Psychoanalytic and Neuroscientific Framing

In this innovative and novel text, Rosa Spagnolo draws on her decades of experience to explore the ever-increasing relationship between psychoanalysis and modern neuroscience.

Drawing on complex neuroscientific work and presenting it in an accessible and understandable way, Spagnolo thoughtfully guides the reader through some common models of the mind to better examine the pathologies found in both contemporary society and the psychoanalytic space. Spagnolo provides a fresh perspective through the lens of neuroscience and neuropsychology. The book adopts a chronological approach, working from psychoanalysis to Artificial Intelligence, and includes thorough clinical vignettes throughout. Spagnolo invites the reader to explore new models, through neurology and up-to-date scientific knowledge, to better understand how the human mind works and impacts day-to-day life. The book introduces a basic understanding of neurons, brain regions and neural wiring, and also explores the philosophy of the mind to understand the challenges commonly felt from behavioural issues, self-consciousness, and the AI-enabled experiences.

This book focuses on the mind–body connection, opening the door to all readers interested in how to treat others and how to better understand their own mind and behaviours. It is an essential read for anyone interested in neuropsychoanalysis and updating psychoanalytic concepts in their own theoretical and clinical work.