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The Severe Impairment Battery

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Neuropsychological Assessments of Dementia in Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

The term dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a clinical syndrome that consists, primarily, of significant, progressive and irreversible deterioration of cognitive functioning (learning and memory, language, perception, executive functioning, attention) from a higher level of premorbid functioning, which is of significant severity to interfere with independent living skills across a range of domains (instrumental, domestic, self-care, social). Decline in cognitive functioning can also be accompanied by behavioural and personality changes [1, 2]. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [3] defines dementia as “a progressive and largely irreversible clinical syndrome that is characterised by a widespread impairment of mental function … as [dementia] progresses [people] can experience some or all of the following: memory loss, language impairment, disorientation, changes in personality, difficulties with activities of daily living, self-neglect, psychiatric symptoms and out-of-character behaviour” (p. 5). There are many different types of dementia caused by a number of diseases of the brain (for example Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal degeneration, lewy body disease, vascular disease), the most common cause being Alzheimer’s disease [3]. In the most recently published diagnostic manuals [2] the ‘dementias’ are subsumed within the category of Major and Mild neurocognitive disorders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Psychological Health and Wellbeing, University of Hull, Hull, UK

    Nick Hutchinson BSc, ClinPsyD, CPsychol

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  1. Nick Hutchinson BSc, ClinPsyD, CPsychol
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Correspondence to Nick Hutchinson BSc, ClinPsyD, CPsychol .

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  1. Visiting Professor of Neuropsychiatry, Birmingham, United Kingdom

    Vee P. Prasher

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Hutchinson, N. (2018). The Severe Impairment Battery. In: Prasher, V. (eds) Neuropsychological Assessments of Dementia in Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61720-6_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61720-6_13

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