.
b. All of the tests were developed based on one particular battery.
c. The tests can be administered in a flexible fashion.
d. All of the above are true.
Topic: The fixed battery

50. The NEPSY is to the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery as the ______ is to

___________?
a. Trail Making Test; the Porteus Maze Test
*b. WISC-III; the WAIS-III
c. Tower of Hanoi; the Bender
d. Halstead- Reitan; the Luria-Nebraska
Topic: Other fixed neuropsychological batteries

51. Which of the following represents a criticism of the Luria-Nebraska as compared to the
Halstead-Reitan?
a. The Luria takes a longer time to administer.
*b. The need for language skills is overrepresented on the Luria.
c. The Luria leads to an over diagnosis of Aphasia.
d. All of the above represent criticisms of the Luria.
Topic: Other fixed neuropsychological batteries

52. The Luria-Nebraka is an example of which of the following?

a. a personality assessment battery
b. a flexible neuropsychological test battery
*c. a fixed neuropsychological test battery
d. a test for driving ability
Topic: Other fixed neuropsychological batteries

53. Which of the following published tests are included in the Montreal Neuropsychological
Institute Battery?
a. The Wechsler Intelligence Tests
b. The Mooney Faces Test
 c. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Tests
*d. all of the above
Topic: Other fixed neuropsychological batteries

54. Which of the following represents the unique contribution of the Severe Impairment
Battery?
a. It reliably and validly assesses epilepsy.
b. It reliably and validly assesses aphasia.
*c. It assesses the more severely impaired.
d. All of the above represent unique contributions.
Topic: Other fixed neuropsychological batteries

55. The Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery

a. is relatively easy to administer and can be administered by paraprofessionals.
*b. is useful in assessing perceptual, cognitive, and motor deficits.
c. is an appealingly simple and quick set of tests of neurological intactness.
d. a and b
Topic: The Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery

56. Which is not a subtest of the Halstead-Reitan Battery?

a. category
*b. coding
c. tactual performance
d. finger-tapping
Topic: The Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery

57. Medical diagnostic procedures, such as PET scans and CT scans, would be LEAST likely to
be used to diagnose
a. epilepsy.
b. brain lesions.
c. brain tumors.
*d. schizophrenia.
Topic: Everyday Psychometrics: Medical Diagnostic Aids in Neuropsychological Assessment

58. The study of neuropsychology focuses on

a. nervous system/cognition relationships.
*b. brain/behavior relationships.
c. stimulus/response relationships.
d. physical/platonic relationships.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior

59. If a person has experienced damage to the left hemisphere of the brain, you might expect
to observe that person having difficulty moving
a. the left arm.
b. both arms.
c. the left leg.
*d. the right leg.
Topic: The nervous system and behavior

60. If damage from an infection was limited to a deficit in the sense of smell, this deficit could
BEST be attributed to a
a. contralateral defect.
b. diffuse lesion.
*c. focal lesion.
 d. fissure.
Topic: Neurological damage and the concept of organicity

61. At the present time, most researchers would consider organicity to be

a. a shared pattern of behaviors among persons with brain damage.
*b. various behavioral responses to brain damage.
c. a singular diagnostic entity for the brain injured.
d. a descriptor of human anatomy.
Topic: Neurological damage and the concept of organicity

62. A neuropsychologist might draw information from which of the following during a
neuropsychological examination?
a. a personality measure
b. a measure of intellectual functioning
c. a specific neuropsychological test
*d. all of the above
Topic: The neuropsychological examination

63. A neuropsychological evaluation

*a. will vary as a function of the referral question.
b. begins with specific neuropsychological test.
c. will vary depending upon the assessee’s insurance.
d. begins with a referral to a neurologist.
Topic: The neuropsychological examination

64. Which would be LEAST important in a neuropsychological examination?

a. the age at which the client could tie his or her shoelaces
b. the client’s estimated IQ
*c. the client’s social values
d. the medical history of the client’s mother
Topic: The history

65. The physical exam of a person suspected of brain injury

a. may be conducted by any psychologist trained in invasive procedures.
b. includes invasive and noninvasive procedures.
c. will answer most medical questions except these pertaining to exact location of a
lesion.
*d. may be conducted in part by a neuropsychologist.
Topic: The physical examination

66 Which is NOT a non-invasive procedure?

a. testing reflexes
b. walking and slipping
*c. angiogram
d. electroencephalogram
Topic: The physical examination

67. A self-report rating scale of neurological impairment is

a. the Patient’s Assessment of Own Functioning Scale
b. the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire
*c. the Neuropsychological Impairment Scale
d. the Seashore Rating Scale
Topic: Specialized interviews and rating scales
 68. The phrase “Birds of a feather flock together” might be used in a neuropsychological
evaluation in order to measure
a. memory
*b. abstract reasoning
c. sequencing
d. social cohesion
Topic: Tests of general intellectual ability

69. Aphasia refers to

a. deficit in motor ability.
b. deficit in writing.
c. memory deficit.
*d. communication deficit.
Topic: Tests of verbal functioning

70. The Controlled Word Association Test is used to

a. predict dementia.
b. measure cognitive functioning.
*c. assess verbal fluency.
d. diagnose Alzheimer’s disease.
Topic: Tests of verbal functioning

71. The Symbol Search subtest of the WISC-III is an example of which type of test?
a. verbal memory test
*b. perceptual-motor test
c. test of abstract reasoning
d. test of gross and fine motor ability
Topic: Perceptual, motor, and perceptual-motor tests

72. A prepackaged battery of neuropsychological tests will allow the clinician to

a. pick and choose from a variety of tests in the battery.
b. choose tests based on the specific referral questions.
c. choose a complete battery that is individually tailored to the referral question.
*d. provide a sampling of commonly assessed areas.
Topic: The fixed battery

