Traumatic Brain Injury and Neuropsychological Impairment ― Sensorimotor, Cognitive, Emotional, and Adaptive Problems of Children and Adults

Traumatic Brain Injury and Neuropsychological Impairment is a comprehensive clinical and research source concerning the diagnosis, consequences and treatment of trauma injury. Dr. Parker's many years of experience as a psychological examiner, with current medical and neuropsychological references, make this clear, concise text valuable for teachers and students of neuropsychology, clinical psychology, psychiatry and neurology; general practitioners and other physicians; rehabilitation professionals; nurses; public health officials and families of victims. Exploding the myth of so-called "minor head injury", it describes the gross impairment caused by vehicular accidents, assaults, falls, falling objects, neurotoxins, child abuse, etc. Diagnosis is approached as deviations from pre-injury baseline, as well as neuropsychological and neurological symptoms. Proper emphasis is given to the integrated functioning of the brain, including the importance of subcortical injury for impairment. Contents include: epidemiology; case histories with patients' experience of impairment and altered identity; neuroanatomy and neuropsychological principles (with diagrams); primary and secondary brain pathology; a taxonomy of dysfunctions (including emotional, adaptive, post traumatic stress, sense of identity); children's brain damage; "Expressive Defects" (patients' inability to describe their impairment); neurotoxins; the eclectic neuropsychological examination; psychotherapy; pharmacological treatment (Arthur Greenspan, MD); Rorschach applications; intake interviews (children and adults) and comprehensive symptom checklist.