Reading and Speech Practice

Geropsychology

Geropsychology is a branch of psychology that seeks to address the concerns of older adults. Mental disorders, depression, anxiety, and age-related illnesses all increase the need for older adults to seek psychological care from geropsychologists.

Geropsychology encourages older adults to live full lives well into their senior years by providing psychotherapies and interventions to treat a variety of disorders, aging concerns, and challenges. It is also a field that provides guidance for common changes that take place in these later years, such as retirement and housing relocation issues.

Negative cognitive changes sometimes manifest in older adults for a variety of reasons, including retirement, financial difficulties, transportation issues, housing problems, and declining health. Depression is the most prominent mental disorder that affects older adults. Depression can lead to a decreased interest in hobbies or activities, isolation, and even suicide in the most dire cases.

Geropsychologists often work with older adults suffering from chronic illness. When a patient is diagnosed with a chronic illness, a medical professional recommends psychotherapy to help the individual adjust to life with the illness, making treatment for the chronic illness a multidisciplinary objective. For instance, patients often develop depression as they face the realities of living with chronic pain or disability, and depression often impedes medical treatment. Geropsychologists guide older adults through all the issues associated with chronic illness, including socioenvironmental issues and crumbling social networks, to help them adjust to their conditions and comply with treatment.

Older adults who suffer from Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia typically exhibit symptoms of anxiety and depression as well. However, dementia presents unique challenges for geropsychologists because Alzheimer's patients are less likely to speak openly about their depression.

Geropsychology places a special focus on older adults struggling with substance abuse. Older adults with substance abuse problems are likely to have feelings of isolation, letting their substance abuse erode their social networks. Geropsychology research provides guidelines and programs to help older adults who suffer from substance abuse by focusing on rebuilding those social networks.

Text 6 Neuropsychology

NEUROPSYCHOLOGY is the scientific study of the relationship between the brain and mental life; clinical neuropsychology, of those aspects concerning the psychological assessment, management and rehabilitation of neurological disease and injury. It is based upon the scientific study of human behavior as it relates to normal and abnormal functioning of the central nervous system.

Clinical neuropsychologists address neurobehavioral problems related to acquired or developmental disorders of the nervous system. The types of problems are extremely varied and include such conditions as dementia, vascular disorders, Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, learning disabilities, neuropsychiatric disorders, infectious disease affecting the CNS, neurodevelopmental disorders, metabolic disease and neurological effects of medical disorders or treatment.

Clinical neuropsychologists consult with patients and their families in healthcare settings, such as hospitals or medical clinics, or in clinical neuropsychology practices. They also see some children in educational settings.

The referring physician gives clinical neuropsychologists the results from neuroimaging tests, such as CT or (computerized tomography) MRIs, (magnetic resonance imaging) and PETs (positron emission tomography). These tests pinpoint structural brain injuries or tumors within millimeters in the brain, localizing brain dysfunction to specific areas and regions of the brain. Physicians also forward the patient’s other medical records and results from laboratory tests to a clinical neuropsychologist to provide a complete case history of the patient.

The referring doctor or agency also develops a question or set of concerns about the patient’s cognitive and/or behavioral deficits that must be addressed in order to plan rehabilitative services and interventions. These concerns often involve answering specific “everyday functioning” issues, such as the ability of the patient to drive, independently take care of personal hygiene, finances, and work-related issues.

During the initial examination, the clinical neuropsychologist interviews the patient as well as any family members that are present, asking about the patient’s history and the patient’s opinion of the nature of the brain injury or deficit. Through this initial interview, the clinical neuropsychologist determines the patient’s awareness of problems, and his or her physical capacity and mental ability to undertake a more in-depth neuropsychological assessment consisting of a series of tests.

If the patient is able to sit through and perform a number of cognitive tests, the clinical neuropsychologist assigns a trained technician to administer the tests.

Many valid and reliable neuropsychological tests have been developed over the years designed to assess all areas of cognitive functioning, including:

• Intellectual function

• Memory

• Speech and language

• Visual perception

• Psychomotor/Psychosensory functions

• Planning, judgment, decision-making functions

• Attention

Based on the outcomes, the clinical neuropsychologist recommends rehabilitation plans, interventions, a plan to return to work, recommendations for daily living, or any other issues requested by physicians and healthcare personnel.