Abstract
Neuropsychology has played an ever increasing role in neurological and psychiatric evaluations. However, the tests and test batteries available today suffer from a number of problems including an inordinate amount of time to administer, a lack of comprehensiveness, and a failure to yield information directly relevant to diagnosis and treatment. The current article presents a test battery which attempts to integrate two major approaches to neuropsychological testing: the qualitative and the quantitative methods. Each method has significant advantages and disadvantages, while an amalgamation of the two potentially offers a powerful alternative approach to neurodiagnostics. The battery presented in this paper is a standardized version of the comprehensive qualitative battery first described by Luria and recently published by Christensen. The resultant battery is comprehensive, yet can be given in 21/2 hours; it is standardized and quantitative, but yields a qualitative assessment as well. The present study attempts to investigate the general diagnostic effectiveness of the battery, comparing 50 brain-injured and 50 hospitalized control patients. The battery was found to be 93 % diagnostically effective, more successful than any other battery or test reported in the literature. The potential uses and advantages of the battery are described.