Pre- and post-right middle cerebral artery stroke in a young adult: a case study examining the sensitivity of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS).

Right-hemisphere strokes are associated with a number of neurobehavioral deficits. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) is a relatively new, but widely used screening battery; however, there is little published research in patients who have sustained strokes. We present a rare case of stroke in a 22-year-old psychiatric patient, who received neuropsychological evaluations before and after sustaining a right middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke. The RBANS demonstrated sensitivity to post-stroke changes despite pre-stroke cognitive impairments and a complex psychiatric overlay, with the Visuospatial/Constructional index being one of the most sensitive indicators of right hemisphere dysfunction. Line Orientation fell from normal to defective levels; these findings were associated with decline in related standard neuropsychological measures.