Pseudoneurological and Psychosomatic Disorders

Professional neuropsychological consultation services are often provided on an acute neurology ward. There are at least two general categories of consultation requests. The first category concerns the further elucidation of the phenomena of brain impairment. For example, brain impairment could have been initially documented by computerized axial tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), physical neurological evaluation, electroencephalogram (EEG), or some other neurodiagnostic technique and then the neurologist would seek to better understand the behavioral impairments associated with the documented brain damage. Often these consultation requests include questions about the ability to handle funds, operate complicated machinery, drive, or manage a household. This is a fairly traditional area well known to neuropsychologists (Horton & Wedding, 1984; see other chapters in this volume).