Models of neuropsychological assessment and the analysis of everyday life difficulties: Evidence from executive functions.

The aim of this paper was to review the literature related to neuropsychological assessment whose aims traditionally have been either localization of deficits and support to clinical diagnosis. Neuropsychological assessment for a long time has focused on the analysis of deficits of different degree and nature, for which complex procedures have been set. Recent contributions will be analyzed showing new directions and applications of neuropsychological assessment, which explicitly addresses real life difficulties and functional consequences of deficits. Given the relevance of their efficiency on everyday life functioning for many, if not all, cognitive disabilities, the assessment of executive functions will be used as an example of a more integrated, real-life oriented neuropsychological assessment