Applied Clinical Neuropsychology. an Introduction

Description

This breakthrough introductory text-unlike all other clinical neuropsychology textbooks on the market-introduces advanced undergraduate students and clinicians in training to the field by showing undergraduate students how clinical neuropsychologists actually practice their craft. The book uncovers the professional issues that clinical neuropsychologists deal with daily, including neurogenerative disorders, acquired disorders, ethical practice issues, interviewing, testing, prognosis and treatment planning, drug prescriptions, and more.

Using case studies culled from the author's own clinical work, the book provides students with firsthand accounts of neuropsychology in action. As the first textbook to integrate real, practical applications of neuropsychology, it covers the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with brain illness or injury, as opposed to examining brain structures and functions alone. This innovative, application-based approach to neuropsychology is guaranteed to give students a clear, comprehensive understanding of what neuropsychology is and what neuropsychologists do.

Key features:

• Covers core concepts of neuropsychology, including neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, brain structure and function, and disorders of the central nervous system
• Includes application-based topics not covered in traditional texts, such as: differential diagnosis; individual, group, and family therapy; and psychopharmacology
• Discusses test theory and evaluation, examining tests of intellectual abilities, memory functioning, and more
• Extensive instructors' ancillary package available with test questions and nearly 100 illustrations in PowerPoint format

Table of Contents

1 Introduction to Clinical Neuropsychology
2 The Nervous System: Structure and Function
3 Neuropathology - Neurodegenerative Disorders
4 Neuropathology - Acquired Disorders
5 Issues in Clinical Neuropsychological Practice
6 Interviewing in Clinical Neuropsychology
7 Tests of Intellectual Abilities
8 Tests of Memory Functioning
9 Neuropsychological Test Batteries
10 Differential Diagnosis
11 Prognosis and Treatment Planning
12 Cognitive and Memory Rehabilitation
13 Individual Therapy
14 Family and Group Therapy
15 Psychopharmacology
16 Pediatric Neuropsychology
17 Geriatric Neuropsychology
18 The Future of Clinical Neuropsychology

Reviews

Luring readers in...with meticulously woven clinical vignettes, Holtz masterfully presents the mechanics and the art of neuropsychology....students will appreciate the historical roots of neuropsychology, [and] will understand the multiplex systems of current neuropsychological approaches..." -Nancy S. Koven, PhD - Bates College

"...there has not been an available text focusing on the application of the basic principles in clinical neuropsychological practice....Finally, a text is available to remedy this problem."-Dennis Andersen, MS, LMHC, Eastern Washington University

"A valuable introduction to the field of clinical neuropsychology and its terminology, this text fills a void. The reader gains an appreciation for the multifaceted role of the clinical neuropsychologist, not only as an assessor of cognitive functioning but also as a treatment professional."-Lauren Littlefield, PhD, Washington College

Author Bio

Jan Leslie Holtz is a Professor of Psychology at the College of St. Benedict / Saint John's University in Minnesota, where she teaches courses on neuropsychology, psychopharmacology, health psychology, behavioral medicine, and adult development and aging. Dr. Holtz received her BA in psychology from Hamline University in 1978, her MA in clinical psychology from Southern Illinois University in 1981, and her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of South Dakota in 1984. She completed a two year postdoctoral study as an Independent Medical Examiner at The Psychopharmacological Institute in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she was licensed to prescribe psychotropic medications. Dr. Holtz has been a faculty member at CSBSJU since 1986 and served as the Department Chair from 1991-1994. In addition to teaching and administrative duties at CSBSJU, she has been an assistant professor of psychology at the College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth, MN; an adjunct faculty member at the University of Port Elizabeth, South Africa; a clinical psychologist at the Central Minnesota Counseling Center and the North Memorial Medical Center; and a clinical neuropsychologist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Cloud, MN. This is her first book.