The History of Neuropsychology

The article gives a brief description using empirical evidence to explain in chorological order, how neuropsychology developed from its earliest form into   how it is used in modern day. The author uses subheadings to break down keywords and definition, such as identifying psychology as a discipline. this is the study of human behaviour and explaining how it influences neuropsychology where it is state that it is a study that identifies the relationship between brain function and human behaviour. It also uses pictures to demonstrate detailed descriptions for example Trephanation was demonstrated by pictures of skull fractures, one showing the effect of survival , another the effect of death and last of all picture showing multiple Trephanation. Trephanation was a method of scraping, chiselling or cutting bone from skull it was a surgical procedure to get rid of evil spirit. An examination was conducted by Verona and Williams (1992) on the techniques, location, size, healing, and pressure of the fracture. Finding show that most of the surgeries was performed at the frontal and upper parietal region. This therefore suggests that they may have associated the “evil spirit” with a specific area in the brain. In additions the Stacking and circular grooving procedure had a higher success rate in contrast to straight cutting and drilling. The Ancient Greeks had broken away from this concept into another perspective, identifying the heart as a mental function this was theorised by Aristotle’s, he believed that the heart was the organ of the human mind this was called the Cardiocentric hypothesis. He argued that it was the root of intelligence, motion and sensation. Using ideas from dualism he developed the notions that it was through the heart that the physical body and the mind interacted. This conception was then modified by Pythagoras where he stated that the process of thought was located in the brain rather that the heart, however he also portrayed that he had four prior lives and remembers them vividly. Although the author credit Pythagoras him stating this additional fact shows that he believes that Pythagoras is a bit eccentric. Furthermore he shows approval of Hippocrates accomplishments suggesting that he is an “outstanding figure” and is known as the “father of medicine” and the founder of “Hippocratic School of medicine”. Hippocrates distinguish that paralysis occurs on the opposite side of the body in relation to the head injury. The author identifies key figures the in chronological order provides brief details on their contribution to neuropsychology and how their ideas led to further development through other key figures such as nemesium and saint Augustine it were influenced by studies from Galen and his version of psychic and humours. It was not until Vesalius that that imperial evidences triumph over supernatural ides. Using detail observation of brain anatomy to study the cell doctrine, the authors also show how theory build upon theories this can be seen through the development of localisations starting with phrenology – gall perspective that the brain was composed of different organ each responsible for different basic psychological traits based on categories such as cautiontiousness, combativeness, agreeableness even though he was wrong. Broca also did investigation on localization and found that expression of language is located at the left frontal lobe this was then furthered by Wernicke that complex mental function for example language- is a combined process of a number of subcomponents process represented in different area of the brain. This also influences other area in psychology such as Freud when we’re had his own theories which were different to the Broca and Wernicke.