Neuropsychology is a field of psychology that examines the complex relationship between the brain and behavior. It is an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the neural mechanisms underlying psychological processes, such as learning, memory, perception, language, attention, motor control, and executive function (Gur, 2018).
At its core, neuropsychology is concerned with understanding how the brain mediates behavior, and how behavior in turn influences the brain. This field is closely related to, but distinct from, neuroscience and cognitive science. Neuropsychology focuses on the clinical application of neuroscience, while neuroscience looks at the function and structure of the brain and cognitive science examines the information processing of the mind.
Neuropsychological research often uses brain imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), to study the brain in action. These techniques can help researchers identify which brain areas are associated with particular functions, and how these functions are affected by pathology or injury (Gur, 2018).
Neuropsychology is also concerned with the assessment and diagnosis of neurological and psychological disorders. For example, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) is a neuropsychological assessment tool used to measure cognitive ability. Neuropsychologists use these assessments to diagnose and treat disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Alzheimer’s disease (Gur, 2018).
The field of neuropsychology is rapidly growing, and its applications are broad. Neuropsychology is used to understand the effects of aging, brain injury, and neurodegenerative diseases, and it also provides insight into learning and behavior in both healthy and clinical populations. As the field continues to expand, neuropsychology will continue to play an important role in our understanding of the brain-behavior relationship.
References
Gur, R. C. (2018). Neuropsychology: From theory to practice. Oxford University Press.