An intimate connection: Oliver Zangwill and the emergence of neuropsychology in Britain.

In this article, the author argues that a number of conditions conspired to place the Cambridge psychologist Oliver Zangwill in a pivotal position for pursuing and promoting neuropsychology in Britain after World War II. In broad terms, these were the background and experience of Zangwill himself, the practical engagement of psychologists with patients with brain damage, neurologists, and psychiatrists, the introduction of medical reform including the establishment of a National Health Service, rekindled interest in cortical localization, and the elite social networks that existed in medicine and university life in postwar Britain. The author claims that the career of Zangwill reveals rather than obscures the importance of these wider conditions and demonstrates an unusually close connection between an individual and the emergence of a subdiscipline. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Learning disabilities and brain function: A neuropsychological approach (2nd edition).

Reviews the book, Learning disabilities and brain function: A neuropsychological approach (2nd edition) by William H. Gaddes (1985). No clinician/researcher has expended more effort over a longer period of time to effect a melding of neuropsychology and educational practice than has William Gaddes. His efforts in this area have been prodigious and insightful; his published work, highly influential. Thus, it is with eager anticipation that one approaches the second edition of his most important work, Learning disabilities and brain function: A neuropsychological approach. On many counts, this anticipation is richly rewarded by the many fine features of the work, including its breadth of coverage, its presentation of research findings from many disciplines, and its clinical savvy. Gaddes has attempted to provide a very complete and articulated view of a neuropsychological approach to learning disabilities. Drawing on research in the basic neurosciences, basic and applied psychology and education, and a wealth of personal clinical experience with brain-impaired youngsters, Gaddes does not shrink from forging quite explicit links between normal and altered brain function on the one hand and learning on the other. This constitutes both the strength and the weakness of this work: Its strength lies in the wealth of information and provocative insights provided; its weakness, in the sometimes rather concrete fashion in which brain/behaviour relationships and their remedial implications are stated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hard overcoming being proclaimed a genius.

Reviews the book, Neuropsychology After Lashley. Fifty Years Since the Publication of Brain Mechanisms and Intelligence by J. Orbach (1982). Lashley's place in the history of psychology is by no means settled. Many view his influence as primarily negative. This view of Lashley is echoed in Harlow's comment to Hebb (see Orbach) that Lashley just couldn't grow out of playing the archetypal critic, the role that first led to his fame, and by Konorski, who baldly stated that "the man did more harm than good" to an acquiescing student of Lashley's who shall remain nameless (a conversation overheard in a New York City taxi, 1964). This attitude is also perhaps silently supported in this book by some of the students and associates of Lashley who fail to acknowledge his existence in their chapters. As a whole, however, a much more positive assessment of Lashley's legacy arises from this interesting book. Orbach relies on various sources and, in the first 100 pages or so, gives us Lashley, the person. Orbach's section includes a survey of some of the issues in which Lashley became embroiled. This treatment, however, is far too cursory and is one of the least satisfying parts of the book. As for Lashley's place in history, perhaps it can be maintained that he killed neuropsychology. Nevertheless, as this book makes clear, Lashley left us with a grand number of eminent students who just as decidedly brought about the resurrection! (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction.

If there is any brand of psychology which is peculiarly Canadian, it is the field of brain and behaviour, and especially that area of it which has become known as neuropsychology. Neuropsychology to most people means the coalescence of physiological brain mechanisms and complex behaviours, with an emphasis on those behaviours which are salient in human beings. Because in the early history of neuropsychology, the psychologist usually brought to the neurological setting not only a sophistication in psychological concepts but also some experimental and statistical expertise, neuropsychology rapidly expanded the bag of tricks which traditional neurology had already developed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Clinical neuropsychology of intervention.

