What is "neuropsychology"

neuropsychology \neuropsychology\ n. the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes.

Syn: physiological psychology, psychophysiology.

n. A branch of neurology and of clinical psychology that investigates the physiological basis of psychological processes.

n. the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes [syn: physiological psychology, psychophysiology]

Neuropsychology studies the structure and function of the brain as they relate to specific psychological processes and behaviors. It is an experimental field of psychology that aims to understand how behavior and cognition are influenced by brain functioning and is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral and cognitive effects of neurological disorders. Whereas classical neurology focuses on the physiology of the nervous system and classical psychology is largely divorced from it, neuropsychology seeks to discover how the brain correlates with the mind. It thus shares concepts and concerns with neuropsychiatry and with behavioral neurology in general. The term neuropsychology has been applied to lesion studies in humans and animals. It has also been applied to efforts to record electrical activity from individual cells (or groups of cells) in higher primates (including some studies of human patients). It is scientific in its approach, making use of neuroscience, and shares an information processing view of the mind with cognitive psychology and cognitive science.

In practice, neuropsychologists tend to work in research settings (universities, laboratories or research institutions), clinical settings (involved in assessing or treating patients with neuropsychological problems), forensic settings or industry (often as consultants where neuropsychological knowledge is applied to product design or in the management of pharmaceutical clinical-trials research for drugs that might have a potential impact on CNS functioning).

Neuropsychology (journal) is a peer-reviewed academic journal that was established in 1987 and covers neuropsychology. It is published by the American Psychological Association.

The current editor-in-chief is Gregory G. Brown ( UC San Diego School of Medicine). The journal publishes original, empirical research on the relation between brain and human cognitive, emotional, and behavioral function.

According to the Journal Citation Reports, its 2014 impact factor is 3.269, ranking it 16th among 119 journals in the category "Psychology, Clinical".