Neuropsychology evolving.

Reviews the book, From neuropsychology to mental structure by Tim Shallice (see record 1989-97122-000). The basic question that the book addresses is "what can be learned about normal function from impaired behaviour?" The author approaches this question in two ways. First, he assumes that cognitive processing is organized into basic processing elements, much like Fodor's modules. The goal is to determine how the modules function together to underlie cognitive processes. Second, Shallice asks how neuropsychological data provide inferences about the nature of the modules. Overall, I liked this book, even if I cannot easily identify with the top-down approach to studying brain function. Nonetheless, this is a volume that will force psychologists of all stripes to think about questions surrounding the study of cognition and brain function. Indeed, one can seriously ask the question of whether cognitive neuropsychology is a natural evolution of Hebb's neuropsychology as opposed to a new and divergent species that will fill a different niche. (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 The papers are said to be "original works undertaken especially for the symposium and [they] contain many previously unpublished data and interpretations; the ideas expressed here are sometimes at odds with traditional views of the effects of physiological processes underlying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)     

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)     

Neuropsychological impairments in schizophrenia: Integration of performance-based and brain imaging findings.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 134(3) of Psychological Bulletin (see record 2008-04614-006). In the article "Neuropsychological Impairments in Schizophrenia: Integration of Performance-Based and Brain Imaging Findings," by Abraham Reichenberg and Philip D. Harvey (Psychological Bulletin, 2007, Vol. 133, No. 5, pp. 833-858), on page 837, right column, first paragraph; in Table 1 (p. 835); and in Table 2 (p. 843), the word perseverations was misspelled as preservations. In addition, on page 846, left column, third paragraph, the last word in the sentence was incorrect. The correct word should be hyperactivation.] Until recently, the dominant view was that schizophrenia patients have limited, if any, neuropsychological impairments, and those that are observed are only secondary to the florid symptoms of the disorder. This view has dramatically changed. This review integrates recent evidence demonstrating the severity and profile of neuropsychological impairments in schizophrenia. We present quantitative evaluation of the literature demonstrating that the most severe impairments are apparent in episodic memory and executive control processes, evident on a background of a generalized cognitive deficit. The neuropsychological impairments potentially represent genetic liability to the disorder, as similar, yet milder, impairments are evident in schizophrenia patients even before the onset of psychotic symptoms, as well as in the nonpsychotic relatives of schizophrenia patients. Corresponding cognitive neuroimaging literature on executive functions, episodic memory, and working memory in schizophrenia documenting abnormalities in frontal and medial temporal lobes is summarized, and current models integrating neuropsychological and neuroimaging data are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychological disturbance in schizophrenia: A diffusion tensor imaging study.

Patients with schizophrenia and healthy control subjects underwent both neuropsychological evaluation and magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging, during which the cingulum bundle (CB) and the uncinate fasciculus (UF) were defined with fiber tractography and their integrity was quantified. On the basis of prior findings, it was hypothesized that neuropsychological disturbance in schizophrenia may be characterized, in part, by 2 dissociable functional neuroanatomical relationships: (a) executive functioning-CB integrity and (b) episodic memory-UF integrity. In support of the hypothesis, hierarchical regression results indicated that reduced white matter of the CB and the UF differentially and specifically predicted deficits in executive functioning and memory, respectively. Neuropsychological correlates of the CB also extended to lower generalized intelligence, as well as to reduced visual memory that may be related to failures of contextual monitoring of to-be-remembered scenes. Reduced white matter of the CB and the UF may each make distinct contributions to neuropsychological disturbance in schizophrenia. (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)     

"Neuropsychological impairments in schizophrenia: Integration of performance-based and brain imaging findings": Correction.

Reports an error in "Neuropsychological impairments in schizophrenia: Integration of performance-based and brain imaging findings" by Abraham Reichenberg and Philip D. Harvey (Psychological Bulletin, 2007[Sep], Vol 133[5], 833-858). In the article, on page 837, right column, first paragraph; in Table 1 (p. 835); and in Table 2 (p. 843), the word perseverations was misspelled as preservations. In addition, on page 846, left column, third paragraph, the last word in the sentence was incorrect. The correct word should be hyperactivation. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-12463-006.) Until recently, the dominant view was that schizophrenia patients have limited, if any, neuropsychological impairments, and those that are observed are only secondary to the florid symptoms of the disorder. This view has dramatically changed. This review integrates recent evidence demonstrating the severity and profile of neuropsychological impairments in schizophrenia. We present quantitative evaluation of the literature demonstrating that the most severe impairments are apparent in episodic memory and executive control processes, evident on a background of a generalized cognitive deficit. The neuropsychological impairments potentially represent genetic liability to the disorder, as similar, yet milder, impairments are evident in schizophrenia patients even before the onset of psychotic symptoms, as well as in the nonpsychotic relatives of schizophrenia patients. Corresponding cognitive neuroimaging literature on executive functions, episodic memory, and working memory in schizophrenia documenting abnormalities in frontal and medial temporal lobes is summarized, and current models integrating neuropsychological and neuroimaging data are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychology, genetic liability, and psychotic symptoms in those at high risk of schizophrenia.

