Neuropsychology

Field relating brain structure and function to behavior, through both lesion studies and modern imaging.

Specifications & Metrics

focus

Brain-behavior relationships: what specific systems do for memory, language, and control

pioneer

Alexander Luria (functional systems; qualitative clinical assessment)

method

Lesion and patient studies, standardized test batteries, structural and functional brain imaging

Core Principles & Analysis

• Broca's and Wernicke's nineteenth-century aphasia cases founded the localization of language in the brain.
• Alexander Luria's concept of functional systems and his qualitative clinical methods led to the Luria-Nebraska battery.
• Patient studies remain decisive because they show which functions depend on which structures.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Neuropsychology