A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests: Administration, Norms, and Commentary

It is a must have book in the library os every Neuropsychologist, but nevertheless it lacks examples and pictures of most of the tests.

The millenial version of "Spreen and Strauss" is guaranteed not to disappoint. Again this is an encyclopaedic collection of data which is essential in making informed decisions about purchasing and selecting tests. In my mind there are two particularly great features of this book: 1. the authors provide instructions and norms for various tests which are in the public domain and usually have norms which are quite recent, so you are not tied to published tests, or paying for "test kits" on tests which have been around for years. 2. there is a wealth of data all in one place for other tests that we rely very heavily on such as the Wechsler tests. There is alot of information relating to RCI (Reliable Change Indices) which is essential if you are re-testing. Another interesting aspect is that the authors include purchasing information for commercially available tests. I live in Australia and was shocked to discover that we pay 2 or 3 times as much for tests than people in North America. This is despite the fact that the Aussie dollar is worth much more than it used to be. Unfortunately the test distribitors in the USA will not sell to customers in other countries where they have distribution deals. As a consequence the WAIS-III costs AUD$2,772 in Australia while in the US it costs equivalent of AUD$909

Using this book makes quick work of the task of selecting the best available normative data for one's purposes. The 3rd edition of the compendium is a tremendous improvement over the previous edition. First, it's much larger than the previous edition, so a lot more information is covered. More importantly, the authors have integrated an enormous amount of information and presented it in a format that is sufficiently detailed, yet clearly written, well organized, and easy to use. Expensive on a trainee budget, but well worth the price.

In the 3rd revision of this text, which has become a vital source of information for both practising and research neuropsychologists, the authors have extended further their previously established tradition of providing information about the norms, psychometric properties, and utility of a wide range of tests used in neuropsychological assessment. Of particular value to the clinician is not only the clear summaries of the psychometric atributes of the various tests but also the authors' critical appraisal of the reviewed techniques that facilitates the selection of the most appopriate test for a particular patient or given research situation.

This is an excellent source for beginning and advanced clinicians. The descriptions of the tests and test administration are concise and easy to understand. In addition, the norms for each test are included. The tests are grouped by the what specific areas they measure (i.e., Intelligence, Achievement, Memory, and Sensory and Motor areas). Since this text covers a wide array of tests, it is well worth the investment.