Experimental Techniques In Human Neuropsychology

This unique sourcebook describes the research methods used to study human brain function and brain-behavior relationships. These range from relatively simple approaches, such as dichotic listening and tachistoscopic presentation, to computerized techniques such as cerebral blood flow measurements. The description of each method covers the underlying theory, variations on the basic paradigm, dependent measures, reliability and validity, and the equipment required. The authors also critically review research with normal and clinical populations. Because of the rapid expansion of the field of human neuropsychology--and accompanying technological advances--this volume will be valued as much by experienced researchers as by newcomers seeking an introduction to the variety of available procedures.

The present volume aims at presenting a selection of new methods and techniques that may have value for clinical neuropsychology. There is an increasing interest among clinical neuropsychologists regarding new developments in cognitive neuroscience and experimental psychology. This book presents an updated view of recent methodological developments in experimental psychology and clinical neuroscience.

The domain of neuroscience has had one of the most explosive growths in recent decades: within this development there has been a remarkable and renewed interest in the study of the relations between behaviour and the central nervous system. Part of this new attention is connected with the contribution of new technologies (PET, fMRI) permitting more precise mapping of neural structures responsible for cognitive functions and the development of new theoretical models of mental activities. The diffusion of new pathologies (for example the pattern of cognitive impairment associated with AIDS) has further enlarged the field of clinical neuropsychology. Finally there has been an expanding clinical interest in the understanding and management of age-related cognitive changes. This volume is the translated and updated version of the second edition of Manuale di Neuropsicologia (Zanichelli, 1996), by the same authors, and it reflects the current status of the art. It is intended to blend clinical and theoretical aspects of neuropsychology. The first part discusses the instrumental and clinical methods of investigation in neuropsychology, together with their development. A long section is dedicated to the language and memory disorders. The impairment of non-verbal cognitve functions, such as the disorders of space orientation, of of visuo-perceptive abilities, and of the emotions and attention, are extensively discussed. The pattern of degenerative dementias is thorougly described, as e is thoroughly described, as well as a number of new topics, such as a neuropsychological approach to consciousness. Finally, perspectives for treatment of some cognitive disorders are outlined.

As you read this, you are probably unaware of how your left foot feels in your shoe. Although your brain was receiving sensory input from this foot, you were not aware of your foot because you were reading and not attending to it. However, this discussion led you to move your attention to your left foot and to become aware of it. When I was a medical student, I saw a patient who was unaware of both the left side of his body and the left side of his environment. Unlike people in normal health, who when instructed can become aware of the left side of the body; this patient could not be made aware of his left arm or the left side of his environment. The patient's defect was so profound that despite being hungry he was unaware of food on the left side of his tray and did not recognize that his left arm belonged to him. This left-sided body and spatial unawareness could not be accounted for by a primary sensory defect. Although I knew that this man suffered from a large right-hemisphere stroke, I did not know the brain mechanisms that accounted for this profound example of unawareness. It was not until I had almost completed my neurology training in 1969 that I was able to return to this problem. At that time, most neuropsychological research was directed at understanding the language disorders associated with brain disease.

This volume is the translated and updated version of the second edition of Manuale di Neuropsicologia (Zanichelli, 1996), by the same authors, and it reflects the current status of the art.

The chapters published in this volume developed from presentations, and their associated discussions at a conference organised by the Scottish Branch of the British Psychological Society, held at Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland in September 1987. The goal of the conference was to bring together workers across a wide area of neuropsychological research to discuss recent technological advances, developments in assessment and rehabilitation, and to address theoretical issues of current interest. Thus, the chapters in this book include contributions on the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography in neuropsychological research, studies of hemi spheric specialisation and cooperation, alcoholic and Alzheimer type dementia, prosopagnosia and facial processing, the assessment, management and rehabilitation of memory problems, the assessment of premorbid intellectual status and issues in developmental neuropsychology. Many of those engaged in research and clinical practice in neuropsychology encounter a range of topic at least as wide as this in their professional lives. The opportunity for researchers and clinicians to discuss some of the key issues in the field was invaluable and we hope that readers gain as much from the material presented here as the participants did from the meeting itself.

Originally published in 1989, presenting a new perspective on cognitive therapy in neuropsychology, these papers examine a cognitively-oriented, single-case methodology in neuropsychological rehabilitation. The recommended strategy is in-depth analysis of the precise nature of the impaired as well as the preserved processing components in the individual patient. The objective is to design a therapeutic course based on individual patient needs that is justified by the theoretical interpretation of the location of the deficit in his or her cognitive architecture.

For the practicing neuropsychologist or researcher, keeping up with the sheer number of newly published or updated tests is a challenge, as is evaluating the utility and psychometric properties of neuropsychological tests in a clinical context. The goal of the third edition of A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests, a well-established neuropsychology reference text, is twofold. First, the Compendium is intended to serve as a guidebook that provides a comprehensive overview of the essential aspects of neuropsychological assessment practice. Second, it is intended as a comprehensive sourcebook of critical reviews of major neuropsychological assessment tools for the use by practicing clinicians and researchers. Written in a comprehensive, easy-to-read reference format, and based on exhaustive review of research literature in neuropsychology, neurology, psychology, and related disciplines, the book covers topics such as basic aspects of neuropsychological assessment as well as the theoretical background, norms, and the utility, reliability, and validity of neuropsychological tests. For this third edition, all chapters have been extensively revised and updated. The text has been considerably expanded to provide a comprehensive yet practical overview of the state of the field. Two new chapters have been added: "Psychometrics in Neuropsychological Assessment" and "Norms in Psychological Assessment." The first two chapters present basic psychometric concepts and principles. Chapters three and four consider practical aspects of the history-taking interview and the assessment process itself. Chapter five provides guidelines on report-writing and chapters six through sixteen consist of detailed, critical reviews of neuropsychological tests, and address the topics of intelligence, achievement, executive function, attention, memory, language, visual perception, somatosensory olfactory function, mood/personality, and response bias. A unique feature is the inclusion of tables that summarize salient features of tests within each domain so that readers can easily compare measures. Additional tables within each test review summarize important features of each test, highlight aspects of each normative dataset, and provide an overview of psychometric properties. Of interest to neuropsychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and educational and clinical psychologists working with adults as well as pediatric populations, this volume will aid practitioners in selecting appropriate testing measures for their patients, and will provide them with the knowledge needed to make empirically supported interpretations of test results.