Neuropsychological Tests

Neuropsychological Tests

Assess brain functioning and cognitive deficits due to injury, illness, or disorders.

Halstead–Reitan Neuropsychological Battery (HRNB)

• Purpose: Comprehensive assessment of brain–behavior relationships.

• Age Range: 15 years to adult (child version available for ages 9–14).

• Format: Series of subtests, typically taking 4–6 hours.

• Measures:

  • Attention, concentration, and memory

  • Language and speech

  • Sensory–perceptual and motor functions

  • Problem solving and abstract reasoning

• Notes: Often used in cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, or dementia diagnosis.

Luria–Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB)

• Purpose: Assesses neuropsychological functioning with a shorter administration time than HRNB.

• Age Range: 13 years to adult (children’s version available).

• Format: 269 items in 11 clinical scales.

• Measures:

  • Motor skills

  • Rhythm

  • Tactile and visual functions

  • Speech and language

  • Memory and intellectual processes

• Notes: Takes 2–3 hours; based on Alexander Luria’s neuropsychological theory.

Bender Visual–Motor Gestalt Test

• Purpose: Screens for developmental disorders and brain damage.

• Age Range: 4 years to adult.

• Format: Participant copies geometric designs.

• Measures:

  • Visual–motor integration

  • Perceptual–motor skills

  • Developmental maturity

• Notes: Quick (10–15 min); often used for children with suspected neurological or learning problems.

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)

• Purpose: Measures abstract thinking and ability to change problem-solving strategies.

• Age Range: 6.5 years to adult.

• Format: Participant sorts cards according to different rules (color, number, shape) without being told the rule.

• Measures:

  • Cognitive flexibility

  • Abstract reasoning

  • Problem-solving skills

• Notes: Highly sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction.

Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF)

• Purpose: Assesses visuospatial constructional ability and visual memory.

• Age Range: 6 years to adult.

• Format:

  • Copy phase: Reproduce a complex geometric figure.

  • Immediate recall: Draw from memory.

  • Delayed recall: Draw again after 20–30 minutes.

• Measures: Planning, organization, and visual memory.

• Notes: Often used in dementia and brain injury assessments.

California Verbal Learning Test – Second Edition (CVLT-II)

• Purpose: Measures verbal learning and memory.

• Age Range: 16 years to adult (children’s version: CVLT-C).

• Format: Word list recall across multiple trials.

• Measures:

  • Short-term and long-term verbal memory

  • Learning strategies

  • Recognition memory

• Notes: Helps differentiate between memory impairments due to Alzheimer’s, brain injury, or depression.