Neuropsychiatry Case Studies

This book comprises succinct, accessible clinical cases in neuropsychiatry. Each clinical case has a specific and practical learning point, concerned with assessment, diagnosis, treatment or general approach. Each case models clinical reasoning and shows how the 'puzzle' in the case changed the future practice of the author. Neuropsychiatry Case Studies is divided into sections relating to specific areas of neuropsychiatry, including dementias, movement disorders, autoimmune encephalopathies and epilepsy, amongst others. This book is aimed at trainee doctors in neurology and psychiatry and will also be of interest to fully trained doctors, nurses, psychologists and other allied health professionals working in this area.​

In clinical neuropsychiatry, case studies provide invaluable demonstrations of the range and types of unusual psychological states that can occur after brain damage. In the pursuit of objectivity and scientific respectability, however, many academic reports of neuropsychiatric disorders appear cold, contrived and impersonal. The essence and character of the patient's experience and behaviour is easily obscured or even lost - a fact that cannot help researchers, therapists and other practitioners to relate their conceptual knowledge to the flesh-and-blood people they meet in their professional lives. In practice, much of the actual discourse of such patients has been ignored as unworthy of scientific interest. This book describes real patients in a clear and jargon-free way. These cases should serve to reduce the discrepancy between the formal representations of psychiatric illness in the mainstream literature and the reality of people struggling to make sense of their own predicament in everyday life.

In the recent literature, the most influential case study books in neuropsychology are in the adult realm. Pediatric neuropsychology is a rapidly developing field with increasingly greater influence in the assessment, diagnosis, early identification, and treatment of childhood illnesses. This book will provide the first centralized, comprehensive resource for case studies in pediatric neuropsychology. Not only will this supply a valuable compilation for the growing numbers of professionals in this field, but will also serve as an innovative and appealing resource for therapists, teachers, and others interested in child development. This book will be structured in such a way that readers can easily access individual cases of interest, as well as related areas of dysfunction. Section breakdowns will be provided in order to highlight the combined focus of case presentations in acquired neuropsychological dysfunction as well as developmental disorders. Each section will begin with an introductory chapter, highlighting the salient feature of the concept and providing brief, up to date reviews of the current research and theories. Within each global section, individual case studies will serve as stand-alone chapters. Contributing authors will be provided extensive guidance and coaching with regards to the standard format and information to be included in each chapter. The first section of this book will present cases involving neurological disorders. The intention of this section is to provide not only “classic” examples of neurological dysfunction in children, but also to provide interesting cases of unique or remarkable presentations. The second section will present an accumulation of cases representing both common and progressive conceptualizations of developmental disabilities. Section three has been designed to highlight cases which often present complex issues to neuropsychologists. The case examples in this section will highlight the use of alternative treatments, pathologies that are often a source of inquiry, and situations that lack the more rigorous scientific data often utilized in other diagnostic procedures. Additionally, this section may include chapters on common differential diagnosis dilemmas in clinical practice. Often multifaceted and even contradictory evidence can arise during evaluations, resulting in complex or problematic situations for the clinician. Such examples are difficult, by their nature, to forecast, but rather would be added during the book’s development, as they occur.

After a discussion of current theory and research findings relating to rehabilitation of brain injury, this book presents 20 case studies of adults with severe brain injuries sustained several years earlier. The causes of their brain damage include traumatic head injuries, encephalitis, stroke and hypoxia. Problems that follow such injuries including loss of self-care skills, memory impairment, language, reading, visuoperceptual and behavioural difficulities, are analysed in detail. The book describes the premorbid lifestyle of each of the 20 individuals, the onset of their brain damage, subsequent symptoms, neuropsychological assessment, rehabilitation, and long-term outcome. Most chapters include a report by the patient and/or family member, thus providing an extra dimension that helps to increase the reader's understanding of the predicaments faced by brain-injured individuals as they learn to cope with traumatic changes in lifestyle. Although improvement for most brain-injured people is slow and limited, all those described in this book made some progress after their admission to rehabilitation services. The exhaustive analysis of each case and step-by-step description of treatment will encourage professionals and other care-givers that much can be done for this severely injured group. For students of neuropsychology and rehabilitation, the book should serve as an inspiring and informative supplementary text.