Neuropsychological assessments were compared among individuals at enhanced genetic risk of schizophrenia (n=157) and controls (n=34). The relationship between cognitive impairments and the presence of psychotic symptoms and measures of genetic risk was explored in the high-risk subjects. Neuropsychological differences were identified in many areas of function and were not accounted for by the presence of psychotic symptoms. Genetic liability was not associated with neuropsychological performance or with psychotic symptoms, but exploratory analysis showed some tests were associated with both liability measures. These results suggest that what is inherited is not the disorder itself but a state of vulnerability manifested by neuropsychological impairment, occurring in many more individuals than are predicted to develop the disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Experimental techniques in human neuropsychology.

Reviews the book, Experimental techniques in human neuropsychology by H. J. Hannay (1986). With the growth of the field of neuropsychology during the last few decades, research related to the varied aspects of human neuropsychology has progressed with insufficient attention to the quality of the methods employed. Certainly, the need for this type of book is unquestionable. This edited volume is designed to present a variety of procedures and current technologies at a level which can be beneficial to both the novice and the expert researcher in various areas of neuropsychology. It is, for the most part, successful in explaining techniques in sufficient detail for the new researcher while also presenting recent advances of interest to the more experienced researcher. The volume contains chapters approximately equally divided between behavioral and physiological measures, written by authors who have established reputations in the research areas which they discuss. Although this book addressed a broad range of experimental topics in neuropsychology, it should provide particular appeal to those interested in methods of investigating cerebral dominance and asymmetry. The research populations discussed represent a diverse mix of neurologically impaired adult groups, with a brief mention of child populations in two chapters. The strength of this book lies on the questions raised about the status of current neuropsychological research techniques. The chapters are well written and are structured in a clearly organized manner that provides ready assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. Researchers in almost every area of neuropsychology should find this book a valuable aid in designing studies by avoiding the pitfalls which have beset other projects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding the dorsal and ventral systems of the human cerebral cortex: Beyond dichotomies.

Traditionally, characterizations of the macrolevel functional organization of the human cerebral cortex have focused on the left and right cerebral hemispheres. However, the idea of left brain versus right brain functions has been shown to be an oversimplification. We argue here that a top–bottom divide, rather than a left–right divide, is a more fruitful way to organize human cortical brain functions. However, current characterizations of the functions of the dorsal (top) and ventral (bottom) systems have rested on dichotomies, namely where versus what and how versus what. We propose that characterizing information-processing systems leads to a better macrolevel organization of cortical function; specifically, we hypothesize that the dorsal system is driven by expectations and processes sequences, relations, and movement, whereas the ventral system categorizes stimuli in parallel, focuses on individual events, and processes object properties (such as shape in vision and pitch in audition). To test this hypothesis, we reviewed over 100 relevant studies in the human neuroimaging and neuropsychological literatures and coded them relative to 11 variables, some of which characterized our hypothesis and some of which characterized the previous dichotomies. The results of forward stepwise logistic regressions supported our characterization of the 2 systems and showed that this model predicted the empirical findings better than either the traditional dichotomies or a left–right difference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing for Suspected Impairments and Dissociations in Single-Case Studies in Neuropsychology: Evaluation of Alternatives Using Monte Carlo Simulations and Revised Tests for Dissociations.

In neuropsychological single-case studies, a patient is compared with a small control sample. Methods of testing for a deficit on Task X, or a significant difference between Tasks X and Y, either treat the control sample statistics as parameters (using z and zD) or use modified t tests. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrated that if z is used to test for a deficit, the Type I error rate is high for small control samples, whereas control of the error rate is essentially perfect for a modified t test. Simulations on tests for differences revealed that error rates were very high for zD. A new method of testing for a difference (the revised standardized difference test) achieved good control of the error rate, even with very small sample sizes. A computer program that implements this new test (and applies criteria to test for classical and strong dissociations) is made available. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Innovative clinical assessment technologies: Challenges and opportunities in neuroimaging.

The authors review the reasons for the contrast between the remarkable advances that hemodynamic and electromagnetic imaging of the human brain appear capable of delivering in clinical practice in psychology and their very limited penetration into practice to date. Both the heritages of the relevant technologies and the historical orientation of clinical psychology away from biological phenomena are factors. Discussion of some technical aspects and prospects of these methods and recommendations for facilitating clinical use are provided, with an emphasis on fostering the participation of and contribution by practicing clinical psychologists and professionals in related fields lacking a strong grounding in biological measurement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychology: Retrospect and prospect.

