Halstead-Reitan battery

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The children’s version of this battery does not include this test
The children’s version of this battery does not include this test
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== Speech Sounds Perception Test ==
== Speech Sounds Perception Test ==
 +
60 tape-recorded nonsense syllables containing the sound “ee” are presented
 +
After each syllable the subjects must underline the spelling that represents the syllable they heard from a list of 4 written syllables
 +
 +
The test evaluates auditory attention and concentration
 +
 +
The test also tests the subject’s ability to discriminate between verbal sounds
 +
 +
The results of the test provides information about the specific areas of brain damage a subject may have
 +
 +
The test can also indicate attention deficits or hearing loss
 +
 +
Scoring and interpretation are similar to the Rhythm Test
 +
 +
The Children’s version contains fewer syllable choices
== Reitan-Indiana Aphasia Screening Test ==
== Reitan-Indiana Aphasia Screening Test ==
 +
Subjects are present with a variety of questions and tasks that are considered easy for someone without aphasia (the loss of ability to understand or use written or spoken language due to brain damage or deterioration)
 +
The test includes verbally naming pictures, writing the name of a picture without saying the name aloud, reading printed material of increasing length, repeating words stated by the examiner, simple arithmetic problems, drawing shapes without lifting the pencil, and placing one hand to an area on the opposite side of the body
 +
 +
The test evaluates language-related difficulties, right/left confusion, and non-verbal tasks
 +
 +
This is a screening test aimed to detect possible signs of aphasia that may require further evaluation
 +
 +
As a result, a standardized scoring is not used
== Reitan-Klove Sensory-Perceptual Examination ==
== Reitan-Klove Sensory-Perceptual Examination ==
 +
Detects if an individual is unable to perceive stimulation on one side of the body when both sides are stimulated simultaneously
 +
Includes tactile, auditory, and visual components
 +
 +
Involves the subjects ability to specify whether touch, sound, or visible movement is occurring on the right, left, or both sides of the body
 +
 +
Also investigates a subjects ability to recall numbers assigned to particular fingers
 +
 +
Examines the subjects capacity to identify numbers written on their fingertips while their eyes are closed
 +
 +
Furthermore, the test looks at the subject’s ability to identify the shape of a wooden block placed in one hand by pointing to its shape on a board with the opposite hand
== Ancillary Test ==
== Ancillary Test ==
 +
Tests that may be chosen to be included by an examiner based on the difficulties an individual is experiencing
 +
Common tests include the Grip Strength Test, the Reitan-Klove Lateral Dominance Examination, the California Verbal Learning Test, the Grooved Pegboard Test, the Wechsler Memory Scale, the Bushke Selective Reminding Test, the Rey Complex Figure Test, the Wide Range Achievement Test, The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scaleor Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, the Rey Auditory Verbal Memory Test, the Test of Memory and Learning, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
== Results ==
== Results ==
 +
When interpreting the results of the battery, an examiner must look at the overall performance on the battery, performance on individual tests, and indications of lateralization and localization
 +
 +
After analyzing the results, a psychologist can diagnose the type of condition present, predict whether the patient will stay the same, get better, or get worse, and make recommendations regarding treatment, care, or rehabilitation
 +
 +
== Validity ==
 +
The battery has been shown to discriminate normal controls from patients with brain damage with considerable accuracy (84-98%)
 +
 +
The battery has been shown to differentiate between organic neurological from normal populations, organic neurological from functional psychiatric populations, focal from diffuse neurological disease, regional focal cerebral dysfunction by major zones, and the etiological conditions associated with individual differences in outcome pattern
== Works Cited==
== Works Cited==

Current revision as of 20:21, 24 April 2008


Contents

Definition

Fixed set of eight tests used to evaluate brain and nervous system functioning in individuals aged 15 years and older

Children's versions are the Halstead Neuropsychological Test Battery for Older Children (ages 9-14) and the Reitan Indiana Neuropsychological Test Battery (ages 5-8)

Purpose

Evaluates a wide range of nervous system and brain functions including visual input, auditory input, tactual input, verbal communication, spatial perception, sequential perception, the ability to analyze information, form mental concepts, make judgements, motor output, attention, concentration, and memory

Used to evaluate individuals with suspected brain damage

Provides useful information regarding the cause of damage, which part of the brain was damaged, whether the damage occurred during childhood development , and if the damage is getting worse, staying the same, or getting better

The information gathered about the severity of impairment and areas of personal strengths can be used to develop plans for patient rehabilitation and care

Precautions

Requires administration by a professional examiner and interpretation by a trained psychologist

