A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests: Administration, Norms, and Commentary [Hardcover]

Otfried Spreen (Author), Esther Strauss (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195100190 | ISBN-13: 978-0195100198 | Publication Date: February 19, 1998 | Edition: 2

The Second Edition of this well-known Compendium has been considerably expanded and updated. It contains new chapters on test selection administration and preparation of the client; report writing and the informing interview; executive functions; occupational interest and aptitude; and malingering and symptom validity testing. The first four chapters focus on history taking, test selection, profiling of test results, report writing, and informing the client. The remaining thirteen chapters contain nearly all the tests covered in the first edition plus almost the same number of new ones. Some of the new tests are: Kaufman-Brief Intelligence Test, Mini-Mental State Examination, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Design Fluency Test, California Verbal Learning Test, and Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Test. For each test, the authors provide a thorough description, source and price, instructions for administration, duration, scoring procedures, normative data, and validity information. They also discuss special tests and clinical techniques in examining the functional integrity of brain regions. The volume does not limit itself to the adult age range, but includes all the norms available for pediatric and gerontological populations, as well as neuropsychological tests developed specifically for children.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the first edition:

"Numerous tables of normative data not available in published test manuals are reproduced in this volume....The extensive experience of the authors as clinical neuropsychologists and supervisors of graduate students is reflected in their comments toward the end of each test entry that includes caveats on administration, interpretation, and limitations of the normative data....This book complements the reference work by Lezak and the book by Heilman and Valenstein with a minimum of redundancy....The writing style is clear, lively, and succinct, thus inviting the reader to refer frequently to this book for reference."--Archives of Neurology

About the Author

Otfried Spreen, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. Esther Strauss, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at the University of Victoria, British Columbia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 752 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (February 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195100190
• ISBN-13: 978-0195100198
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #938,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Resource for Neuropsych Clinicians, May 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests: Administration, Norms, and Commentary (Hardcover)

This is an excellent source for beginning and advanced clinicians. The descriptions of the tests and test administration are concise and easy to understand. In addition, the norms for each test are included. The tests are grouped by the what specific areas they measure (i.e., Intelligence, Achievement, Memory, and Sensory and Motor areas). Since this text covers a wide array of tests, it is well worth the investment.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars it certainly is a "compendium", March 2, 2008

By 

Paul Gertler (Sydney, AUS) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests: Administration, Norms, and Commentary (Hardcover)

The millenial version of "Spreen and Strauss" is guaranteed not to disappoint. Again this is an encyclopaedic collection of data which is essential in making informed decisions about purchasing and selecting tests. In my mind there are two particularly great features of this book:
1. the authors provide instructions and norms for various tests which are in the public domain and usually have norms which are quite recent, so you are not tied to published tests, or paying for "test kits" on tests which have been around for years.
2. there is a wealth of data all in one place for other tests that we rely very heavily on such as the Wechsler tests. There is alot of information relating to RCI (Reliable Change Indices) which is essential if you are re-testing.
Another interesting aspect is that the authors include purchasing information for commercially available tests. I live in Australia and was shocked to discover that we pay 2 or 3 times as much for tests than people in North America. This is despite the fact that the Aussie dollar is worth much more than it used to be. Unfortunately the test distribitors in the USA will not sell to customers in other countries where they have distribution deals. As a consequence the WAIS-III costs AUD$2,772 in Australia while in the US it costs equivalent of AUD$909

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of 3rd Edition, A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests, May 13, 2007

By 

Janet M. Stacey (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests: Administration, Norms, and Commentary (Hardcover)

In the 3rd revision of this text, which has become a vital source of information for both practising and research neuropsychologists, the authors have extended further their previously established tradition of providing information about the norms, psychometric properties, and utility of a wide range of tests used in neuropsychological assessment. Of particular value to the clinician is not only the clear summaries of the psychometric atributes of the various tests but also the authors' critical appraisal of the reviewed techniques that facilitates the selection of the most appopriate test for a particular patient or given research situation.