There Is a Shelter Dog in My College Classroom
Lori R. Kogan, Phyllis Erdman in Career Paths in Human-Animal Interaction for Social and Behavioral Scientists, 2021
I was trained as a neuropsychologist. The field of neuropsychology aims to study the interaction between the brain, nervous system, cognition, and behavior. After many years in research, I decided to combine my love of science with my love of teaching and accepted a position as a tenure-track assistant professor of psychology. Although some of the courses that I was charged to teach were within my field of expertise (e.g., biological psychology, psychopharmacology), other courses required a lot of preparation. One of them was “Learning”, a class which Focuses on the theoretical basis of human learning. The field encompasses complex theories, principles and terminology (e.g., classical and operant conditioning), but it also offers practical tools that are relevant to many situations, conditions, and species. Specifically, the processes that govern human learning are the same ones that affect animal learning.
Consultation with Sports Organizations
Mark R. Lovell, Ruben J. Echemendia, Jeffrey T. Barth, Michael W. Collins in Traumatic Brain Injury in Sports, 2020
The team physician will, like the athletic trainer, be a person with whom the neuropsychologist will want to develop a good working relationship. The team physician often makes the final decision about whether the athlete has recovered sufficiently to return to competition. Despite the contributions which neuropsychology has made to the understanding of the effects of mild brain injury, many team physicians are skeptical concerning the need for neuropsychological assessment. Without a good relationship, the recommendations of the neuropsychologist may be disregarded, and the success of a concussion monitoring program may be jeopardized. The neuropsychologist should be prepared to educate the team physician about the role which neuropsychological evaluation can play, and to demonstrate how such assessment may make the physician’s role easier (for example, by quantifying cognitive loss and documenting cognitive recovery). The neuropsychologist needs to appreciate the pressures and responsibilities of the physician’s role. It is important to develop clear expectations about the role of each professional. A clear process about how to communicate findings to the player and coach, and how to keep each other informed, will also facilitate the success of such programs.
The role of neuropsychology in understanding, assessing, and managing sport-related concussions
Gordon A. Bloom, Jeffrey G. Caron in Psychological Aspects of Sport-Related Concussions, 2019
Neuropsychology is the scientific study of human brain functioning. Clinical neuropsychologists study how behavior and cognition are influenced by the brain’s functioning and are concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of the behavioral and cognitive deficits caused by neurological disorders. Neuropsychologists have spearheaded the scientific and clinical research aimed at identifying the consequences of concussion, proper injury management, and the return to learn and play regimen (Ott, Bailey, & Broshek, 2018). They developed clinical assessment tools to identify cognitive deficits caused by concussion and to track injury recovery. With distinct training in brain-behavior relationships, psychological assessment, and psychometrics, neuropsychologists are uniquely qualified to evaluate an athlete’s cognitive, emotional, and psychological status following a concussion. In fact, in most Canadian provinces and territories, as well as in many states of the United States, the assessment of cognitive and psychological disorders caused by a neurological disorder is an act that is reserved to the clinical neuropsychologists.
Technology meets tradition: a hybrid model for implementing digital tools in neuropsychology
Published in International Review of Psychiatry, 2021
Neuropsychological tests batteries are often described as flexible, yet a survey of 2004 individuals who administer these assessments tend to use a combination of the same 40 tests (Rabin et al., 2005). Of those 40 tests, the most widely used are the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales (WAIS-R/WAIS-III; Wechsler, 1997a), Wechsler Memory Scales (WMS-R/WMS-III; Wechsler, 1997b), Trail Making Test, California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT/CVLT-II; (Delis et al., 1987; Delis et al., 2000), and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III; Wechsler, 1991). There are appropriate reasons for using these tests: they are well-validated, have established normative data, and are sensitive to neurocognitive dysfunction. They are also routinely taught to neuropsychology trainees in practica, internships, and beyond, during which trainees learn to synthesize these data with information collected during the clinical interview to make appropriate diagnoses, recommendations, and referrals.
Resilience after a neurological pathology: What impact on the cognitive abilities of patients with brain damage?
Published in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2020
Naomie Castor, Farid El Massioui
The present findings of our research lead us to consider resilience as an important factor in recovery. In this study, a relationship was also established between psychological and cognitive components. Indeed, when resilience was elevated, cognitive performances were also high, while depressive and anxious symptoms were low. This association uncovers the involvement of resilience in cognitive functioning. Our results are encouraging, because they converge with the findings of Losoi et al. (2016). Most often, recovery is attributed to health care such as physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and neuropsychology, although our results illustrated the importance of resilience in rehabilitation and cognitive recovery. Resilience could explain the importance of psychological aspects in cognitive functioning and should be considered greater in the cognitive rehabilitation of neurological pathologies with a potential recovery. Moreover, correlations between resilience and positive and negative emotions implicitly indicate that mood disorders could affect cognitive processes and thus prevent recovery. Future studies should examine the importance of resilience after brain damage and consider several factors such as age, education level, and psychological components that could promote recovery. The growing understanding of resilience factors will hopefully lead to the development of new psychological interventions and reduce the consequences of brain damage.
Spanish-Speaking Pediatric Neuropsychology: Recent Research and New Frontiers
Published in Developmental Neuropsychology, 2020
Neuropsychology is a young discipline in Spanish-speaking countries. In the past decade, this area has seen tremendous growth in Latin America and Spain. New training programs available at undergraduate and postgraduate levels were developed, researchers in many countries began working together in this field, professional and scientific associations were founded, conferences and workshops were planned and held. As a result, the role of the neuropsychologist in Spanish-speaking countries has become increasingly relevant and recognized in society and in different settings, including clinical, forensic, educational, and sport, for example. Professionals practice neuropsychology in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, educational institutions, private practice, and sports institutions. Although the majority of neuropsychologists in Spanish-speaking countries work with adults, almost 34% of them provide assessment and/or rehabilitation in pediatric populations.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Cognition
- Nervous System
- Neurological Disorder
- Pathology
- Brain
- Psychology
- Medical Diagnosis
- Neurology
- Neural Correlates of Consciousness
- Mind