The Reitan Society recognizes that adhering to the scientific method in conducting clinical neuropsychological evaluations is integral to neurodiagnostic accuracy. The role of science in clinical studies is discussed with specific reference to the scientific features of the Halstead-Reitan Test Battery (HRB). The diagnostic precision of the HRB across a wide range of neuropathological states is presented as a product of rigorous scientific interplay between empirical observation and the development of a conceptual model over more than five decades.

The purpose of the present investigation is to review various methods of data analysis. The process of gathering neuropsychological data requires scientific methodology, including clinical/naturalistic, correlational/differential, and experimental approaches.However, what may be a perfectly adequate methodological perspective for 1 conceptual focus may become a hindrance at a later stage within the same inquiry. The fault lies in the failure to fully grasp the nature of the perspective in use and its potential limitations. The remedy is to remain oriented toward matching constraints (controls) and procedural adequacy regarding the clinical questions at hand. Advantages and disadvantages of each perspective, quantification versus qualification, and fixed versus flexible batteries are discussed.

Neurological conditions include diseases caused by faulty genes, degenerative diseases, diseases of blood vessels that supply the brain, injuries to the brain, seizure disorders, brain tumors, and brain infections, as well as developmental disorders. All of these conditions have a huge neuropsychological, psychosocial, and quality-of-life impact and represent a global public health challenge [1]. Neurosurgical options for diseases of the nervous system continue to expand in breadth and scope. These advances have been related in large part to progress in technology, translational application of molecular biology, and increased understanding of the physiological processes associated with neurological disease. Unfortunately, interventional surgical brain procedures can result in unavoidable secondary acute and delayed neurocognitive and neurological deficits.

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