Neuropsychological Evaluation of Psychiatric and Neurological Patients

Neuropsychological Evaluation of Psychiatric and Neurological Patients

This study will allow researchers to use various types of tests to evaluate cognitive and sensory functions. These tests, referred to as "batteries" will evaluate attention, executive functions, general intellectual functioning, language, memory, motor functions, orientation, personality, selected sensory and perceptual functions, vigilance (alertness), and visual-spatial functions. Children and adult patient will receive different test batteries.

The goals of this research study are to;

1. Create descriptions based on the performance of each patient on the test batteries. Then use this information to relate patient behavior to their neurophysiological, neuroradiological, and biochemical descriptions.
2. Define subgroups of patients based on their neurobehavior in order to decrease the variability of psychiatric diagnoses, treatments, and prognoses.

Neuropsychological tests are used to provide an assessment of cognitive functions in patients with idiopathic generalized epileptic (IGE) disorders and their first-degree relatives. The battery comprises tests designed to tap attention, memory, selected sensory and perceptual functions, vigilance, and visual-spatial functions. Modified batteries have been developed for the assessment of children ages 5-8, and children ages 8-16. The data provided by these batteries are compared with genetic profiles of the same participants that have been ascertained from blood samples analyzed by colleagues at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine/Columbia University in New York City.

• INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Patients.

Normal volunteers.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Subjects over 95 years of age.

Subjects with a history of alcohol or drug abuse, psychopathology, or central nervous system pathology, other than that which defines group membership, may be excluded.