Foundations of Clinical Neuropsychology

In the last decade, neuropsychology has grown from a small subspecialty to a major component in the practice of clinical and medical psychology. This growth has been caused by advances in psychological testing (such as the Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological battery, as discussed in Chapter 5) that have made evaluation techniques in the field available to a wider audience, by advances in neuroradiol- ogy and related medical areas that have enabled us to better understand the struc- ture and function of the brain in living individuals without significant potential harm to those individuals, and by increased interest by psychologists and other scientists in the role that the brain plays in determining behavior. Many disorders that were believed by many to be caused purely by learning or environment have been shown to relate, at least in some cases, to brain dysfunction or damage. With the growth of the field, there has been increased interest in the work of neuropsychologists by many who are not in the field.

In the last decade, neuropsychology has grown from a small subspecialty to a major component in the practice of clinical and medical psychology. This growth has been caused by advances in psychological testing (such as the Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological battery, as discussed in Chapter 5) that have made evaluation techniques in the field available to a wider audience, by advances in neuroradiol- ogy and related medical areas that have enabled us to better understand the struc- ture and function of the brain in living individuals without significant potential harm to those individuals, and by increased interest by psychologists and other scientists in the role that the brain plays in determining behavior. Many disorders that were believed by many to be caused purely by learning or environment have been shown to relate, at least in some cases, to brain dysfunction or damage. With the growth of the field, there has been increased interest in the work of neuropsychologists by many who are not in the field.