Neuropsychology
is the study of fundamental relationships between cerebral activity
and human behavior including cognition, emotion, and sensory and
motor events. Neuropsychology developed primarily in the 1950s and
1960s as clinicians and researchers began to better understand brain
functioning by examining the deficits associated with specific forms
of brain injury. This “lesion model” has prevailed through
the turn of the century and has made important contributions to
the understanding of language, visuo-spatial processing, motor functioning,
and higher-order organizational processes, often referred to as
executive functions. Today, neuropsychology research continues the
use of behavioral measures to assess the various cognitive and behavioral
deficits evident in cases of injury and disease. However, an increasing
number of additional techniques such as functional imaging are being
used to provide important insights about brain/behavior relationships. |
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