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PREFACETO THE SECOND EDITIONFor this revised and fully updated edition of Introducing Neuropsychology, John Stirling has been joinedby Rebecca Elliott as co-author.Although the first edition of Introducing Neuropsychology was published just 5 years ago, such hasbeen the growth of interest in research into brain–behaviour relationships that we felt an updated editionwould be timely. Much of this growth has been drivenby the more widespread availability of in-vivo imagingtechniques, an area of expertise for the second author.Such techniques, of course, provide opportunities forresearchers to identify brain regions that are engagedas participants undertake all manner of activities.Recently, these have ranged widely, from basic cognitive tasks designed to tap working memory processes(Fletcher et al., 2003) to more elaborate “emotional”challenges aimed, for example, at invoking sympathy/empathy in healthy controls and/or psychopaths(Farrow et al., 2001; Vollm et al., 2004).Data from such studies have been amalgamatedwith more basic science research in the areas ofmolecular genetics, neurophysiology, and psychopharmacology, initially in the US but increasingly in therest of the world, to provide a knowledge-base for thediscipline called “cognitive neuroscience” (Gazzaniga,Ivry, & Mangun, 2003). We considered whether wetoo should acknowledge this emerging enterprise byre-titling our book “Introducing Cognitive Neuroscience”. On balance, however, we felt that neuropsychology, as a subject area, was not yet ready to besubsumed under the cognitive neuroscience banner.This may be seen as an exercise in hair-splitting, butthe facts of the matter are that not everything in thissecond edition could be said to be either strictly“cognitive” or even strictly “neuroscientific”—yet wehope all our material falls within the domain ofneuropsychology.In truth of course, such dividing lines are seen asmore important by some people than others. Take, forinstance, animal research, which is quite widespread inthe field of cognitive neuroscience, but rare in neuropsychology—rare, but not unheard of (see Rizzolattiet al.’s study of mirror neurons in macaque monkeyswhich we review in Chapter 5). Case study, on theother hand, could reasonably claim to be the modusoperandi of traditional “clinical” neuropsychology.But combine it with longitudinal neuroimaging orsome other basic science assaying—such as analysis ofcerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or blood, for example—andit would unquestionably qualify as cognitive neuroscience research. In short, what we have is a differenceof emphasis, but with many areas of overlap. Bothauthors have published research in cognitive neuroscience journals, and attended/spoken at neuroscienceconferences. However, both are psychologists by training, and this edition, like the first, is written primarilywith the needs of psychology students in mind. Thus,on balance we felt we should retain the original title yetbe entirely open to describing research that someauthors might consider more cognitive neurosciencethan neuropsychology. Three later chapters in thisedition, covering Attention and Consciousness(Chapter 9), Emotion and Motivation (Chapter 10),and Executive Functions (Chapter 11), attest to the

Preface to the second editioncommon ground between the two approaches and weexpect that such instances of overlap will become morecommonplace in the years to come. However, it isinstructive to note that just as the rise of “cognitivescience” in the US in the early 1960s (Miller, 2003) didnot bring about the demise of mainstream psychology,so the rise of “cognitive neuroscience” from the 1990sonwards has not yet brought about the demise ofneuropsychology.In planning the format of this second edition wehave tried to adapt and revise the first in light of adramatically expanded research base and importantrefinements of existing research techniques andmethods, plus the arrival on the scene of some completely new procedures that are now beginning to bearfruit. In no particular order, this work has included thefollowing: Promising efforts to further characterise the fractionation (functional subdivisions) of the frontallobes and the anterior cingulate gyrus (Botvinick,Cohen, & Carter, 2004; Wagner et al., 2001).New insights into and models of consciousness(Cooney & Gazzaniga, 2003).Expansion and refinement of the concept of brainmodularity (Catani & ffytche, 2005; Cavanna &Trimble, 2006).Refinement of paradigms aimed at informingmodels of attention, including attentional blinkand inattentional blindness (Rensink, 2002;Sergent, Baillet, & Dehaene, 2005).Confirmation of the existence of mirror neurons,and their possible role in imitation and perhapseven in empathy (Brass & Heyes, 2005; Rizzolatti& Buccino, 2004).Development of the field sometimes called “socialneuroscience” encompassing research into autismand Asperger’s syndrome, psychopathy, andpathological gambling (Frith & Frith, 2003;Rilling et al., 2007).Developments in the field of brain plasticity andrecovery of function coupled with confirmationof the growth of new neurons (neurogenesis) inspecific regions of the mature adult mammalianbrain (Brown et al., 2003; Carlen et al., 2002;Mirescu, Peters, & Gould, 2004).Refinements in functional imaging includingpathway tracing using diffusion tensor imaging(DTI) (e.g., Minati & Aquino, 2006).The use of transcranial magnetic stimulationix(TMS) to reversibly manipulate brain activity, andas a possible therapeutic procedure (Heiser et al.,2003; Hilgetag, Theoret, & Pascual-Leone, 2001).Of course, these changes need to be accommodatedwithin the framework of the Psychology Focus series,meaning that we have tried to adhere to the criteria setout by Perry Hinton (series editor) outlined above. Aswith the first edition, our book is written principallywith the “interested beginner” in mind but we have notused this as an excuse for failing to be up to date.Nevertheless, two early warnings may be in order:First, some readers might find sections of coverage inthis edition rather complicated for an introductorytext. Our only excuse is that the brain, the principalsubject of our book, has rightly been characterised asthe most complex entity known to man. We have triedhard to keep things simple wherever possible, butadmit to not always succeeding. However, skippingcomplex sections (often separated from the generaltext in boxes) should not, we hope, detract fromyour general understanding of the material. Second,despite the rapid growth in research, many fundamental neuropsychological questions remain to beanswered. Our view is that in such instances it is betterto admit to uncertainty (while presenting the relevantmaterial) than to offer glib but premature conclusions,even if the reader may find such lack of resolutionfrustrating.As in the first edition, we have made liberal use of“interim comment” sections in each chapter in ordervariously to pull ideas together, identify inconsistenciesin the data, describe continued uncertainties aboutwhat particular research findings mean, or simplyto summarise a body of research before the “gist” islost. We have tried to avoid unnecessary jargon,and where this has been impossible have sought toexplain or define a term or concept there and then,with additional information provided in the expandedglossary. We have included an appendix (also somewhat expanded in this edition) on the structure andbasic workings of the brain and its key constituentcomponents as a reference for information ratherthan as obligatory reading. Our book should be understandable to readers with a fairly modest workingknowledge of the structure and functioning of themammalian nervous system, but if you want to knowmore, we offer sources in the Further Reading sectionat the end of the book. We have identified some keyjournal articles/reading assignments for each chapter

