Understanding Cross Cultural Neuropsychology

Understanding Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology thoroughly examines the meaning of culture in the context of neuropsychology, focusing on the fundamental neuroscience underlying how different aspects of culture influence neuropsychological test performance, and how that is related to brain functioning. It explores in detail the relationship between brain activity and culture, and the influence of various cultural, educational, and linguistic factors on neuropsychological test performances across various cognitive domains. Written by leadings researchers in cross-cultural neuropsychology, the book first introduces the basic concepts in the field. It goes on to focus on the influence of cultural variables on specific domains of cognition, including perception, attention, memory, language, and executive functions. It also explores the implications of cross-cultural neuropsychology in practice including a focus on test adaptation, the use of interpreters, the influence of acculturation and the practice of neuropsychological rehabilitation in different cultural settings. This book is essential reading for neuropsychologists and related practitioners working with culturally diverse clients, who need a good grasp of the cultural impacts on neuropsychological test performance when assessing clients from different cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. It is also valuable for neuropsychologists in countries around the world who need a means of understanding the ways in which their culture impacts performances of their clients on tests, which have been mostly developed in the US or other Western cultures.

Understanding Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology thoroughly examines the meaning of culture in the context of neuropsychology, focusing on the fundamental neuroscience underlying how different aspects of culture influence neuropsychological test performance, and how that is related to brain function. It explores in detail the relationship between brain activity and culture, and the influence of various cultural, educational, and linguistic factors on neuropsychological test performances across various cognitive domains. Written by leadings researchers in cross-cultural neuropsychology, the book first introduces the basic concepts in the field. It goes on to focus on the influence of cultural variables on specific domains of cognition, including perception, attention, memory, language, and executive functions. It also explores the implications of cross-cultural neuropsychology in practice, including a focus on test adaptation, the use of interpreters, the influence of acculturation, and the practice of neuropsychological rehabilitation in different cultural settings. This book is essential reading for neuropsychologists and related practitioners working with culturally diverse clients, who need a good grasp of the cultural impacts on neuropsychological test performance when assessing clients from different cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. It is also valuable for neuropsychologists in countries around the world who need a means of understanding the ways in which their culture impacts the performances of their clients on tests, which have been mostly developed in the U.S. or other Western cultures.

Cultural Diversity in Neuropsychological Assessment provides a platform for clinical neuropsychologists, psychologists, and trainees to bridge cultures and speak to each other about the ethnically diverse communities they serve throughout the world. It allows readers to peek into their clinical filing cabinets and examine how they worked with diverse individuals from indigenous and migrant communities of Arab, Asian, European, Israeli, Latin American and Caribbean, Persian, Russian, Sub-Saharan African, and North American origin. The book first reviews important foundations for working with diverse communities that include key knowledge, awareness, skills, and action orientation. It then provides a collection of cases for each cultural geographic region. Each section begins with an introductory chapter to provide a bird’s eye view of the historical and current state of clinical and research practice of neuropsychology in that region. Then, each chapter focuses on a specific community by providing surface and deep-level cultural background knowledge from the authors’ unique perspectives. A case study is then covered in depth to practically showcase an evaluation with someone from that community. This is followed by a summary of key strategic points, lessons learned, references, further readings, and a glossary of culture specific terminology used throughout the chapter. In the end, the appendix provides a list of culturally relevant tests and norms for some communities. This ground-breaking peer-reviewed handbook provides an invaluable clinical resource for neuropsychologists, psychologists, and trainees. It increases self-reflection about multicultural awareness and knowledge, highlights practical ways to increase cultural understanding in neuropsychological and psychological assessments, and sparks further discussion for professional and personal growth in this area.

This is a book for all neuropsychologists who are called upon to assess culturally different clients--with very few exceptions today, this means every neuropsychologist. In Minneapolis as in Oslo, migrant and refugee minorities raise assessment and test validity problems that cannot be ignored. To deal realistically with the problem of doing neuropsychological assessments without norms, Nell describes the principles of a "behavioral neuropsychology," and then sets out interview, test, and interpretation methods that will allow clinicians to produce valid and prognostically accurate assessments. For working neuropsychologists, this is an intensely practical, how-to-do-it book. But unlike other hands-on guides, it lays an impressive historical and theoretical foundation for the practice of cross-cultural neuropsychology. It thus speaks to serious practitioners who need to be certain that their assessment findings are not only correct, but also sufficiently well-grounded to stand up to professional scrutiny and to forensic testing in a court of law.

The Handbook views neurological assessment and rehabilitation from different perspectives, offering opportunities for increasing knowledge, understanding and improving clinical skills, as well as laying the groundwork for establishing internationa

Historically, relatively few investigations in neuropsychology have been sensitive to the analysis of cultural variables. This handbook will assist the neuropsychologist interested in cultural competence and help increase understanding of the link between cultural competence in assessment and intervention and good treatment outcomes. The handbook authors provide an in-depth discussion of the current status of multicultural training in neuropsychology; specific information on diverse groups (age, gender, ethnicity, etc.), assessment instruments, and clinical populations (HIV infected, seizure disorders, brain injuries); and unique analysis of immigration patterns, forensics, and psychopharmacology. This volume is the first to summarize the cultural data available in neuropsychology. A valuable resource for clinical neuropsychologists, school psychologists and rehabilitation professionals.

Clinical Cultural Neuroscience aims to provide clinicians and researchers with an overview of contemporary topics relevant to the study of culture in psychology and neuroscience. Within a translational thematic framework, this multidisciplinary volume surveys our current understanding of human behavior and culture along the spectrum of health and disease across multiple levels of analysis, from molecular genetics to sociocultural environment.

Minority and cross-cultural psychology is more relevant now than ever in our diverse world. Given the dramatic local and global changes occurring daily with regard to demographics, population changes, and immigration issues, minority and cross-cultural psychology is fast becoming a respected and critical area of scientific study. Pair that with the fact that people of all cultures and racial groups are living longer and experiencing age-related diseases and disorders, one can easily see the need for additional work on issues related to neuropsychological assessment. This new edition brings to the forefront recent developments by seasoned experts in the field. They offer up their newest projects in minority and cross-cultural aspects of neuropsychological assessment and are joined by new, up-and-coming professionals across a wide array of disciplines including psychology, medicine, and neuropsychology. Like the first edition, this updated collection sheds light on the ever-growing need for adequate neuropsychological assessment to a wider subset of individuals, crossing many cultural and minority barriers in the process. Continuously pushing the boundaries of neuropsychological assessment, this collection is essential reading for cognitive and clinical psychologists, and neuropsychologists, and a model text for advanced courses dealing with minority and cross-cultural issues.