73. The Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery is an example of

a. a flexible battery.
b. a routing battery.
*c. an atheoretical battery.
d. an energized battery.
Topic: The Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery

74. The precise location of a brain tumor could best be identified by means of
*a. a CT scan.
b. an X ray.
c. an electromyograph (EMG).
d. a spinal tap.
Topic: Everyday Psychometrics: Medical Diagnostic Aids and Neuropsychological Assessment

75. Which is LEAST helpful in detecting brain lesions?

a. an X ray
*b. a blood test
c. a PET scan
 d. an echoencephalograph
Topic: Everyday Psychometrics: Medical Diagnostic Aids and Neuropsychological Assessment

76. Recent research on the Wechsler Memory Scale has pointed to

a. distinctive verbal and visual memory factors.
*b. a general memory factor.
c. verbal and performance memory factors.
d. memory that is organized by the sensory system in which it is assessed.
Topic: Memory tests

77. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) studies indicate that high scores indicative of
impairment are obtained by people with neurological impairments, along with people
with mental disorders who do not have neurological impairments. This latter finding is
indicative of which type of problem with the WCST?
*a. false positives
b. false negatives
c. true negatives
d. true positives
Topic: Tests of cognitive functioning

78. If a testtaker is asked to name familiar objects, write familiar words, and follow verbal
instructions on a test that takes 15 minutes or less, he or she would most likely be taking
a. the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.
b. the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery.
c. the Wechsler Memory Scale.
*d. the Aphasia Screening Test.
Topic: Tests of verbal functioning

79. Children with chronic middle-ear infections often have low scores on the Sequenced
Inventory of Communication Development (SCID). This is evidence of _________________
for the test.
a. test-retest reliability
b. internal-consistency reliability
*c. construct validity
d. content validity
Topic: Tests of verbal functioning

80. According to the text, the increasing ability of physicians to identify brain damage with
scans and other medical technology will likely
a. lessen the importance of neuropsychological testing and assessment.
*b. prompt neuropsychologists to develop better testing techniques for understanding
cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
c. make neuropsychological testing and assessment shift its focus from diagnosis to
remediation.
d. encourage neuropsychologists to return to school, this time for an M.D. degree.
Topic: A perspective

81. The case study approach is extremely valuable in neuropsychological assessments,

especially with regard to determinations concerning a patient’s
a. level of compliance during testing and assessment.
*b. level of premorbid functioning.
c. need for medication and other such medical intervention.
d. ability to pay for services on a sliding scale fee basis.
Topic: Other tools of assessment
 82. The Seguin-Goddard Formboard was originally developed to measure which of the
following?
a. auditory memory
*b. visuopractic ability
c. olfactory memory
d. all of the above
Topic: Other neuropsychological instruments

83. The Wechsler Memory Scale-III taps primarily which type of memory?
a. procedural
b. semantic
*c. declarative episodic
d. all of the above
Topic: The WMS-III

84. Neuropsychological deficits in organizing and planning can BEST be assessed by which of
the following?
a. the Wechsler Similarities Test
b. a proverb interpretation test
*c. the Porteus Maze Test
d. an object sorting test
Topic: Other tests

85. All of the following assess the ability to abstract EXCEPT

a. the Wechsler Similarities subtest
b. the Object Sorting Test
*c. the Porteus Maze Test
d. the Goldstein-Scheerer Test
Topic: Other tests

86. Neuropsychologists use the Wechsler Scales for which of the following?
a. only as a measure of current intellectual functioning
*b. to help identify neuropsychological impairment
c. as a stand-alone measure of neurological impairment
d. to establish rapport prior to administering the Halstead-Reitan battery
Topic: Other tests

87. The ability of a first grader to recite the alphabet only in kindergarten class and not at
home when asked by his parents is an example of which type of long-term memory?
a. procedural
b. implicit
*c. context-dependent
d. b and c
Topic: Memory

88. Your ability to remember all of the different types of reliability represents an example of
__________ memory.
a. procedural
*b. declarative
c. short-term
d. b and c
Topic: Memory
 89. Based on the findings in the Chapple case, which of the following would be
recommended?
a. a flexible neuropsychological test battery
*b. a fixed neuropsychological test battery
c. avoidance of neuropsychological test batteries
d. unobtrusive measures of neuropsychological functioning
Topic: Close-up: Fixed versus flexible Neuropsychological test batteries and the law

90. Getting dressed in the morning is an example of which kind of long-term memory?
*a. procedural
b. declarative
c. episodic
d. context-dependent
Topic: Memory

91. Which of the following is TRUE of short-term memory according to the model presented
in the text?
*a. Passive and active components of short-term memory are included.
b. Only active components are included.
c. Only passive components are included.
d. All information in short-term memory is encoded into long-term memory.
Topic: Memory

92. Individuals who lack awareness, insight, and the ability to recognize problems are referred
to as
a. agnostic.
*b. anosognostic.
c. amnesiac.
d. “Trekkies”.
Topic: Assessment of insight

93. Factor-analytic research with the Wechsler Memory Scale-III suggests that
*a. different factor solutions emerge based on age.
b. g emerges in adulthood but not old age.
c. no one factor can be used to explain test performance.
d. none of the above
Topic: The WMS-III

94. Attention, concentration, and related factors play what role in the model of memory
presented in the text?
a. They play a role only in episodic and procedural memory.
b. They enhance memory to the extent that they are operating normally.
*c. They determine which input becomes conscious.
d. They inhibit memory when operative under extreme conditions.
Topic: Memory