Neuropsychology

Neuropsychology is the scientific study of the relationships between brain functions and behavior. Brain functions in this context are physiological, biochemical and morphological variables, whereas behavior contain all kinds of sensations, feelings, thoughts and overt actions.
In this domain data from patients and healthy controls are collected, concerning fundamental psychological functions such as attention, learning and memory, as well as more complex functions such as planning, problem solving and behavior control – executive functions. Data are mainly the results from psychological tests.

Patients with schizophrenia are known to exhibit different types of neuropsychological impairments. These impairments also seem to have a larger prognostic value than symptom intensity. The clinical importance thus is well established. Recently methods from neuropsychological rehabilitation of patients with brain injury have been applied also to patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, neuropsychology will contribute to the theoretical understanding of the emergence of psychotic symptom, within the framework of the vulnerability-stress-model, where neuropsychological impairments are regarded as factors of vulnerability.

In summary, the goals of the neuropsychology domain in the HUBIN project are to carry on the clinical study of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, to develop rehabilitation methods specific to these impairments, and to search for the specific deficits underlying the emergence of psychotic symptoms.

Domain responsible: Håkan Nyman

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