ch. 1: clinical neuropsychology and assessment Flashcards
(44 cards)
What is neuropsychology?
links behavior and mental processes to the brain
Neuropsychologist
study brain-behavior relationships (top-down)
Psychologist
Studies behavior.
Neurologist
MD diagnosing and treating nervous system disorders.
Neuropsychiatrist
MD focusing on organic aspects of mental disorders.
Neurosurgeon
MD specializing in nervous system surgery.
Neuroscientist
Researchers studying molecular composition and functioning of the nervous system (bottom-up).
What are key developments in modern neuropsychology that have occurred since the 70s?
- shift from laboratory to clinical settings
- formation of INS and NAN
- division 40 of the APA
- growth in scientific journals and memberships
What are unique aspects of neuropsychology?
- Science-based, data-driven, and objective.
- Emphasis on statistical measures (validity, reliability, standardization).
clinical neuropsychologist training
- doctoral level in clinical psychology with brain-behavior education
- 1 year internship
- 1-2 years postdoctoral fellowship
neuropsychologist responsibilities
- assessment/diagnosis
- treatment recommendations
- rehabilitation
- research
- teaching
what are assumptions about neuropsychological assessment?
- Behavior/cognition involves brain processes.
- Processes correspond to specific brain areas.
- Brain injury causes deficits, not new behaviors.
What are the theories on brain function?
- modularity/localization
- equipotentiality
- distributed processing
Modularity/Localizationist
brain has specialized modules
Equipotentiality
brain regions can substitute for each other
distributed processing
functions are networked across regions
association
two tasks affected similarly, suggesting a shared underlying ability or factor
dissociation
performance differs significantly between tasks, implying-task-specific sensitivities or difficulty
double dissociation
different tasks are independently affected in separate patient groups, proving they measure different functions
association and correlation
Association and dissociation suggest correlation but double dissociation concludes that there is no correlation
What are lesion methods?
studies how brain damage affects behavior and cognition
lesion approach: single case studies
- most helpful when dealing with very rare disorders; also allow us to identity exceptions for rules used for group studies
- allow us to refine the limits of theories
lesion approach: group case studies
- allows us to see the general/normal behavior for human beings
- We cannot take the averages and apply them to a single individual
Limitations of the lesion method
- no two lesions are identical
- lesions don’t respect structural boundaries
- heterogeneity of response to lesions
- deficits may reflect loss of function in damaged area, the adaptive response of areas adjacent to the damaged area, and disconnections of distant areas at the point of damage