A brief neuropsychological screening procedure that assesses left and right hemispheric function.

Assessed the utility of two brief neuropsychological tests in screening patients referred to a neuropsychological consulting service. Forty-three cortically impaired and 19 neurologically intact Ss completed the Cognitive Capacity Screening Exam (CCSE) and the Memory-for-Designs (MFD). The results of these tests analyzed individually and in combination were compared with the Ss' neurological reports. The analysis revealed that the combined system was significantly better than either single test in accurately detecting neuropathology. A closer look at the data suggests that the MFD was superior in identifying unilateral, right hemispheric damaged patients, while the CCSE was superior in identifying Ss with unilateral, left hemispheric damage. Results are discussed with reference to the difficulty in using single screening tests for detecting deficits that result from unilateral cortical dysfunction.