xPreface to the second editionto aid further understanding of particular topics andissues, along with some general recommended readingand some interesting, accessible, and relevant webpages for you to explore.In the interests of continuity we have retained thebroad chapter structure of the first edition, althougheach has been revised and updated. One entirely newchapter, on Emotion and Motivation (Chapter 10),has been added, and the Summary and Conclusionschapter from the first edition has been removed tomake space for it. The methods chapter (Chapter 2)has been expanded to accommodate recent advancesin imaging technology now available to the researcher,such as magnetoencephalography (MEG) and diffusion tensor imaging, and consideration is also given torecent research in which TMS has been used to inducetemporary reversible disruptions to brain functioning.The chapter on somatosensation (Chapter 4) nowadditionally includes an extended section on neuroplasticity. The chapter on attention (Chapter 9) hasbeen extensively revised and now includes an extendedsection reviewing neuropsychological investigationsinto consciousness, an area that has recently seendramatic and exciting new developments. Otherchapters have changed more modestly, being updatedwherever possible to provide a flavour of the directionthat research (in that area) is going, and how it isaffecting the way we think about the subject material.Nevertheless, this edition contains over 600 newjournal references, many post-dating publication of thefirst edition, and 60 or more additional/revised figuresand diagrams.We are particularly grateful to Andrew Parkerfrom MMU who has contributed Chapter 7: Memoryand Amnesia, and made helpful comments on othersections of the book. We would also like to thankMarilyn Barnett from MMU both for her work oncollating references for this edition and for her helpwith numerous other administrative chores. Elsewherein writing the book, while one or other of us hasinitially taken the role of lead author for a section orchapter, the other has edited, revised, and even redrafted. Thus, in the spirit of collective responsibility,we (JS and RE) consider ourselves equally culpable!We hope you find the second edition of Introducing Neuropsychology a useful entry point into theneuropsychology literature, and that our interest intrying to understand brain–behaviour relationshipsthrough neuropsychological (and cognitive neuroscience) research whets your appetite to learn moreabout the structure and functioning of the astonishing1200 to 1500 grams of tissue we call the (mature)human brain. Manchester, August 2007

