ABSTRACT
Objectives: In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, neuropsychologists rapidly adopted teleneuropsychology (TeleNP) services to ensure continued clinical care. Prior to COVID-19, TeleNP was not widely used nor was it included in the majority of traditional practice or training models across graduate, internship, and postdoctoral programs. Out of necessity, the pandemic was a catalyst that promoted greater adoption of TeleNP services. In response, neuropsychological guidelines for modified assessments were developed and further empirical studies have been published. Numerous surveys in response to service delivery changes during COVID-19 now exist, but what follows is a commentary based on neuropsychologists' experiences with adapting clinical practice to TeleNP. Methods: Co-authors represent settings across academic medical centers, Veterans Affairs hospitals, and private practices that serve multiculturally diverse pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations in the United States. Results: The perspectives within this commentary aim to highlight the growth of TeleNP and highlight lessons learned from implementation across practice settings. Conclusions: Our goal is to help foster the development of further empirical studies through candid discussion of various TeleNP experiences and approaches. Through this reflective process, TeleNP presents both opportunities and challenges but it ultimately has potential to reduce healthcare disparities and enhance patient care.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Telemedicine , Adult , Aged , Child , Humans , Neuropsychological Tests , Neuropsychology , Pandemics , Surveys and Questionnaires , United StatesABSTRACT
This study examined the relationship between lesion presence and localization and performance on measures of cognitive response bias, specifically in individuals purporting to have a traumatic brain injury. Ninety-two participants, all of whom were involved in workers' compensation or personal injury litigation, were administered an extensive neuropsychological battery, including neuroimaging (magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography), at a neuropsychiatric clinic in Lexington, KY. Those with evidence of intracranial injury on neuroimaging findings were placed in the head injury lesion litigation group and were coded based on the anatomical location and type of intracranial injury. Results demonstrated no significant relationships between lesion location and performance on performance validity tests (PVTs), as well as the Response Bias Scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form. Given the lack of research concerning lesions and performance validity tests, this study addresses important questions about the validity of PVTs as specific measures of response bias in patients who have structural changes secondary to traumatic brain injury.