Reviews the book, Clinical neuropsycbology of intervention by Barbara Uzzell and Yigal Gross. Doctors Uzzell and Gross have performed a great service for the field of Neuropsychology by editing the volume which they entitle Clinical Neuropsychology of Intervention. They have succeeded in making the book a depiction of the state of the art of neuropsychological rehabilitation in 1986. The contributions, of uniformly high quality, are by individuals who are experienced in service delivery to the brain injured. The contributions reflect both an underlying concern with psychological theory and with principles of neuropsychology and reflect an effort by each author to analyze and codify his/her own experience so as to present it systematically to the reader. These efforts are all successful—some to such a degree that those chapters constitute superb, self-contained treatments of their topics. Surely, this coherence of approach and the high quality of the result have to reflect the skillful editing by Doctors Uzzell and Gross. The reviewer recommends this book as obligatory reading for anyone involved in the evaluation or treatment of brain damaged patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A brain for all functions, revisited.

Reviews the book, Higher Cortical Functions in Man, 2nd edition, by Aleksandr Romanovich Luria (1980). In the original work published 15 years ago, A. R. Luria (1902-1977) described his investigations of behavioural changes caused by damage to the brain and, based on long clinical experience, his metatheoretical views of neuropsychology. The second, revised edition presents the same thematic content in three major sections (neuroanatomy, effects of localized lesions, and testing of sensory, motor and higher mental processes, respectively). As a survey of behavioural consequences of cerebral injury, this treatise remains among the most exhaustive of its kind. Luria's neuropsychological examinations attempt to determine the behavioural impairments and to isolate particular underlying functions which, when defective, cause the disturbance. In general, the revised edition expands on the author's theories, clinical findings and methodology, but does not clarify the related issues any more than did the original book. The wealth of clinical observations and the complexity of behaviours considered make this a remarkable overview of impairments after insult to the nervous system. As a document intended to provide the link between psychology and the functions of the brain, however, it may, upon close scrutiny of its methodological and theoretical mortar, begin to resemble a house of cards. Even if it should collapse, what an edifice! (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Learning disabilities and brain function: A neuropsychological approach (rev. ed.).

Reviews the book, Learning disabilities and brain function: A neuropsychological approach (rev. ed.), by William H. Gaddes (1985). The neurological substrata of intellectual functioning have long been a topic of interest to psychologists; but with the development of the learning disabilities classification and the interest in the brain, learning behavior relationships have expanded to include the entire educational community. This book, like the first edition, has been designed to draw together the neuropsychologist, the school psychologist, and teacher in common cause. In doing so, it helps to bridge a traditional interdisciplinary communications gap. There is a need for neuropsychological training of school psychologists. This book helps to bring this knowledge to bear directly on practice in the field of learning disabilities. Advantages of the second edition over the first are the inclusion of discussions of new techniques (i.e., new brain scanning devices and methods, new applications of dichotic listening) and expanded examples of case studies. The reviewers feel that Gaddes has provided an updated, thorough treatment of the role of neuropsychology in the diagnosis and remediation of the learning-disabled child. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obituary: Hans-Lukas Teuber (1916-1977).

Hans-Lukas Teuber, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, lost his life on January 4, 1977, while swimming off Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. Professor Teuber had won worldwide recognition as a leader in psychology and in the neurosciences. His pioneering research into the behavioral after-effects of brain injury, begun during the final years of World War II in collaboration with Professor Morris Bender, led to his recognition as an authority on the relationship between brain and behavior. His work, which encompassed both basic and clinical investigations, provided a foundation for contemporary neuropsychology and its integration with related disciplines. He is survived by his wife, Marianne, who shared his professional work to a remarkable extent, and by two sons, Andreas and Christopher. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychology and Computerized Axial Tomography: Further Comments.

Comments on the original article "Implications of computerized axial tomography for clinical neuropsychology" by Danny Wedding and Howard Gudeman (see record 1981-08364-001), which reviewed the implications of computerized axial tomography (CAT) for clinical neuropsychology. A major change anticipated by Wedding and Gudeman is that the role in neuropsychology of localizing central nervous system lesions will become obsolete, as this function will be supplanted by the CAT scan technique. This suggests that the emergence of CAT may have a deleterious effect on the utilization of neuropsychologic (NP) techniques, particularly the utilization of NP evaluation in the diagnostic process. The current authors feel that this issue merits further discussion, and that some clarification and extension of the Wedding and Gudeman article is in order. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The handbook of neuropsychological assessment.

