Neuropsicologia

In questo libro vengono approfondite alcune tesi già esposte dall'autore in "Struttura dell'oggetto e della rappresentazione", alla base delle quali sta un modello neurofisiologico concepito per gettare un ponte tra le attuali conoscenze delle neuroscienze e alcuni temi della teoria psicoanalitica, e utile a fornire una più chiara interpretazione neurofisiologica del processo identificatorio del bambino nella relazione con la madre. Questo processo può infatti essere meglio compreso nella sua complessità se si tiene conto della dinamica intrinseca, autonoma, dell'integrazione nervosa. Tale dinamica non dipende dalla sola stimolazione sensoriale, ma è soprattutto regolata da proprietà ritmiche endogene dei flussi d'informazione interna.

In questo volume gli autori hanno voluto richiamare alcuni concetti fondamentali di neuroanatomia, di embriologia e di genetica per trattare poi di alcune sindromi genetiche e di alcuni disordini neuropsicologici che sono particolarmente significativi per il profilo cognitivo e comportamentale delle persone che ne sono affette e per le implicazioni relative alle funzioni cerebrali e ai meccanismi di funzionamento della mente umana. Il libro è rivolto agli studenti universitari di Psicologia, agli specializzandi e ai dottorandi che sono impegnati nei corsi di Neuroscienze, di Psicologia Evolutiva, Psicopatologia e Psicologia dell'Handicap.

The past two decades have seen rapid progress in new and less invasive ways to stimulate the brain to study and treat psychiatric disorders. This authoritative reference provides an introduction to this emerging field of brain stimulation in psychiatry. Eight recognized experts present the latest research and resultsAand future challengesAfor new techniques to electrically stimulate the central nervous system, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), magnetic seizure therapy (MST), deep brain stimulation (DBS), and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). This is the first book to both review these new techniques and place them in the context of existing somatic therapies in psychiatry. Unlike electroconvulsive therapy (ECT, the standard choice for patients with treatment-resistant depression), these breakthrough methods enable us to affect selectively higher cognitive processes and mood systems by electrically stimulatingAdirectly or indirectlyAfocal regions of the cortex and subcortical structures in the brain. -The effectiveness of TMS and MST (MST is a higher-dosage, convulsive form of magnetic stimulation) is being studied worldwide. Results are encouraging: TMS has been reported to reduce the frequency of auditory hallucinations when administered to brain regions that show abnormal hyperactivity during hallucinations, and both TMS and MST induce far less electricity and stimulate more focal cortical regions than ECT, thus incurring fewer cognitive side effects. -Although DBSAin which an electrode is implanted in a location relevant to the illness in questionAis more invasive than other modalities, it is able to reach deeper structures in a highly focal way, which may be important for illnesses like obsessive-compulsive disorder, whose circuitry relies heavily on subcortical structures. -VNS is less invasive than DBS but more invasive than TMS or MST. Efficacy of VNS is uncertain. Improvement appears to build over time, and the hope is that months or years after implantation patients may show dramatic improvements. Claims of enhanced efficacy with time have never been tested directly, and controlled, randomized trials are needed to determine whether VNS has a role in the treatment of major depression. Its effects are limited to the neuroanatomical connectivity of the vagus nerve. Enriching our knowledge base in this exciting new field means more choices and therapeutic strategies for patients with conditions that resist conventional treatments. This fascinating work is a key reference for the promising future of brain stimulation in psychiatric treatment and is a Amust readA for clinicians and residents alike.

Il "mondo interno" della mente costituisce l'ambito tradizionale della psicoanalisi e delle discipline a essa collegate

Here's a clinically oriented guide to the field of behavioural neurology and the complex diagnostic modalities and treatment options available. This comprehensive text includes: methods of assessment and analysis, theoretical framework, and disorders of higher brain functions. It also covers cognitive science and anatomic aspects, classical neuropsychology, and new research on dementia.

In quest'antologia, suddivisa in 5 sezioni più un'introduzione, si affronta il problema del dialogo tra psicoanalisi e neurosc

Che cos'è la memoria? Com'è organizzata? Esistono diverse forme di memoria? Quali sono i meccanismi con i quali si apprendono e si dimenticano informazioni? Quali sono i disturbi della memoria? Se la si perde, cosa accade? La si può curare? Neurologa, Costanza Papagno insegna Fondamenti anatomofisiologici dell'attività psichica e Neuropsicologia alla Facoltà di Psicologia di Milano Bicocca, dove è direttore di Dipartimento. È autrice di numerose opere, tutte edite anche in lingua inglese.

