The book does not adopt a particular theoretical orientation but tries to clarify the various conceptualizations of attention that are encountered in the literature. Throughout, the book critically reviews the literature on attentional deficits in frequently occurring neurological conditions such as traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy. This material is organized according to the types of tasks used to investigate attention, such as tests of focused, divided, and sustained attention.

It has been 15 years since the original publication of Neuropsychology of Attention. At the time of its publication, attention was a construct that had long been of theoretical interest in the field of psychology and was receiving increased research by cognitive scientists. Yet, attention was typically viewed as a nuisance variable; a factor that needed to be accounted for when assessing brain function, but of limited importance in its own right. There is a need for a new edition of this book within Neuropsychology to present an updated and integrated review of what is know about attention, the disorders that affect it, and approaches to its clinical assessment and treatment. Such a book will provide perspectives for experimental neuropsychological study of attention and also provide clinicians with insights on how to approach this neuropsychological domain.

This collection of essays forms a comprehensive overview of this crucial component of human cognitive function.

The concept of attention in academic psychology has been treated with varying degrees of importance over the years. From playing a key role in the 19th century, it was discarded in the first half of the 20th century, as clinical psychologists claimed it was superfluous to the essential subconscious processes of the mind, and experimental psychologists thought it was not a scientific term. Applied Neuropsychology of Attention aims to review the considerable developments in the field of attention over the last 20 years as it makes its comeback. This collection of essays forms a comprehensive overview of this crucial component of human cognitive function. The book begins with an explanation of the essential theoretical concepts and definitions. Aspects of diagnosis are then discussed as the assessment and impairments of attention are reviewed in normal ageing and in specific neurological categories. Victims of brain injury and patients with cerebrovascular or neurodegenerative diseases are considered. A critical analysis of existing practices in cognitive rehabilitation is given and a review of the techniques and methodologies used for treating attentional disturbances brings the book to a conclusion. Leclercq and Zimmermann have compiled a book of cutting-edge research which provides an effective framework to detect, analyse and understand the nature of attention deficit. The book will be invaluable to clinicians, mental health specialists and all academic psychologists in the field.

What is 'attention' and what is the best way to understand it? Taking its cue from this key question, this book presents a detailed overview of cognitive, neuropsychological and connectionist methodologies in attention research.

As you read this, you are probably unaware of how your left foot feels in your shoe. Although your brain was receiving sensory input from this foot, you were not aware of your foot because you were reading and not attending to it. However, this discussion led you to move your attention to your left foot and to become aware of it. When I was a medical student, I saw a patient who was unaware of both the left side of his body and the left side of his environment. Unlike people in normal health, who when instructed can become aware of the left side of the body; this patient could not be made aware of his left arm or the left side of his environment. The patient's defect was so profound that despite being hungry he was unaware of food on the left side of his tray and did not recognize that his left arm belonged to him. This left-sided body and spatial unawareness could not be accounted for by a primary sensory defect. Although I knew that this man suffered from a large right-hemisphere stroke, I did not know the brain mechanisms that accounted for this profound example of unawareness. It was not until I had almost completed my neurology training in 1969 that I was able to return to this problem. At that time, most neuropsychological research was directed at understanding the language disorders associated with brain disease.

Clinical neuropsychology is a rapidly evolving specialty whose practitioners serve patients with traumatic brain injury, stroke and other vascular impairments, brain tumors, epilepsy and nonepileptic seizure disorders, developmental disabilities, progressive neurological disorders, HIV- and AIDS-related disorders, and dementia. . Services include evaluation, treatment, and case consultation in child, adult, and the expanding geriatric population in medical and community settings. The clinical goal always is to restore and maximize cognitive and psychological functioning in an injured or compromised brain. Most neuropsychology reference books focus primarily on assessment and diagnosis, and to date none has been encyclopedic in format. Clinicians, patients, and family members recognize that evaluation and diagnosis is only a starting point for the treatment and recovery process. During the past decade there has been a proliferation of programs, both hospital- and clinic-based, that provide rehabilitation, treatment, and treatment planning services. This encyclopedia will serve as a unified, comprehensive reference for professionals involved in the diagnosis, evaluation, and rehabilitation of adult patients and children with neuropsychological disorders.