Test results are affected by the examinee's age, education level, intellectual ability, gender, and ethnicity, all of which need to be taken into account when analyzing the results

Fixed battery of tests, which means that unnecessary information may be gathered and some important information may be missed

Requires 5-6 hours to complete, patience, stamina, and cost

Criticized because it does not include specific tests of memory; instead, memory is evaluated within the context of other tests

Description

The Halstead-Reitan battery was created by Ward Halstead and Ralph Reitan

The creation of the test was based on studies of patients with neurologic impairments at the University of Chicago

Halstead recognized the need for an evaluation of brain functioning that was more extensive than intelligence testing

Initially Halstead chose a set of 10 tests, all of which, except 3, are included in the current Halstead-Reitan battery

Ralph Reitan was one of Halstead's students who contributed to the battery by researching the tests' ability to identify neurological problems

Reitan diagnosed 8,000 patients using only their test results, without meeting the patients or knowing anything about their background, which provided support for the effectiveness of the battery

Reitan adapted the original battery by including additional tests

The Halstead-Reitan has been researched more than any other neuropsychological test battery

Research supports the ability of the battery to detect impairment accurately in a large range of neuropsychological functions

8 core tests

Category Test

Total of 208 pictures consisting of geometric figures are presented Individuals are asked to decide whether they are reminded of the number 1, 2, 3, or 4 for each picture and press a key corresponding to their choice

If the individual chooses correctly a chime sounds and if they choose incorrectly a buzzer sounds

The pictures are presented in 7 subtests

The key to the category test is that one principle or common characteristic underlies each subtest

The numbers 1-4 represent the possible principles

If the subject recognizes the correct principle in one picture they will respond correctly for the remaining pictures in that subtest

The next subtest may have the same or different underlying principle and the subject must once again try to determine the principle using the feedback of the chime and buzzer

The last subtest contains two underlying principles

Test takes 1 hour, but individuals with severe brain damage may take up to 2 hours

Considered to be the battery's most effect test for detecting brain damage

Does not help determine where the problem is occurring in the brain

Evaluates the ability to draw specific conclusions from general information

Also aids in detecting one's ability to solve complex and unique problems and one's ability to learn from experience

The children's versions consist of 80 items and 5 subtests for young children and 168 and 6 subtests for older children

Scoring involves recording the number of errors

Scores above 41 are considered indicative of brain impairment for ages 15-45

Scores above 46 indicate impairment for ages 46 and older Recommended cutoffs vary depending on age and education level

Tactual Performance Test

Board containing 10 cut-out shapes and ten wooden blocks matching those shapes are placed in front of a blindfolded individual

Instructed to use only their dominant hand to place the blocks in their appropriate space on the board

Same procedure repeated using the non-dominant hand only

Same procedure repeated using both hands

Board, blocks, and then blindfold are removed

The individual is then asked to draw the board and the shapes in their proper locations from memory only

Takes 15-50 minutes to complete

Time limit of 15 minutes per trial

Evaluates sensory ability, memory for shapes and spatial location, motor functions, and the brain's ability to transfer information between its two hemispheres

Detection of brain damage

Helps to determine which side of the brain damage may have occurred

For children under 15, only 6 shapes are used

Scoring involves the time to complete each of the 3 blindfolded trials and the total time for all trials combined, the number of shapes recalled, and the number of shapes drawn in their correct locations

Trial for the non-dominant hand should be 20 to 30 percent faster than the trial for the dominant hand because of practice effects

If the non-dominant hand is slower or more than 30 percent faster, brain damage is possible

Injuries of the arms, shoulders, or hands can also affect performance

Scores are adjusted depending on education level and age

Trail Making Test

Consists of 2 parts

Part A: 25 numbered circles randomly arranged and individuals are instructed to draw lines between the circles in increasing sequential order until they reach the circle labeled "end"

Part B: A page with circles containing the letters A through L and 13 numbered circles intermixed and randomly arranged and individuals are instructed to connect the circles by drawing lines alternating between numbers and letters in sequential order, until they reach the circle labeled "end"

If mistakes are made, they are quickly brought to the individuals attention and they continue from the last correct circle

Test takes 5-10 minutes to complete

Evaluates information processing speed, visual scanning ability, integration of visual and motor functions, letter and number recognition and sequencing, and the ability to maintain two different trains of though

A Color Trails Test is used for children and individuals of different cultures in which colors are used instead of numbers and letters

Scoring is the time to complete each part

Errors increase the total time

For adults, scores above 40 seconds for Part A and 91 seconds for Part B indicate brain impairment

