George P. Prigatano - Böcker

The administration of psychological care to persons with brain disorders requires a series of skills that integrate the knowledge of clinical neuropsychology with developmental psychology, psychotherapy, rehabilitation, and the study of the humanities. In Clinical Neuropsychology and the Psychological Care of Persons with Brain Disorders, Dr. Prigatano describes his approach to this complex topic. He reviews some of the defining characteristics of human nature, and blends that discussion with an understanding of how the brain normally develops and declines with age. The psychological struggles of people at each stage of development are further described as different brain disorders occur at different times in development.

This volume provides, for the first time, multidisciplinary perspectives on the problem of awareness of deficits following brain injury. Such deficits may involve perception, attention, memory, language, or motor functions, and they can seriously disrupt an individual's ability to function. However, some brain-damaged patients are entirely unaware of the existence of their deficits, even when they are severe and easily noticed by others. In addressing these topics, contributors cover the entire range of neuropsychological syndromes in which problems with awareness of deficit are observed: hemiplegia and hemianopia, amnesia, aphasia, traumatic head injury, dementia, and others. On the clinical side, leading researchers delineate the implications of awareness of deficits for rehabilitation and patient management, and the role of defence mechanisms such as denial. Theoretical discussions focus on the importance of awareness disturbances for better understanding such cognitive processes as attention, consciousness, and monitoring.

This text describes principles for understanding and managing permanent neuropsychological impairment in brain-damaged adults. It also presents a new perspective on disorders of self-awareness and recovery as well as deterioration after brain injury, which have clear implications for neurorehabilitation.