Neuropsychological assessment: experimental and clinical research

The neuropsychological assessment is a method of examining the human brain functions by studying its behavioural products. Even though clinical and experimental neuropsychological fields share the same psychometric tools and methods of analysis it is important to keep in mind that in the experimental domain the choice of the assessment methods depends to some extent either on the aim of the study and on the specific sample features. This contribution describes the neuropsychological assessment used in the evaluation of the cognitive functions in subjects affected by multiple sclerosis (MS), considering both its main strengths and weaknesses, with specific attention to the research area of intervention. An important point of discussion will be the relevance of sharing rules and methods of analysis in determining cognitive impairment.