Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological battery

Introduction

5 original tests designed to assess cognitive dysfunction.

Procedure

• category test
  • discerning the principle embedded in arrangements of figures & shapes
• tactual performance test
  • placing different shaped blocks without vision
• rhythm test
  • from Seashore test of musical talent
  • judging similarity of auditory rhythmic pattern
• speech sound perception test
  • identifying spoken nonsense syllables
• finger oscillation test
  • tapping a mechanic counter as fast as possible

Frequent additions to these 5 tests include:

• trailmaking test
• aphasia screening test of Halstead & Wepman
• Wechsler memory scale

Interpretation

• the Halstead-Reitan battery yields 7 scores from which an impairment index is derived by adding the number of defective scores & dividing by 7
• the battery distinguishes patients with & without cognitive impairment
• it does not distinguish psychiatric from neurologic disorders

More general terms

• neuropsychologic testing