However it is important to consider other variables such as age when scoring

Finger Tapping Test

Subjects place their dominant hand palm down, fingers extended, with the index finger resting on a lever that is attached to a counting device

They are then instructed to tap their index finger as quickly as possible for 10 seconds while keeping the hand and arm stationary

The trial is repeated 5-10 times until the examiner collects counts for 5 consecutive trials that are within 5 taps of each other

A practice session is given before the test

A brief rest is given between each trial and a 1-2 minute rest is given every third trial

The procedure is repeated with the non-dominant hand

Takes approximately 10 minutes to complete the test

The children’s version uses an electronic tapper instead of a manual one

The test measures motor speed and helps to determine particular areas of the brain that may be damaged

To score the examiner calculates an average number of taps per trial for each of the 5 accepted trials

The dominant hand should be 10% better than the non-dominant hand, which doesn’t always occur in left-handed individuals

Males and younger individuals perform better than females and older people

Education level, intelligence, fatigue, depression, and injuries to the shoulders, arms, or hands should also be considered when scoring

Must be interpreted in combination with other tests in the battery

Rhythm Test

30 pairs of tape-recorded, non-verbal sounds are presented

For each pair, a subject must decide if the 2 sounds are the same or different

The pairs of sounds are grouped into 3 subtests

Evaluates auditory attention and concentration

Also evaluates the ability to discriminate between non-verbal sounds

Helps detect brain damage, but not the location of the damage

A subject must have adequate hearing abilities to complete this test

Scoring is based on the number of correct item

The higher the score the less brain damage a subject has

Scores must be interpreted with the scores from other tests

The children’s version of this battery does not include this test

Speech Sounds Perception Test

60 tape-recorded nonsense syllables containing the sound “ee” are presented

After each syllable the subjects must underline the spelling that represents the syllable they heard from a list of 4 written syllables

The test evaluates auditory attention and concentration

The test also tests the subject’s ability to discriminate between verbal sounds

The results of the test provides information about the specific areas of brain damage a subject may have

The test can also indicate attention deficits or hearing loss

Scoring and interpretation are similar to the Rhythm Test

The Children’s version contains fewer syllable choices

Reitan-Indiana Aphasia Screening Test

Subjects are present with a variety of questions and tasks that are considered easy for someone without aphasia (the loss of ability to understand or use written or spoken language due to brain damage or deterioration)

The test includes verbally naming pictures, writing the name of a picture without saying the name aloud, reading printed material of increasing length, repeating words stated by the examiner, simple arithmetic problems, drawing shapes without lifting the pencil, and placing one hand to an area on the opposite side of the body

The test evaluates language-related difficulties, right/left confusion, and non-verbal tasks

This is a screening test aimed to detect possible signs of aphasia that may require further evaluation

As a result, a standardized scoring is not used

Reitan-Klove Sensory-Perceptual Examination

Detects if an individual is unable to perceive stimulation on one side of the body when both sides are stimulated simultaneously

Includes tactile, auditory, and visual components

Involves the subjects ability to specify whether touch, sound, or visible movement is occurring on the right, left, or both sides of the body

Also investigates a subjects ability to recall numbers assigned to particular fingers

Examines the subjects capacity to identify numbers written on their fingertips while their eyes are closed

Furthermore, the test looks at the subject’s ability to identify the shape of a wooden block placed in one hand by pointing to its shape on a board with the opposite hand

Ancillary Test

Tests that may be chosen to be included by an examiner based on the difficulties an individual is experiencing

Common tests include the Grip Strength Test, the Reitan-Klove Lateral Dominance Examination, the California Verbal Learning Test, the Grooved Pegboard Test, the Wechsler Memory Scale, the Bushke Selective Reminding Test, the Rey Complex Figure Test, the Wide Range Achievement Test, The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scaleor Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, the Rey Auditory Verbal Memory Test, the Test of Memory and Learning, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

Results

When interpreting the results of the battery, an examiner must look at the overall performance on the battery, performance on individual tests, and indications of lateralization and localization

After analyzing the results, a psychologist can diagnose the type of condition present, predict whether the patient will stay the same, get better, or get worse, and make recommendations regarding treatment, care, or rehabilitation

Validity

The battery has been shown to discriminate normal controls from patients with brain damage with considerable accuracy (84-98%)

The battery has been shown to differentiate between organic neurological from normal populations, organic neurological from functional psychiatric populations, focal from diffuse neurological disease, regional focal cerebral dysfunction by major zones, and the etiological conditions associated with individual differences in outcome pattern

Works Cited

NLD on the Web

Health Line

Halstead-Reitan Battery

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