Reviews the book, The handbook of neuropsychological assessment by A. Gilandas, S. Touyz, P. J. Beumont, and H. P. Greenberg (1984). This book was written as a clinical/actuarial guide for developing a neuropsychological examination that assesses a broad band of abilities yet is efficient and effective. According to the authors, this 10-chapter handbook was designed for practitioners and students of clinical neuropsychology and is applicable to fields such as school psychology, rehabilitation, psychiatry, and neurology. The authors consider issues central to the practice of clinical neuropsychology, including an overview of theoretical implications, client populations, and issues in neuropsychological assessment. The authors cite delirium, dementia, epilepsy, and organic delusion as some of the major manifestations of brain damage. This volume appropriately details the symptoms, etiology, duration, and treatment of these disorders. It is obvious that school psychologists beginning study in neuropsychology will find a great deal of this volume worthwhile. Of particular interest to school psychologists is the section concerning theoretical implications, which stresses the impact that clinical neuropsychology could have on other applied psychological specialties. Although the majority of the book deals with adults, it seems time to broaden school psychology to such a lifelong focus. So too, after considering the fact that almost 10% of the positions in applied psychology call for neuropsychology-related skills, it appears that such a neuropsychology text could be seen as a necessity when training applied psychologists. Indeed, this book may be an appropriate addition to advanced school psychology assessment courses. Perhaps most impressive are the strategies for revising established neuropsychological test batteries to become comprehensive yet effective tools for understanding brain-behavior relations. However, only time and data will indicate if the revised instruments will prove successful in diagnosing and intervening with cerebrally impaired patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The organization of behavior: A neuropsychological theory.

Reviews the book, The organization of behavior: A neuropsychological theory by Donald O. Hebb (2002). Although scientists and philosophers had long speculated about the involvement of biological factors in psychological phenomena, it was not until the 20th century and the publication of The organization of behavior in 1949 that Physiological Psychology emerged as an active field of scientific research. The book also served as a launching pad for revolutionary developments in a wide range of other fields. What can be said to have emerged from the publication of this volume in 1949? Hebb had produced the first comprehensive theory about how brain activity might produce various complex psychological phenomena. The field of biopsychology did emerge and the widely held view that psychological functioning was too complex to have its roots in chemistry and physiology of the brain was discredited. His theorizing did stimulate transdisciplinary research. A significant number of biological scientists began to ask questions about the brain that were relevant to the understanding of psychological processes such as learning and memory. It also resulted in a change in the philosophic outlook of behavioural scientists. Models of thinking began to be built out of neurocircuits as scholars adopted a monistic position about mind and brain. Undergraduates and graduate students should be very grateful to Richard Brown and Peter Milner for their efforts in re-publishing this seminal book. The arguments outlined in the book remain just as compelling and transparent as they were 40 years ago. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of age on long-term cognitive function after traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To examine the association of age and time postinjury with cognitive outcome 5–22 years following traumatic brain injury (TBI), in relation to matched uninjured controls. Methods: One hundred twelve participants with mild to very severe TBI, aged 16–81 years at the time of injury, were cognitively assessed on measures of processing speed and attention, verbal and visual memory, executive function, and working memory. Results were compared with those of 112 healthy controls individually matched for current age, gender, education, and estimated IQ. Results: Older injured individuals performed worse than did younger injured individuals across all cognitive domains, after controlling for the performance of controls. In relation to matched controls, long-time survivors performed disproportionately worse than did more recently injured individuals, irrespective of age. Conclusions: After maximum spontaneous recovery from TBI, poorer cognitive functioning appears to be associated with both older age at the time of injury and increased time postinjury. These findings have implications for prognosis, early treatment recommendations, and long-term issues of differential diagnosis and management planning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished Professional Contribution Award for 1978: Arthur L. Benton.

