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Assessment of Altered Brain Function in the Aged

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The Clinical Psychology of Aging

Abstract

Numerous behavioral procedures have been described in the literature which are intended to evaluate the presence and/or degree of altered brain function. Determination of the efficacy of these procedures is difficult enough in general, but becomes considerably more complicated when applied to the aged in particular. The purpose of this chapter is to consider some of the clinical issues including: the meaning of “organic brain dysfunction” that the behavioral procedures are supposed to measure, the problems of false positives and negatives, the circumstances under which the clinical examination is likely to occur, and the common problems of differential diagnosis encountered. There will be a review of the psychometric and clinical evaluation procedures commonly employed and, finally, measures which are most likely to be clinically useful will be recommended and described in detail.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Chicago, USA

    Robert L. Kahn

  2. National Institute of Mental Health, USA

    Nancy E. Miller

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  1. Robert L. Kahn
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

    Martha Storandt

  2. Duke University Medical School, Durham, North Carolina, USA

    Ilene C. Siegler

  3. University of Maine at Orono, Orono, Maine, USA

    Merrill F. Elias

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© 1978 Plenum Press, New York

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Kahn, R.L., Miller, N.E. (1978). Assessment of Altered Brain Function in the Aged. In: Storandt, M., Siegler, I.C., Elias, M.F. (eds) The Clinical Psychology of Aging. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3342-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3342-5_2

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