Presents a brief history of neuropsychology and suggestions for its future development. It is argued that psychology is a single discipline, not a loose assemblage of separate disciplines; neuropsychology is fundamental to it, but not a separate area of research to be pursued in isolation from other modes of psychology. Although it frequently uses physiological methods, it remains distinct from physiology since its direct concern is not with synapse, corpus callosum, or cortex, but with the behavior of the whole animal. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nonhuman primate neuroimaging and cocaine medication development.

Given the important role of the dopamine transporter (DAT) in the addictive properties of cocaine, the development and use of compounds that target the DAT represents a reasonable approach for the pharmacological treatment of cocaine abuse. The present report describes a series of studies conducted in nonhuman primates that evaluated the effectiveness of DAT inhibitors in reducing cocaine self-administration. In addition, drug substitution studies evaluated the abuse liability of the DAT inhibitors. Positron emission tomography neuroimaging studies quantified DAT occupancy at behaviorally relevant doses, characterized the time-course of drug uptake in brain, and documented drug-induced changes in cerebral blood flow as a model of brain activation. Selective DAT inhibitors were effective in reducing cocaine use but high (>70%) levels of DAT occupancy were associated with significant reductions in cocaine self-administration. The selective DAT inhibitors were reliably self-administered but rates of responding were lower than those maintained by cocaine even at higher levels of DAT occupancy. A profile of slow rate of drug uptake in brain accompanied by a gradual increase in extracellular dopamine may account for the more limited reinforcing effectiveness of the DAT inhibitors. Selective serotonin transporter (SERT) inhibitors were also effective in reducing cocaine use and blocked cocaine-induced brain activation and increases in extracellular dopamine. Coadministration of SERT inhibitors with a selective DAT inhibitor was more effective than the DAT inhibitor administered alone, even at comparable levels of DAT occupancy. The results indicate that combined inhibition of DAT and SERT may be a viable approach to treat cocaine addiction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special section on aging, cognition, and neuroimaging.

In response to the recent increase in the number of laboratories engaged in the use of functional and structure neuroimaging to study cognitive aging, this special section has been compiled to serve as an entry into this area for the readers of Psychology and Aging. These articles are representative of the field and cover many of the issues faced by researchers in this area. This introduction presents some background into the techniques that are used and provides an overview of the articles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pribram's ideas.

Reviews the book, Languages of the Brain--Experimental Paradoxes and Principles in Neuropsychology by K. H. Pribram (see record 1973-03824-000). Pribram's book might be better called Pribram's Ideas. In some 400 pages the author describes his ideas on memory, awareness, motivation, emotion, language, caring, association cortex--most everything and the brain. Many will hail Pribram's book as an important source of ideas. There may be some readers however, who will be upset by Professor Pribram's book. His tendency to use neologisms, the inclusion of illustrations and experiments that are indeed elegant but often irrelevant, his failure to really consider the ideas of others, the inclusion of a twentieth chapter apparently on the grounds that a round number for a book is desirable, the rather hasty application of findings from computer technology, genetics and optics to the brain, the discovery by the author of the organization of the book at the stage of the final draft, his failure to document sources of information, just might upset them. Pribram is an accomplished investigator and an acknowledged leader in the field. It is a pity that Pribram, with so many exceptional abilities, has chosen to display them in so disappointing a form. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychology and working memory: A review.

Reviews the relationship between neuropsychological approaches to human memory and the working memory theory introduced by A. D. Baddeley and G. J. Hitch (1974). It is argued that neuropsychological perspectives have made a number of different contributions to the development of the theory. On occasion, they have provided unique natural experiments that cannot be simulated in the laboratory and that represent a significant input to theoretical refinement. They also yield a rich source of information on a central tenet of working memory theory, which is that the components of working memory support everyday complex cognitive activities. Neuropsychological studies have played an important role in identifying the contributions of the phonological loop to the acquisition and processing of language and of the visuospatial sketchpad to learning to recognize new faces. More generally, neuropsychological investigations have substantially reinforced developments of theory based on work from the experimental laboratory, and they provide convincing evidence for the robustness and generality of the theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some comments on the goals and direction of Neuropsychology.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 7(2) of Neuropsychology (see record 2008-10489-001). In this editorial, the name of the National Academy of Neuropsychology was misspelled. This was due to an incorrect change by the printer at a late stage in production, after the proofs were properly reviewed by the Editor.] This editorial discusses this first issue of Neuropsychology which was published under the official logo of the American Psychological Association (APA) and represents a major milestone for a rapidly growing discipline dedicated to the study of brain-behavior relationships in humans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)