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Editorial

Neuropsychology in the Real World

Applications and Implications of Ambulatory Assessment

Published Online:December 01, 2014https://doi.org/10.1024/1016-264X/a000139

Abstract

Current ambulatory technologies are highly relevant for neuropsychological assessment and treatment as they provide a gateway to real life data. Ambulatory assessment of cognitive complaints, skills and emotional states in natural contexts provides information that has a greater ecological validity than traditional assessment approaches. This issue presents an overview of current technological and methodological innovations, opportunities, problems and limitations of these methods designed for the context-sensitive measurement of cognitive, emotional and behavioral function. The usefulness of selected ambulatory approaches is demonstrated and their relevance for an ecologically valid neuropsychology is highlighted.


Realitätsnahe Neuropsychologie: Anwendungen und Implikationen des ambulanten Assessments

Die modernen ambulanten Technologien sind zunehmend für die neuropsychologische Diagnostik und Behandlung hirngeschädigter Patienten von Bedeutung, da diese einen Zugang zu den Daten des Alltagslebens eröffnen. Das ambulante Assessment ermöglicht es, kognitive Beeinträchtigungen, emotionale Zustände und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten in natürlichen Umgebungen mit einer höheren ökologischen Validität zu erfassen als traditionelle Verfahren. Dieses Themenheft gibt einen Überblick über aktuelle technologische und methodische Innovationen, Einsatzmöglichkeiten, Probleme und Grenzen dieser neuen Verfahren zur kontext-sensitiven Analyse kognitiver, emotionaler und behavioraler Funktionen. Der Nutzen ausgewählter ambulanter Methoden wird erläutert und deren Relevanz für eine ökologisch validere Neuropsychologie wird hervorgehoben.

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