As a psychology 101 instructor whose students are largely non-psychology majors, I generally introduce the course objectives by stating, “You are going to forget most of what I teach you in this class.” Although that may sound like a pessimistic way to begin a semester, there is a reason for this statement. Those students that elect not to major in...

After quite a long hiatus, Cortex Unfolded is back, and we're excited to get back to work! Sometimes classes, teaching, practicums, and research get in the way, but we now have a renewed commitment to setting aside time to update you all in the latest neuropsychology-related news and research. While we may not post a blog every week (although we'll...

The Trail Making Test (TMT) is an oldie but a goodie. The paper-and-pencil neuropsychological measure consists of two parts: TMT-A is composed of numbers enclosed in circles, and the examinee is asked to simply connect the numbered circles in ascending order as quickly as possible. Part B has both letters and numbers, and examinees must connect "1"...

Cognitive reserve has been linked to apathy for the first time, according to a new article in Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology (Shapiro, Mahoney, Peyser, Zingman, & Verghase, 2014). Cognitive reserve refers to the brain’s ability to demonstrate resilience to brain damage that results from problems such as Alzheimer’s Disease. As an example,...

As you’re probably well-aware, the latest edition of the DSM has been met with much criticism.  Concerns of over-diagnosis have been loudly expressed by individuals such as Allen Frances, M.D.  Despite receiving less attention than some other categories (i.e., personality and neurodevelopmental disorders), the changes to the diagnostic criteria for...

Over the last several years, interest in detecting schizophrenia (and other psychotic disorders) in its prodromal phase (before the appearance of any psychotic symptoms have manifested) has been rapidly increasing. Detecting one’s vulnerability to acute psychosis before suffering a first event has many theoretical and practical advantages. Evidence...