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4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Reference Text, July 17, 2009
This review is from: Medical Neuropsychology (Critical Issues in Neuropsychology) (Hardcover)
R. E. Tartar, M. Butters, and S. R. Beers (Eds.), Medical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.), Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, 2001
A lecturer in neurology once stated, "The human body is nothing more than a case for the human brain; it is made up of organs that are designed to protect and nurture it." This statement, though perhaps skewed, underscores a marvelous aspect of the human organism.
Medical Neuropsychology is an outstanding text that brings home the point that the brain is exquisitely dependent on other less glamorous natomical structures and their interactions. Behind every well-functioning brain is a healthy body.
This edited volume introduces the reader to a wealth of information concerning the relation between nonneurological medical disease and cognitive/emotional functioning. This text is unlike the many volumes devoted to specific neurobehavioral functions, neuropsychological
syndromes, assessment techniques and test measures, or neuroanatomic substrates of behavior.
The focus here is on the relation between body and brain, and between organ/system pathology and neuropsychological functioning. A total of 29 authors contribute their expertise to this 346-page volume in areas that encompass neuroendocrinology, pulmonary disorders, cardiovascular
disease, liver disease, renal dysfunction and its treatment, pancreatic disorders, thyroid disorders, gonadal steroid abnormalities, toxic chemical exposure, systemic autoimmune disease, sleep disorders, and HIV
infection. The 13 chapters are well written and neatly organized. In most cases, organ anatomy, physiology, and function are initially reviewed, followed by a thorough review of related diseases. The focus on pathology
and its physiological relation to brain function is then followed by a literature review of the cognitive and emotional correlates of these diseases. The literary flow is easily digestible.
This book achieves the editors' stated goal of providing a compendium of the empirical literature documenting the neuropsychological sequelae of organ and system pathology. Although several chapters are less than comprehensive in addressing the relevant neuropsychological literature, this book would be invaluable to any neuropsychologist, particularly anyone working in a general medical setting.
A challenge for all neuropsychologists, regardless of clinical setting, is to develop a better understanding of processes that occur outside the realm of the central nervous system and yet are vital to and constantly interactive with the operations of the brain. This volume will facilitate this understanding and guide the clinician in assessing and treating individuals whose cognitive and emotional functioning are subjected to the potentially adverse affects of common medical disorders.
Medical Neuropsychology is a solid reference text worthy of a four-star rating.
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