Interest in geriatric neuropsychology has accelerated in recent years due to considerable growth of the elderly population. Because the prevalence of diseases that cause cognitive impairment rises sharply with age, there is an increasing need for physicians, psychologists, and other health practitioners to understand the principles of neuropsychology and employ neuropsychological consultations and techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of elderly patients. Filling the need for a single volume resource, this uniquely practical volume provides a broad overview of the field. It summarizes what is known about age-related cognitive changes in health and disease, evaluates the use and limitations of imaging and electrophysiological techniques, and presents guidelines for diagnosis and management. Clinically relevant, the book is divided into five sections for easy reference. Section I provides a general overview of such topics as demography, characteristics of aging, methodology in the study of aging, and the relationships among neuropsychological, neurological, and psychosocial factors. Addressing the normal aging changes in cognition, Section II reviews in depth the existing data on changes in intelligence testing with age and presents new information regarding IQ testing and its relationship to standardized neuropsychologicaltest batteries. Section III, focusing on the areas of greatest relevance to clinical assessment in the elderly, covers common problems of differential diagnosis and treatment with individual chapters on acute confusional states, depression and other psychiatric disorders, Alzheimer's disease and related dementing disorders, and cerebrovascular disease. Investigating neuroimaging and its relevance to neuropsychological changes in aging and dementia, Section IV provides an update on the value and limitations of such techniques as CT scanning, positron emission tomography, regional cerebral blood flow, electroencephalography, and evoked potentials. For those who are less familiar with the most recent technological innovations, each chapter in this section opens with a general introduction that describes the technology in basic terms followed by a review of the pertinent data. Concluding the volume, Section V discusses future directions for the field.A clinically pertinent book that provides a broad overview of neuropsychological and behavioral aspects of aging and dementia, GERIATRIC NEUROPSYCHOLOGY is an invaluable resource for neuropsychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and all health professionals who assess elderly individuals on a regular basis. It is also an informative text for any graduate-level course on aging. Read Less