Clinical Neuropsychology and Technology

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.

Thomas D. Parsons, PhD is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of North Texas. Prior to joining the faculty at UNT, he was an Assistant Professor and Research Scientist at the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies. His work integrates neuropsychology and simulation technologies for novel assessment, modeling, and training of neurocognitive and affective processes. He is a leading scientist in this area and he has directed 17 funded projects during his career and he has been an investigator on an additional 13 funded projects. In addition to his patents for the eHarmony.com Matching System, he has invented and validated virtual reality-based assessments of attention, spatial abilities, memory, and executive functions. He uses neural networks and machine learning to model mechanisms underlying reinforcement learning, decision making, working memory, and inhibitory control. He has over 100 publications in peer reviewed journals and book chapters. His contributions to neuropsychology were recognized when he received the 2013 National Academy of Neuropsychology Early Career Achievement award. In 2014, he was awarded Fellow status in the National Academy of Neuropsychology.