Neurology and Movement Disorders

A medical neuropsychologist has an important role in managing and assessing the etiological, psychosocial, and intervention techniques in movement disorders and medical neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease. In the case of Multiple sclerosis, pathology occurs that results in the deterioration of the myelinated neurons and gradually deteriorates the brain and the spinal cord eventually resulting in paralysis and cognitive challenges (Stirling, 2002). Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that can cause tremors, muscular rigidity, slowed movement, and speech disorders as well as other dysfunctions in the basal ganglia and dopamine distribution process. Medical neurologists work with patients and family members whom are suffering from this disease to assess neurological functioning or deterioration, manage multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams, and work to help develop behavioral programs to manage long-term illnesses by assessing the patient’s functional systems (Andrewes, 2002).

Neuropsychologists will use a battery of tests to visually look for brain lesions as well as cognitive measures to understand the implications these lesions have on rehabilitative aspects of illness such as the relapse rate of patients with multiple sclerosis ( Snyder, Cappelleri, & Archibald, 2001). Additionally, research regarding physical health, aging, and mental abilities with these relatively long-term neurological degenerative disorders are of interest to neuropsychologists (Woodruff-Pak, Jaeger& Gorman, 1999). Medical neuropsychologists should also work in a collaborative role with neurologists, rehabilitative technicians, and social workers from a managerial perspective as they have an outlook that incorporates psychological, medical, and social perspectives for these disorders.

Andrewes, D. (2002) Neuropsychology: From theory to practice. New York: Psychology Press.

Snyder, P. J., Cappelleri, J. C., & Archibald, C. J. (2001). Improved detection of differential information-processing speed deficits between two disease-course types of multiple sclerosis. Neuropsychology, 15(4), 617-625.

Stirling , J. (2002). Introducing neuropsychology. New York: Psychology Press.

Woodruff-Pak, D. S., Jaeger, M. E., & Gorman, C. (1999). Relationships among age, conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus interval, and neuropsychological test performance. Neuropsychology, 13(1), 90-102.

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