Field that studies the relationship between brain structure/function and behavior, particularly how brain damage or dysfunction affects cognitive processes and behavior. It bridges [[neuroscience]], psychology, and clinical practice.
- Core Focus
- Brain-behavior relationships
- Effects of brain lesions or dysfunction on cognition
- Assessment and rehabilitation of cognitive impairments
- Integration of neuroimaging, cognitive testing, and behavioral analysis
- Methods
- Neuropsychological assessment
- standardized tests of memory, attention, language, [[executive function]]
- Neuroimaging
- fMRI, CT, MRI to identify structural and functional changes
- Lesion studies
- examining effects of localized brain damage
- Longitudinal studies
- tracking cognitive changes over time
- Clinical Applications
- Assessment of [[Trauma|traumatic]] brain injury, stroke, dementia
- Differential diagnosis of [[Neuroscience|neurological]] and psychiatric disorders
- Rehabilitation planning and cognitive intervention
- Forensic neuropsychology
- Related Fields
- [[Cognitive Neuroscience]]
- experimental focus on neural mechanisms of cognition
- [[Clinical Neuroscience]]
- application to psychiatric and [[Neuroscience|neurological]] disorders
- [[Cognitive Psychology]]
- theoretical models of cognitive processes
- [[Neuroscience]]
- broader study of nervous system structure and function
- Key Areas
- Memory and learning
- Attention and [[executive function]]
- Language and communication
- Emotion and [[social cognition]]
- Visuospatial processing