PREFACETO THE FIRST EDITIONJust over 18 months ago I completed the first draft ofan introductory book about the brain entitled CorticalFunctions, subsequently published by Routledge in theModular Psychology series in 1999. While researchingthe material for that book, I accumulated more information than could be shoe-horned into the Modularseries format, and in discussing the fate of my surpluschapters/material with the editors at Routledge theidea of writing a concise up-to-date introductory textin the area of neuropsychology slowly took shape.Introducing Neuropsychology is, somewhat belatedly,the result.As with other books in the “Psychology Focus”series, this one is intended as an accompanying textfor courses in neuropsychology for students new to thesubject area. I have written the book in such a waythat a detailed understanding of neurophysiology(neurons, action potentials, synapses and so on) is nota necessary prerequisite to getting something out ofit, so the book should also be accessible to nonpsychology students too. However, to be on the safeside, I have included an appendix to which the readermay want to refer for a quick reminder of the basiclayout of the nervous system, the structure and function of neurons, and the ways we might usefully wishto divide up the central nervous system in order tomake more sense of it. Complete novices may prefer toread the entire appendix before tackling the rest of thebook. This is allowed!Mindful of the difficulties students sometimeshave with the subject matter of neuropsychology, Ihave tried to write Introducing Neuropsychology in ajargon-free style (insofar as this is possible). However,a glossary is included to cover highlighted first useterms that may be new to the reader. I have also provided a large number of figures and diagrams toillustrate key points, and I have included several boxesdotted throughout the book encompassing keyresearch findings or, in some cases, the results ofneuropsychological case studies. Shaded “interimcomment” sections can also be found at regular intervals in every chapter. As their name suggests, thesesummaries are intended to allow the reader to makesense of particular passages of material in manageablechunks, before progressing further.Although Introducing Neuropsychology aims to dowhat the title says—with coverage of the core ideas,concepts and research findings in each of the substantive chapters—I have also tried to add a flavour ofrecent/current research in each area, but particularlyin the later chapters. The recommended reading foreach chapter (set out in the “Further reading” section)also reflects my wish to encourage readers to seek outup-to-date research reports if they want to take theirstudies of a topic further. There are several excellenttexts with a broader and deeper coverage of thematerial than can be achieved in Introducing Neuropsychology, and I would urge enthusiastic readers toresearch these resources too. I have listed some ofmy preferred texts in the “Further reading” section.Similarly, there is some valuable material available onthe Internet. The sites listed in the “Selected neuropsychology web sites” section provide an entry point tothis material, and links will soon take you to 3D images

xiiPreface to the first editionof the brain, lists of gory neurological disorders andthe web pages of research institutions and even individual neuroscientists and neuropsychologists. Happysurfing!For me, neuropsychology represents a confluenceof most of the things I am interested in as a psychologist: normal and particularly abnormal behaviour, theworkings of the brain, lifespan changes, the commonground between neurology, psychology and psychiatry,and even the concept of “consciousness”. The more welearn about neuropsychology the more amazed I amabout how a structure weighing as little as an adulthuman brain (usually less than 1500 grams) can doeverything it does, often faultlessly, for 70, 80 or evenmore years! I hope that as you read this book,you come to share my wonder about this ratherinsignificant-looking lump of tissue, and that Introducing Neuropsychology whets your appetite to learnmore about it. Manchester, July 2001

“Into the highlands of the mind let us go”(Adapted from the emblem on the portico of the State Supreme Court, Capital Building,Sacramento, CA. Source: “Shakespeare”, from A hundred poems by Sir William Watson,selected from his various volumes. New York: Dodd-Mead & Co., 1923.)

CHAPTER 12CONTENTSIntroduction3Neuropsychology as adistinct discipline3The (re)emergence ofneuropsychology12Chapter summary19

1The foundations ofneuropsychologyINTRODUCTIONWe take the view that a proper understanding of the current status of neuropsychology cannot be formed without at least a rudimentary appreciation of itsorigins. Thus, in this chapter we offer a brief history of the beginnings of scientificresearch into the brain, and we introduce some of the theories (and debates) thathave surfaced as our understanding of the relationship between structure andfunctions has developed. We describe some discoveries that led to the developmentof the so-called “brain hypothesis”, a concept that is central to neuropsychology(if not to psychology as a whole). We then introduce the “localisation of function”debate, which has rumbled on from its origins in the work of the 19th-centuryneuroanatomists, and continues to influence the distinct approaches and methodologies of clinical and cognitive neuropsychologists that we describe towards theend of the chapter. Fodor’s concept of modularity (of mind: he is a philosopherrather than a researcher) is introduced and re-assessed in light of recent findings.Its current status is considered, by way of illustration, in relation to the neuroanatomy and connectivity of a little-known region of cortex called the precuneus(Cavanna & Trimble, 2006).NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AS A DISTINCT DISCIPLINENeuropsychology is a bridging discipline that draws on material from neurology,cognitive psychology, and even psychiatry. However, its principal aim is to try tounderstand the operation of psychological processes in relation to brain structuresand systems. It is the oldest branch of scientific psychology and it retains a degreeof distinctiveness that distinguishes it from other related areas. It has, for example,historically relied on small N or even single-case study designs, a tradition thatcontinues to this day. Like cognitive neuroscience (see preface to this edition) itembraces the concept of converging operations (in which research findings fromdifferent sources and even different levels of inquiry are “used” to inform a particular debate). But unlike cognitive neuroscience, we should expect some fairlydirect reference to human behaviour, and also unlike cognitive neuroscience, the3

4Chapter 1The foundations of neuropsychologyKEY TERMSBehaviourism: The schoolof psychology founded byThorndike and popularisedby Skinner, which placesemphasis on the acquisitionof behaviour throughlearning and reinforcement.Clinical neuropsychology:A branch of clinicalpsychology that specialisesin the assessment of patientswith focal brain injury orneurocognitive deficits.Cognitiveneuropsychology: Abranch of neuropsychologythat studies how brainstructure and function relateto specific psychologicalprocesses.In-vivo imagingtechniq

topic under study. Also, the study of psychology is usually broken up into separate areas, such as social psychology, developmental psychology, and cognitive psychology, to take three examples. While the books in the Psychology Focus series will prov