PSYC 515 -Assessment FINAL
comprehensive questions and answer latest upload
2024/ 2025 with 100% verified solutions
Anxiety, depression, mental fogginess, fatigue, feeling jumpy or shaky, headaches, insomnia,
irritability or excitability, loss of appetite, nausea, pale skin, palpitations, rapid emotional
changes, sweating, vomiting
Wernicke's Encephalopathy - ANSWER-Thiamine deficiency (often as a result of heavy
alcohol use and poor nutrition)
Core symptoms
- Confusion/disorientation
- Optic ataxia or ataxia of gait (coordination of muscle movements)
- Abulia (absence of willpower or ability to act decisively), apathy
- Global amnesia
Can lead to death if not treated (high dose thiamine)
Can also lead to permanent impairment (Korsakoff's)
Cannabis - ANSWER-- Most widely used drug besides alcohol and nicotine
- Most widely used substance worldwide
- Research about harmful cognitive effects has been mixed but body of literature is growing
- Little evidence for long term neurotoxic effects
Acute cognitive effects
- Poorer learning during use
1|Page
,- Slower processing (time perception)
- May impair complex attention and cognitive flexibility (from simulated driving study)
Opiods - ANSWER-- Pain medication (Hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine,
codeine)
- Heroin
- Methadone
Immediate effects - cognitive slowing
Lots of literature showing deficits in attention, memory, executive functioning, processing
speed in OUD patients vs. HCs
Sleep and Cognition - ANSWER-Simple attention and vigilance affected by acute sleep
deprivation
Sleep disturbances common in degenerative syndromes (may be early indication as well as a
risk factor)
Sleep Apnea - ANSWER-Obstructive Sleep Apnea - at least 5 apneas or hypopneas per hour
of sleep (confirmed with PSG), nocturnal breathing disturbances and daytime sleepiness
Central Sleep Apnea - not a breathing obstruction, caused by abnormal breathing signals
Can be related to stroke, heart failure, drug use (opioids), or idiopathic
Risk for cognitive impairment and stroke
Treated with positive airway pressure devices (CPAP, APAP, BiPAP)
Mood and Cognition - ANSWER-Depression is associated with complex attention,
processing speed, memory, executive functioning deficits
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,Bipolar disorder also associated with poorer performance on measures of learning and
memory, executive functioning, and processing speed
PTSD associated with attention and memory dysfunction, poor concentration/limited working
memory, executive functioning, memory deficits involving initial encoding difficulties
major brain areas involved in language - ANSWER-dominant hemisphere (usually left),
Wernicke's area, Broca's area, Wernicke and Broca connected by white matter pathway called
arcuate fasciculus, primary motor cortex in frontal lobe
frontal lobe damage/degeneration - ANSWER-perseveration, stimulus boundedness
temporal lobe - ANSWER-processing auditory information, encoding of memory, processing
affect/emotions, language
Emic Norms - ANSWER-Norms that are specific to the individuals identities/qualities
experience near
Etic Norms - ANSWER-Norms that are generalized to the population as a whole
experience-distant
EIWA - ANSWER-Wechsler Spanish Subtest
Escala de Inteligencia de Wechsler para Adultos
Using English vs Spanish Language Norms - ANSWER-Healthy Elderly (Spanish speaking <
English speaking) - suggests that using English norms in this population may be
overpathologizing, supports idea that tests are bias
3|Page
, Alzheimer's Elderly (Spanish speaking > English speaking) - suggests that using English
norms in this population may be underpathologizing, suggests tests are less able to detect
deficits
For a given individual, multiple norms might be useful. A neuropsychologist should provide
conceptually informed data to support a given set of norms for a given individual.
Hypotheses/assumptions to consider when an individual is different from test norms -
ANSWER-- you can not assume that there are no
biases in tests
- nor can you assume there are biases in
tests
The role of functioning in assessment - ANSWER-- Important to consider what the individual
is and is not able to do in their every day life to conceptualize assessment results
Topics included in clinical interview - ANSWER-- Presenting concerns: Cognitive,
emotional, physical
- Functioning: IADLs, work, school, recreation
- Medical history: Stroke, seizures, head injury, medication and medical conditions (often
gathered from medical record), family medical history
- Psychiatric history: prior symptoms, diagnoses, treatment
- Substance use: current use and prior history
- Developmental background: where born/raised, language background, early development
- Educational/Occupational: education completed, quality of their education is important
- Work history - any troubles/lapses?
- Social: relationships and current support
Important tip for clinical interviews - ANSWER-Don't make assumptions!
Making assumptions about clients can lead you to not ask certain questions that may be
important for the client (ex: not asking about drug use in older people, etc.)
