Cognitive and behavioral disorders in neurorehabilitation.

Assessment and management of cognitive and behavioral issues in the neurorehabilitation of patients with brain injuries are extremely important. Because cognitive impairments can impede post-brain injury adaptive functioning, it is necessary to carefully assess the major neurocognitive functions to help determine potential obstacles to rehabilitation and to plan for effective interventions. Likewise, behavioral and emotional problems following brain injury, whether directly or secondarily caused by the injury, can hamper or undermine what may otherwise be an efficacious rehabilitative treatment plan.

The relationship between gender and postconcussion symptoms after sport-related mild traumatic brain injury.

Objective: The authors sought to define the relationship between gender and postconcussion symptoms (PCSx) at 3 months after sport-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and, further, to examine whether age (minors vs. adults), source of PCSx reporting (self-reported vs. proxy), previous head injury or loss of consciousness, or the sport type in which the mTBI was incurred explain any observed gender differences in PCSx.

Ethical controversies in neuropsychological test selection, administration, and interpretation.

Due to the lack of uniform agreement on certain aspects of neuropsychological assessment practice, ethical issues can arise. Ethical controversies related to some of the most basic assessment practices of the clinical neuropsychologist are addressed. Current controversies related to neuropsychological test selection, test administration, and test interpretation are discussed and illustrated by case vignettes.

Neuropsychological assessment of Asian Americans: demographic factors, cultural diversity, and practical guidelines.

Asian Americans belong to 1 of the most rapidly growing ethnic minority groups in the United States. Clinical neuropsychologists unfamiliar with Asian American peoples and cultures may not be able to perform an adequate evaluation with an individual of Asian descent because of lack of understanding of how cultural variables might affect the assessment. This article attempts to provide some basic knowledge and principles by which to guide neuropsychologists who might work with an Asian American patient by (a) familiarizing the reader with basic information and descriptions of some of the major specific Asian subgroups, (b) providing a context within which neuropsychological test selection and interpretation can be adjusted to account for cultural and linguistic factors, and (c) providing practical suggestions for working with Asian American clients in a neuropsychological setting.