Arthur L. Benton was provided the Distinguished Professional Contribution Award because he is a scholar who has done much to stimulate interest in the history of thought about the brain and its role in perception and cognition, an investigator whose research over the past 40 years has helped to erect a new discipline, the neuropsychology of human cognition. Arthur L. Benton is a leader and one of the principal architects of neuropsychology, giving it direction, attracting students from many fields, setting standards of objectivity and experimental control where subjective methods previously prevailed, bringing scientific discipline and a sense of optimism to the now burgeoning field. His interests are uncommonly broad, and his writings and forceful discussion in many areas have had important influence on the thinking of neurologists, psychologists, and psychiatrists both in this country and in Europe, Japan, and Australia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

Briefly describes a new feature (open peer commentary) introduced in this issue of Neuropsychology and reviews some other features available to journal subscribers, readers, and contributors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Neuropsychology of Development: A Symposium.

Reviews the book, The Neuropsychology of Development: A Symposium edited by Robert L. Isaacson (see record 1970-11849-000). According to the preface of this slim volume, the papers contained within were given at a symposium entitled "The Neuropsychology of Development," the third of five symposia held at the Psychology Department of The University of Michigan, in 1967, to honour that University's sesquicentenary. The papers are said to be "original works undertaken especially for the symposium and [they] contain many previously unpublished data and interpretations; the ideas expressed here are sometimes at odds with traditional views of the effects of physiological processes underlying development." As far as content is concerned, we run immediately into that hardy perennial of symposia--relevance of the papers to each other. This reviewer cannot see the point of publishing concurrently relatively incompatible material. The fact that each paper can be related to neuropsychology and that they were each given at the same symposium is insufficient reason for publishing them between the same hard covers at such a high price. However, each of these papers is very worthwhile material for the audiences for which they are intended. the standard of the papers in this symposium is very high. This is not just a book of readings but a scholarly collection that should be in every university library. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Between-individual variability and interpretation of associations between neurophysiological and behavioral measures in aging populations: Comment on Salthouse (2011).

Salthouse (2011) argued that (a) variance between individuals on cognitive test scores remains constant between 20 and 90 years of age and (b) widely recognized problems of deducing functional relationships from patterns of correlations between measurements become especially severe for neuropsychological indices, especially for gross indices of age-related brain changes (e.g., losses of brain volume or increases in white matter lesions). I argue that between-individual variability on cognitive tests does increase with age and provides useful information on causes of age-related cognitive decline. I suggest that problems of inference from correlations are just as difficult for behavioral as for neurophysiological indices and that inclusion, in analyses, of even gross measures of brain status such as loss of volume and white matter lesions can correct misinterpretations that occur when only behavioral data are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Olfactory dysfunction, gambling task performance and intracranial lesions after traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To estimate the incidence of olfactory dysfunction across traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity and decision-making deficits with regard to intracranial lesions' location and laterality. Method: A 1-year prospective study including 115 participants (16–55 years) with mild, moderate, and severe TBI. The Brief Smell Identification Test was used 3 months postinjury with a follow-up testing of olfactory dysfunction at 1 year. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and 3 tasks of the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System were administered 3-months postinjury. MRI was performed 1-year postinjury and TBI severity groups were then divided with respect to frontal, fronto-temporal, diffuse, and no lesions. Results: The incidence of olfactory dysfunction was estimated to be 22.3% at 3 months and 13.5% at 1 year. No significant differences were found on olfactory dysfunction across TBI severity at either check. Anosmia was identified in 10% with severe TBI and 3% with mild TBI. Olfactory dysfunction was associated with verbal fluency tasks. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed no significant effect over blocks on IGT, and no main group or interaction effects regarding TBI severity, lesions' location, or laterality. IGT performance at 3-months postinjury was deficient in 83% of persons with intracranial lesions and 71% of those without lesions. Conclusions: Olfactory dysfunction is independent of TBI severity, showing improvements in one third of cases from 3- to 12-months postinjury. However, anosmia was related to TBI severity. There is evidence for marked decision-making deficits after TBI, all subgroups performed similarly and failed to develop an advantageous strategy over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Book review: Cognitive Rehabilitation: An Integrative Neuropsychological Approach.

Review of book McKay Moore Sohlberg and Catherine A. Mateer, Cognitive Rehabilitation: An Integrative Neuropsychological Approach. New York: The Guilford Press, 2001, 512 pp., ISBN 1-57230-613-0. Reviewed by Gail Eskes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)