Neuropsychology is a discipline that lies between neurology and psychology and study the activity of our brain structures and their relationship to the behaviors of being human.In this sense, also studies and analyzes the consequences of possible alterations, pathologies or injuries of brain structures have in psychological processes and in human behavior.
The application of Neuropsychology is varied, being able to practice from different areas, such as clinical, academic or research.
Neuropsychology began to gain momentum during the 1950s and 1960s, when research and findings from cognitive psychology and brain physiology were integrated into a new field of study. In the early 1800s, researchers began to methodically observe behaviors resulting from brain injury and tried to locate damaged areas of the brain.
The brain is the central and most complex organ in the human body. Everything that happens inside the brain can produce alterations in behavior and cognitive function; To decipher these alterations, it is necessary to have the intervention of a specialist in neuropsychology, a neuropsychologist.
Neuropsychology frequently treats patients with neurological problems, which can include head trauma, stroke, brain tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, developmental pathologies such as autism, etc. All these pathologies can present with neuropsychological alterations, presenting relatively characteristic cognitive profiles. Its detection is of utmost importance to face an adequate treatment.
It is important to differentiate between classical neuropsychology and cognitive neuropsychology, the first is the one that has existed for dozens of years and that deals with diseases from an orthodox point of view, the second has every day it has more room and more space, and space has been made for its conclusive and irrevocable results.
A neuropsychologist seeks to understand how psychological processes are related to brain structures and systems. He investigates whether brain functions are located in a specific area of the brain, or whether brain regions are interconnected; In this way, he tries to understand how brain structures and systems relate to behavior and thinking.
For neuropsychological investigations, people who have various types of nervous system disorders are called in. They are usually people with brain injuries or injuries such as stroke, developmental disorders, or Parkinson's disease.
Examination by a neuropsychologist can help determine the progression of a disease, such as Parkinson's, and the brain function that is decreased.
