Neuropsychological

Standardized neuropsychological tests

These tasks have been designed so the performance on the task can be linked to specific neurocognitive processes. These tests are typically standardized, meaning that they have been administered to a specific group (or groups) of individuals before being used in individual clinical cases. The data resulting from standardization are known as normative data. After these data have been collected and analyzed, they are used as the comparative standard against which individual performances can be compared. Examples of neuropsychological tests include: the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), Boston Naming Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Benton Visual Retention Test, and the Controlled Oral Word Association. When interpreting neuropsychological testing it is important that the diagnosis is empirically informed in order to determine if the cognitive deficits presented are legitimate. Successful malingering and symptom exaggeration can result in substantial benefits for the individual including but not limited to significant financial compensation, injury litigation, disability claims, and criminal sentencing. Due to the nature of these potential benefits, it is imperative that malingering is identified in neuropsychological tests in order to avoid making an invalid diagnosis. The Slick, Sherman, and Iverson (1999) criteria for Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction (MND) has pioneered the ability to detect malingering in a variety of performance validity tests (PVT) and symptom validity tests (SVT) across multiple neuropsychological contexts and disorders. These tests detect malingering by identifying performance that is below the level of probability for neuropsychological dysfunction.