CURRENT CLINICAL RESEARCH
Neuropsychologists play a part in early Alzheimer's diagnosis: It is important to differentiate among normal changes in memory that occur with aging, isolated memory problems (that are not dementia) and a range of patterns that are associated with different dementias. For example, in the early to middle stages, it is possible to differentiae between a subcortical presentation (as you would see in Parkinson's disease) and those that are more cortical (like alzheimer's disease). Neuropsychology is an important diagnostic tool in dementia evaluations. Most patients who are suspected of having memory problems should be seen for neuropsychological testing. Visiting a neurologist, except in rare cases, would not be sufficient for those with subtle or early -to-moderate symptoms. Brain imaging is also often not helpful with the diagnosis of demential, as it is well known that many patients with dementia will show not abnormaliities on MRI until late in the disease. Neuropsychologists are clinical psychologists who have completed postdoctoral training or residencies in clinical neuropsychology and are board-certified or board eligible in the subspecialty. For more information about the field, visit www.nanoline.org or www.the-ins.org.
Alzheimer's Treatment Research: ELAN PHARMACEUTICALS. This is a multicenter study for bapineuzumab (an amyloid inhibitor), in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimers. We provide cognitive testing and functional assessment of patients enrolled in these trials.
NORMATIVE STUDIES (IQ and Memory): Montana Neuropsychological Corp was test site for Harcourt, The Psychological Corpopration. We recently participated in the normative study for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and Wechsler Memory Scale, 4th editions. The data we collected was selected as the normative basis for left and right temporal lobectomy cases. It is part the technical manuals for the most recent editions of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and Weschler Memory Scale (!V editions, appendix D and E).
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LANGUAGE LOCALIZATION, BRAIN MAPPING, AND COGNITIVE EVALUATIONS: Neurobehavioral evaluation for patients who are candidates for epilepsy surgery, often during 24 hour EEG-Video monitoring which occurs on an inpatient basis. Following neuropsychological evaluation, we provide the Wada test (Intracarotid Sodium Amybarbital Procedure). This procedure involves putting one hemisphere of the brain under anethesia (e.g. left cerebral hemisphere). Most recently Dr. english has been working with epileptologists and neurosurgeons as part of a comprehensive team approach to intractible epilepsy at one of the midwest's leading university hospital (Nebraska Medical Center).