L. Henderson & W. Dittrich (1993) Decomposing the Corpus of Neuropsychological Tests
. Psycoloquy: 4(32) Frontal Cortex (3)
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Psycoloquy 4(32): Decomposing the Corpus of Neuropsychological Tests
DECOMPOSING THE CORPUS OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
Commentary on Abbruzzese et al. on Frontal-Cortex
L. Henderson & W. Dittrich
University of Hertfordshire
School of Health & Human Sciences, Psychology
Hatfield AL10 9B, England
Psyqwhd@vms3.herts.ac.uk
W.H.Dittrich@cen.exeter.ac.uk
Abstract
This commentary has had two primary concerns: We have
attempted to address the difficulties and possibilities of
using cognitive tests to measure the underlying biological
basis for mental disorders. In particular, we have argued that
to understand and interpret test results in psychiatry
appropriate models of cognitive brain operations on a
process-analytic level rather than on a psychometric level are
essential. We have also discussed particular results of
Abbruzzese et al.'s study, pointing out alternative
interpretations of their perseveration results and some
preconditions for demonstrating a true double dissociation.
Rather than proceeding from the assumption of a unitary disease
entity, we prefer to view "schizophrenia" as heterogeneous in
its neuropathological and cognitive processing substrates,
reflected in Bleuler's term "the schizophrenias."
Keywords
cognitive disorder, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,
mental disorder, neuropsychology, obsessive-compulsive disorder,
orbitofrontal cortex, psychosis, schizophrenia.
References