Neuropsychological assessment -Spatial and non- spatial working memory at different stages of Parkinson's disease

Brain damage often results in an impairment or disability in brain functioning, which can vary in severity. In order to understand the magnitude of the brain damage and exactly what functions have been effected, clinicians have designed a number of tests. These tests aim to measure which functions have been effected, for example motor functions, memory, intellect and language among others, as well as assessing how severe the damage is. This procedure is called Neuropsychological Assessment. The types of tests used usually follow one of two routes, either a fixed set of battery tests is provided, where the battery consists of a number of specific tests that are always used in conjunction with each other and make up the battery (eg, The Halstead–Reitan Battery contains a number of specific tests to access general intelligence). The second option is a flexible selection where the clinician carefully chooses which tests to give the individual, based on the individuals assessment. A paper written by Owen et al 1997 used a battery of tests to assess spatial, verbal and working memory. The tests were carried out on a group of patients with Parkinson's disease who were compared to a number of normal controls. END The findings were that medicated patients with Parkinson's with severe clinical symptoms were impaired on all three tests of working memory, in contrast medicated Parkinson's patients with mild clinical symptoms were impaired on the spatial working memory but not on the other two. Non medicated patients with mild clinical symptoms were not impaired on any of the tests. These findings suggest that the symptoms of Parkinson's emerge and subsequently progress. The results of the tests are important because they help us to learn more about specific disorders and how they effect normal brain functions.