The Psychology of Anti-Refugee Attitudes, Part 1

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...

Nov 2015

Welcome Back to the Blog!

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...

May 2015

A New Trail Making Test

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"...

May 2015

Learn More, Care More?

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,...

May 2015

DSM-5 Neurocognitive Disorders and Implications for Forensic Evaluations

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...

May 2015

Can Neuropsychology Detect Psychosis Before it Ever Occurs?

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...

May 2015

Toward a Modern Neuropsychology

Are neuropsychology’s current syndromes and assessment measures out-dated?  Ardila (2013) argues that this may be the case in his commentary in the journal Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology.  Ardila contends that some classic neuropsychological syndromes (e.g., aphasia, alexia, prosopagnosia) may need updated, considering the changes in technological...

May 2015

Computerized Neurocognitive Testing in Sport Concussion Management: What Are the Problems?

In a recent post, I gave a brief overview of the use of computerized neurocognitive tests in the management of sports-related concussions.  I mentioned that while these tests are standard practice, they are far from perfect.  Now, I’ll expand on that statement.As I discussed before, these tests are used to identify subtle problems that can’t be detected...

May 2015

Free Neuropsychology Lectures

The website for the 4th  UK Paediatric Neuropsychology Symposium has uploaded a series of free lectures from last year's symposium.  These lectures include "Effects of Institutionalization on Brain Development and Behaviour" from Charles Nelson, a talk on acquired brain injury in childhood by Vicki Anderson, "Development of Executive Functions During...

May 2015

ImPACT: What It Is and Why We Use It

It's that time of the year again: concussion season.  The major sports with the highest incidence of head injuries are all in full swing, including football, hockey, and european soccer.  Many fans have heard sports news anchors saying a certain concussed athlete passed or failed an ImPACT test, but few may understand what that really means.  What are...

May 2015