This book gives equal weight to the psychological and neurological approaches to the study of cognitive deficits in patients with brain lesions. The result is an analysis of cognitive skills and abilities that departs from the more usual syndrome approach.
Introducing Neuropsychology, Second Edition investigates the functions of the brain and explores the relationships between brain systems and human behaviour. The material is presented in a jargon-free, easy to understand manner and aims to guide students new to the field through current areas of research. Following a brief history of the discipline and a description of methods in neuropsychology, the remaining chapters review traditional and recent research findings. Both cognitive and clinical aspects of neuropsychology are addressed to illustrate the advances scientists are making (on many fronts) in their quest to understand brain - behaviour relationships in both normal and disturbed functioning. The rapid developments in neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience resulting from traditional research methods as well as new brain-imaging techniques are presented in a clear and straightforward way. Each chapter has been fully revised and updated and new brain-imaging data are incorporated throughout, especially in the later chapters on Emotion and Motivation, and Executive Functions. As in the first edition, key topics are dealt with in separate focus boxes, and “interim comment” sections allow the reader a chance to “take stock” at regular intervals. The book assumes no particular expertise on the reader’s part in either psychology or brain physiology. Thus, it will be of great interest not only to those studying neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience, but also to medical and nursing students, and indeed anyone who is interested in learning about recent progress in understanding brain–behaviour relationships.
This book is for students and researchers who have a specific interest in learning and memory and want to understand how computational models can be integrated into experimental research on the hippocampus and learning. It emphasizes the function of brain structures as they give rise to behavior, rather than the molecular or neuronal details. It also emphasizes the process of modeling, rather than the mathematical details of the models themselves. The book is divided into two parts. The first part provides a tutorial introduction to topics in neuroscience, the psychology of learning and memory, and the theory of neural network models. The second part, the core of the book, reviews computational models of how the hippocampus cooperates with other brain structures -- including the entorhinal cortex, basal forebrain, cerebellum, and primary sensory and motor cortices -- to support learning and memory in both animals and humans. The book assumes no prior knowledge of computational modeling or mathematics. For those who wish to delve more deeply into the formal details of the models, there are optional "mathboxes" and appendices. The book also includes extensive references and suggestions for further readings.
In "Evolutionary neuropsychology", Coolidge examines the evolutionary origins of the human brain. A new multidisciplinary science, evolutionary neuropsychology assumes that brain regions developed their functions in response to environmental challenges over billions of years. These regions and neuronal circuitry now serve newer functions (exaptations) and are now involved in many higher cognitive functions.
Neuropsychology has become a very important aspect for neurologists in clinical practice as well as in research. Being a specialized field in psychology, its long history is based on different historical developments in brain science and clinical neurology. In this volume, we want to show how present concepts of neuropsychology originated and were established by outlining the most important developments since the end of the 19th century. The articles of this book that cover topics such as aphasia, amnesia and dementia show a great multicultural influence due to an editorship and authorship that spans all developmental initiatives in Europe, Asia, and America. This book gives a better understanding of the development of higher brain function studies and is an interesting read for neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, neurosurgeons, historians, and anyone else interested in the history of neuropsychology.
The goal of this book is to introduce cognitive neuropsychology to a broad audience of clinicians and researchers. To orient readers who are interested in disorders of higher cortical function, but have little background in psychology, sufficient introductory material is provided, and yet each topic is explored in enough depth to serve as a reference for cognitive psychologists and cognitive neuropsychologists. The editor, David Margolin, M.D., Ph.D., has assembled a prominent group of researchers and clinicians, and each describes how the vocabulary, theoretical framework, and information-processing models of cognitive psychology are applied to various disorders of higher cortical function. Each chapter provides an overview of the disorder being discussed, develops a rationale for selecting the stimulus materials, and demonstrates how a given patient's deficits can be understood in terms of a breakdown in one or more cognitive domains. The contributors gear the chapters toward the practicing clinicians and use a step-by-step description of how one goes about determining the locus of the deficit in a patient. This cognitive neuropsychological approach is applied to disorders of attention, memory, language, vision, calculation, and motor control. A final chapter introduces the important role of neuroimaging techniques in diagnosis, which will continue to aid our understanding of brain-behavior relationships. Professionals in the fields of neuropsychology, neurology, clinical psychology, psychiatry, as well as practicing speech therapists and pathologists, will find this volume a comprehensive introduction to this increasingly important discipline.
This comprehensive review of the neuropsychology of emotion and the underlying neural mechanisms, is divided into four sections: background and general techniques, theoretical perspectives, emotional disorders, and clinical implications.
Clinical Neuropsychology A Practical Guide to Assessment and Management for Clinicians shows how knowledge of neuropsychological applications is relevant and useful to a wide range of clinicians. It provides a link between recent advances in neuroimaging, neurophysiology and neuroanatomy and how these discoveries may best be used by clinicians. Anyone working with clients whose cognitive functioning shows some change and who needs to assess and make recommendations about rehabilitation and management will find this book essential reading. Practical focus on what is important for clinicians in each chapter Tackles both assessment issues and rehabilitation Distils findings from latest research and shows how they should be applied Wide range of applications, e.g. learning disabilities, ageing, problems in children