Assessment of neuropsychological testing

To the Editor: We appreciate the consideration the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has given to neuropsychological testing of adults in its recent report by the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee (Neurology 1996;47:592-599) describing the important interface between the specialty practices of neurology and neuropsychology. Although the text of the manuscript is relatively comprehensive, we believe that there are aspects of neuropsychological practice beyond neuropsychological testing of which our neurologic colleagues may wish to be apprised. First, we wish to point out a few organizational relationships and publications that will aid understanding of the development and practice of professional neuropsychology. There are several organizations representing neuropsychologists, although they share overlapping memberships. These include the multidisciplinary International Neuropsychological Society, with more than 3,000 members, the National Academy of Neuropsychology, with more than 3,000 practicing neuropsychologists, and the Division of Clinical Neuropsychology (Division 40) of the American Psychological Association(APA), with more than 4,000 members. Division 40 represents clinical neuropsychology within organized psychology (the APA) and, in our understanding, functions in a fashion roughly analogous to the Specialty Section Council of Neurology (O) of the American Medical Association. Division 40 has actively established and promoted guidelines for neuropsychological practice, ranging from defining a clinical neuropsychologist20 to establishing …