4|Page
comprehensive questions and answer latest upload
2024/ 2025 with 100% verified solutions
Anxiety, depression, mental fogginess, fatigue, feeling jumpy or shaky, headaches, insomnia,
irritability or excitability, loss of appetite, nausea, pale skin, palpitations, rapid emotional
changes, sweating, vomiting
Wernicke's Encephalopathy - ANSWER-Thiamine deficiency (often as a result of heavy
alcohol use and poor nutrition)
Core symptoms
- Confusion/disorientation
- Optic ataxia or ataxia of gait (coordination of muscle movements)
- Abulia (absence of willpower or ability to act decisively), apathy
- Global amnesia
Can lead to death if not treated (high dose thiamine)
Can also lead to permanent impairment (Korsakoff's)
Cannabis - ANSWER-- Most widely used drug besides alcohol and nicotine
- Most widely used substance worldwide
- Research about harmful cognitive effects has been mixed but body of literature is growing
- Little evidence for long term neurotoxic effects
Acute cognitive effects
- Poorer learning during use
1|Page
,- Slower processing (time perception)
- May impair complex attention and cognitive flexibility (from simulated driving study)
Opiods - ANSWER-- Pain medication (Hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine,
codeine)
- Heroin
- Methadone
Immediate effects - cognitive slowing
Lots of literature showing deficits in attention, memory, executive functioning, processing
speed in OUD patients vs. HCs
Sleep and Cognition - ANSWER-Simple attention and vigilance affected by acute sleep
deprivation
Sleep disturbances common in degenerative syndromes (may be early indication as well as a
risk factor)
Sleep Apnea - ANSWER-Obstructive Sleep Apnea - at least 5 apneas or hypopneas per hour
of sleep (confirmed with PSG), nocturnal breathing disturbances and daytime sleepiness
Central Sleep Apnea - not a breathing obstruction, caused by abnormal breathing signals
Can be related to stroke, heart failure, drug use (opioids), or idiopathic
Risk for cognitive impairment and stroke
Treated with positive airway pressure devices (CPAP, APAP, BiPAP)
Mood and Cognition - ANSWER-Depression is associated with complex attention,
processing speed, memory, executive functioning deficits
2|Page
,Bipolar disorder also associated with poorer performance on measures of learning and
memory, executive functioning, and processing speed
PTSD associated with attention and memory dysfunction, poor concentration/limited working
memory, executive functioning, memory deficits involving initial encoding difficulties
major brain areas involved in language - ANSWER-dominant hemisphere (usually left),
Wernicke's area, Broca's area, Wernicke and Broca connected by white matter pathway called
arcuate fasciculus, primary motor cortex in frontal lobe
frontal lobe damage/degeneration - ANSWER-perseveration, stimulus boundedness
temporal lobe - ANSWER-processing auditory information, encoding of memory, processing
affect/emotions, language
Emic Norms - ANSWER-Norms that are specific to the individuals identities/qualities
experience near
Etic Norms - ANSWER-Norms that are generalized to the population as a whole
experience-distant
EIWA - ANSWER-Wechsler Spanish Subtest
Escala de Inteligencia de Wechsler para Adultos
Using English vs Spanish Language Norms - ANSWER-Healthy Elderly (Spanish speaking <
English speaking) - suggests that using English norms in this population may be
overpathologizing, supports idea that tests are bias
3|Page
, Alzheimer's Elderly (Spanish speaking > English speaking) - suggests that using English
norms in this population may be underpathologizing, suggests tests are less able to detect
deficits
For a given individual, multiple norms might be useful. A neuropsychologist should provide
conceptually informed data to support a given set of norms for a given individual.
Hypotheses/assumptions to consider when an individual is different from test norms -
ANSWER-- you can not assume that there are no
biases in tests
- nor can you assume there are biases in
tests
The role of functioning in assessment - ANSWER-- Important to consider what the individual
is and is not able to do in their every day life to conceptualize assessment results
Topics included in clinical interview - ANSWER-- Presenting concerns: Cognitive,
emotional, physical
- Functioning: IADLs, work, school, recreation
- Medical history: Stroke, seizures, head injury, medication and medical conditions (often
gathered from medical record), family medical history
- Psychiatric history: prior symptoms, diagnoses, treatment
- Substance use: current use and prior history
- Developmental background: where born/raised, language background, early development
- Educational/Occupational: education completed, quality of their education is important
- Work history - any troubles/lapses?
- Social: relationships and current support
Important tip for clinical interviews - ANSWER-Don't make assumptions!
Making assumptions about clients can lead you to not ask certain questions that may be
important for the client (ex: not asking about drug use in older people, etc.)
4|Page
