Clinical Neuropsychology

Clinical neuropsychology is a subfield of psychology focused on the applied science of brain-behavior relationships. Clinical neuropsychologists apply their research to the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with neurological, medical, neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, for example determining whether a symptom stems from a traumatic head injury or from a neurological or psychiatric condition, and identifying cerebral abnormalities. It is a specialized form of clinical psychology in which research serves as a focal point of treatment, with assessment carried out through neuropsychological tests, patient history, qualitative observation, neuroimaging and other diagnostic medical procedures, drawing on neuroanatomy, neurobiology, psychopharmacology and neuropathology. The branch of neuropsychology associated with children and young people is called pediatric neuropsychology.