Clinical neuropsychology is one of the fastest growing specialities within mainstream clinical psychology, neurology and the psychiatric disciplines. This handbook is designed to provide a practical guide for those interested in the professional application of neuropsychology to clinical practice. The book is written and presented in a concise, structured and easy-to-read style. It covers the contribution that neuropsychological approaches can make to the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a range of brain disorders, as well as addressing the special considerations when treating children and the elderly. The content is firmly anchored in contemporary neuroscientific techniques, focusing on the techniques of functional imaging, cognitive psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, neuropsychiatry and cognitive rehabilitation. It also provides background information on laboratory and research techniques, as well as covering relevant neurology and psychiatry.

Il testo nasce da una serie di conferenze, tenute all'università di Harward, che avevavo come principale obiettivo quello di promuovere una riflessione critica che confrontasse i diversi approcci delle scienze della vita e delle scienze umane e sociali intorno al cervello dell'uomo e alla sua funzione. Un progetto complesso che mette in rapporto l'organizzazione anatomica e gli stati di attività del nostro cervello con quelle funzioni cognitive per eccellenza che sono l'acquisizione della conoscenza e la verifica della sua verità, per cui la capacità di dire il vero è una tratto distintivo della specie umana. Un progetto le cui radici risalgono a Cartesio e, più indietro nel tempo, alla filosofia dell'Antica Grecia.

Spatial neglect is a disorder of space-related behaviour. It is characterized by failure to explore the side of space contralateral to a brain lesion, or to react or respond to stimuli or subjects located on this side. Research on spatial neglect and related disorders has developed rapidly in recent years. These advances have been made as a result of neuropsychological studies of patients with brain damage, behavioural studies of animal models, as well as through functional neurophysiological experiments and functional neuroimaging. The Cognitive and Neural Bases of Spatial Neglect provides an overview of this wide-ranging field of scientific endeavour, providing a cohesive synthesis of the most recent observations and results. As well as being a fascinating clinical phenomenon, the study of spatial neglect helps us to understand normal mechanisms of directing and maintaining spatial attention and is relevant to the contemporary search for the cerebral correlates of conscious experience, voluntary action and the nature of personal identity itself. The book is divided into seven sections covering the anatomical and neurophysiological bases of the disorder, frameworks of neglect, perceptual and motor factors, the relation to attention, the cognitive processes involved, and strategies for rehabilitation. Chapters have been written by a team of the leading international experts in this field. This will be essential reading for neuropsychologists, neurologists, neurophysiologists, cognitive neuroscientists and psychologists.

Chi siamo e perché siamo diventati quelli che siamo? Come interagiscono le nostre funzioni cognitive, emotive e motivazionali?

Emotional and cognitive disorders are common in Parkinson's disease, but are frequently overlooked or undertreated. This book provides a comprehensive account of these aspects of Parkinson's disease, based on the neurological and psychiatric assessment of hundreds of patients by the authors. It also offers a thorough survey of the published literature on the topic. Readers will find a complete and helpful overview of the clinical features and treatment of Parkinson's disease, followed by discussion of associated depressive disorders, anxiety, phobias, apathy, hallucinations, delusions and sleep disorders. Specific cognitive deficits are also discussed, and the mechanisms for these disorders explored. The book also addresses the psychiatric and cognitive side effects of anti-parkinsonian medications and surgical treatments. Offering sufficient scientific detail for the specialist in neurology and psychiatry, the clear practical guidelines, case studies and rating scales will meet the needs of all clinicians working with Parkinson's disease patients.

Psychiatry as a Neuroscience provides an overview of recent solid advances in biological psychiatry which are of clinical relevance. These include psychoneuroendocrinological and psychoimmunological findings in major depression genetic and neuroimaging data in schizophrenia molecular genetic findings in Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging data in obsessive-compulsive disorder. This book will be of interest to psychiatrists and psychologists, neuroscientists, managers and policy makers.