Research on attention has evolved dramatically in recent years. There are now many new ways of studying how we are able to select some aspects for processing, whilst ignoring others, and how we are able to combine tasks, learn skills and make intentional actions. Attention is increasingly seen as a complex process intimately linked with perception, memory and action. New questions are continually being addressed, for example in the area of cross modal attention, and the biological bases of attention. After an initial consideration of what attention might be, this book charts the development in the ideas and theories which surround the field. An entirely new chapter addresses the nature of auditory attention and the question of how visual and auditory attention are combined across modalities. The problems of task combination, skill acquisition and automaticity are also considered, as well as the selection and control of action, and conscious and unconscious processing. The Psychology of Attention, Second Edition provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to this fascinating and rapidly developing field

From translating the patient’s medical records and test results to providing recommendations, the neuropsychological evaluation incorporates the science and practice of neuropsychology, neurology, and psychological sciences. The Little Black Book of Neuropsychology brings the practice and study of neuropsychology into concise step-by-step focus—without skimping on scientific quality. This one-of-a-kind assessment reference complements standard textbooks by outlining signs, symptoms, and complaints according to neuropsychological domain (such as memory, language, or executive function), with descriptions of possible deficits involved, inpatient and outpatient assessment methods, and possible etiologies. Additional chapters offer a more traditional approach to evaluation, discussing specific neurological disorders and diseases in terms of their clinical features, neuroanatomical correlates, and assessment and treatment considerations. Chapters in psychometrics provide for initial understanding of brain-behavior interpretation as well as more advanced principals for neuropsychology practice including new diagnostic concepts and analysis of change in performance over time. For the trainee, beginning clinician or seasoned expert, this user-friendly presentation incorporating ‘quick reference guides’ throughout which will add to the practice armentarium of beginning and seasoned clinicians alike. Key features of The Black Book of Neuropsychology: Concise framework for understanding the neuropsychological referral. Symptoms/syndromes presented in a handy outline format, with dozens of charts and tables. Review of basic neurobehavioral examination procedure. Attention to professional issues, including advances in psychometrics and diagnoses, including tables for reliable change for many commonly used tests. Special “Writing Reports like You Mean It” section and guidelines for answering referral questions. Includes appendices of practical information, including neuropsychological formulary. The Little Black Book of Neuropsychology is an indispensable resource for the range of practitioners and scientists interested in brain-behavior relationships. Particular emphasis is provided for trainees in neuropsychology and neuropsychologists. However, the easy to use format and concise presentation is likely to be of particular value to interns, residents, and fellows studying neurology, neurological surgery, psychiatry, and nurses. Finally, teachers of neuropsychological and neurological assessment may also find this book useful as a classroom text. "There is no other book in the field that covers the scope of material that is inside this comprehensive text. The work might be best summed up as being a clinical neuropsychology postdoctoral residency in a book, with the most up to date information available, so that it is also an indispensible book for practicing neuropsychologists in addition to students and residents...There is really no book like this available today. It skillfully brings together the most important foundationsof clinical neuropsychology with the 'nuts and bolts' of every facet of assessment. It also reminds the more weathered neuropsychologists among us of the essential value of neuropsychological assessment...the impact of the disease on the patient’s cognitive functioning and behavior may only be objectively quantified through a neuropsychological assessment." Arch Clin Neuropsychol (2011) first published online June 13, 2011 Read the full review acn.oxfordjournals.org

This ambitious and accessible guide reviews innovative technologies enhancing the field of neuropsychological testing. Starting with the premise that standard batteries—some nearly a century old—lag behind in our era of neuroimaging, genomic studies, psychophysiology, and informatics, it presents digital measures offering more efficient administration, more accurate data, and wider clinical applications. Ecological validity and evidence-based science are key themes in these advances, from virtual environments and assessment of social cognition to the shift toward situational reliability and away from lab-created constructs. These chapters also demonstrate how high-tech assessment tools can complement or supplement traditional pencil-and-paper measures without replacing them outright. This book covers in depth: · The evolution of neuropsychological testing over the past century. · Current applications of computer-based neuropsychological assessments. · The strengths and limitations of simulation technology. · The use of teleneuropsychology in reaching remote clients. · The potential of gaming technologies in neurocognitive rehabilitation. · How technology can transform test data into information useful across specialties. Clinical Neuropsychology and Technology brings neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists into the vanguard of assessment measures and processes that will translate into more accurate testing, collaborations between disciplines, and valid and useful outcomes.