This unique volume teaches those in the medical fields about the scientific value of neuropsychology in assessing cognition, the 6th vital sign, as part of well integrated collaborative care. It offers physicians a comprehensive tour of the many dimensions neuropsychology can add to primary and specialized medical care across the lifespan. Noted experts examine cognitive ramifications of a wide range of medical, psychological, and neuropsychological conditions, among them brain tumors, stroke, epilepsy, pediatric and adult TBI, schizophrenia, and adult ADHD. The book’s generous selection of case examples demonstrates the benefits of cognitive assessment in building accurate diagnoses, better understanding of patient needs, and more appropriate treatment and management strategies, as well as other neuropsychologist roles in consulting, referral, and forensic areas. In addition, tables, callout boxes, review questions, and other features are included throughout the text for ease in comprehension and retention. A sampling of the coverage: · The value of neuropsychological evaluation in medical practice. · A model of collaboration between primary care and neuropsychology. · Neuropsychological assessment of extremely preterm children. · Alzheimer’s Disease and overview of dementia. · Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease. · Neuropsychology in the 21st century: the rise of multicultural assessment. · Neuropsychological interventions for individuals with brain injury. The Physician’s Field Guide to Neuropsychology is both a rigorous and an accessible reference for clinicians in diverse disciplines including general practice, family medicine, neuropsychology, pediatrics, gerontology, and sports medicine.

Casebook of Neuropsychiatry is comprised of 38 clinical cases based on real patient interactions that straddle the domains of neurology and psychiatry. The book is designed to supplement comprehensive texts by providing real-world accounts of patient presentations that clinicians are likely to encounter.

Schizophrenia has long puzzled researchers in the fields of psychiatric medicine and anthropology. Why is it that the rates of developing schizophrenia—long the poster child for the biomedical model of psychiatric illness—are low in some countries and higher in others? And why do migrants to Western countries find that they are at higher risk for this disease after they arrive? T. M. Luhrmann and Jocelyn Marrow argue that the root causes of schizophrenia are not only biological, but also sociocultural. This book gives an intimate, personal account of those living with serious psychotic disorder in the United States, India, Africa, and Southeast Asia. It introduces the notion that social defeat—the physical or symbolic defeat of one person by another—is a core mechanism in the increased risk for psychotic illness. Furthermore, “care-as-usual” treatment as it occurs in the United States actually increases the likelihood of social defeat, while “care-as-usual” treatment in a country like India diminishes it.

Adult neuropsychiatry is now a well-established field with numerous reputable references. Practitioners who work with children routinely note how references and practitioners knowledgeable in the equivalent work in the pediatric world are rare. Child psychiatrists and neurologists frequently work with individuals struggling with these conditions and would strongly benefit from such a reference that incorporates medical work-up, psychopharmacological recommendations, family/support recommendations and theoretical pathophysiology. Pediatricians and developmental pediatricians often treat children with behavioral and neuropsychiatric sequelae, but are not well-trained in the neuropsychiatric management of these cases. Neuropsychologists and educational psychologists working with children and adults with pediatric-onset conditions will also find the text helpful to contextualize their cases, better-understand the medical evaluation and management and perhaps adjust recommendations that would supplement their own testing methods. Finally, sub-specialists in adult neurology, psychiatry and neuropsychiatry often find themselves working with these children by default as there are few pediatric subspecialists who are available to accept them into practice. When facing complex neuropsychiatric illness in children, many clinicians are stymied because they may have “never seen a case like that”. This text fills the wide gap that currently exists and helps move this field forward. The approach utilized in adult neuropsychiatry that is both clear and accessible does not yet have an equivalent in the pediatric realm, but there is tremendous interest in its development. Children and adolescents with neuropsychiatric conditions are very common and they and their caregivers often struggle to find professionals well educated in this field. Ultimately, a wide range of clinicians will find this text to be a very helpful resource for diagnosis and management in the spectrum of pediatric neuropsychiatric conditions. The case-based approach is also unique with respect to neuropsychiatric approaches, and the clear cut, reader-friendly approach of such a format would likely be well-received among physicians looking for a resource on this issue.