The Severe Impairment Battery

Hutchinson, Nick

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.

Citation

Hutchinson, N. (2018). The Severe Impairment Battery. In V. P. Prasher (Ed.), Neuropsychological Assessments of Dementia in Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities (235-254). (2nd ed.). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61720-6_13

• Online Publication Date: Sep 20, 2017
• Publication Date: Aug 14, 2018
• Deposit Date: Dec 23, 2021
• Publisher: Springer
• Pages: 235-254
• Edition: 2nd ed.
• Book Title: Neuropsychological Assessments of Dementia in Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities
• Chapter Number: 13
• ISBN: 9783319617190
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61720-6_13
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3903728