Neurological disorders and information processing

Historically, early neuropsychological scholars argued that cognitive functions are dissociated (that is, they could be selectively altered due to brain damage) and that each of them is made up of different elements that, in turn, are also dissociate.

The previous hypothesis, called "of the modularity of the mind", supports the idea that the neurological information processing system is formed by an interconnection of several subsystems, each of which includes a number of processing units or modules responsible for sustaining the system principal.

On the other hand, the fact that any brain damage can selectively alter one of these components also seems to be directed towards another modular organization of brain structure and physiological processes.

• Related article: "Parts of the human brain (and functions)"

Objective of neuroscience in neuropsychological intervention

Thus, the primary objective of neuroscience in this question is to know to what extent the biological functions of the brain are "broken" in such a way that this division corresponds directly to the decomposition of the processing units that (according to the main postulates of neuropsychology) underlie the performance of a cognitive function Dadaist.

In an attempt to achieve the above goal, neuropsychology has tried to advance by leaps and bounds in the knowledge of the structure and operation of the information processing system through the study Y detailed functional analysis of the behavior of patients with various types of brain damage.

Neurological disorders and disorders

It must be taken into account that, as the main consequence derived from a brain injury, a pattern of altered behaviors and preserved behaviors can be clearly observed in the patient. Interestingly, the altered behaviors, in addition to being dissociated from the rest of the individual behaviors, can be (in many cases) associated with each other.

If an analysis of the behavioral dissociations derived from brain damage is carried out, on the one hand, and an analysis of the associations, on the other (leading the latter to determine if all the associated symptoms can be explained by virtue of the damage in a single component), the components of each modular subsystem could be identified, within the global and / or main system, thus facilitating the study of the operation of each one of them.

Behavioral dissociations

In the 1980s, some authors identified three different types of behavioral dissociations: classical dissociation, strong dissociation, and dissociation tendency.

When a classic dissociation occurs, the individual does not show any impairment in the performance of various tasks, but he executes others quite poorly (compared to his executive skills before injury cerebral).

On the other hand, we speak of strong dissociation when the two compared tasks (performed by the patient for evaluation) are impaired, but the deterioration observed in one is much higher than that observed in the other, and also the results (measurable and observable) of the two tasks can be quantified and the difference between them is expressed. In the opposite case to the one presented above, we speak of "tendency to dissociation" (it is not possible to observe a significant difference between the executive level of both tasks in addition to not being able to quantify the results obtained in each of them and explain their differences).

Let us know that the concept of "strong dissociation" is closely related to two independent factors: the difference (quantifiable) between the levels of performance in each of the two tasks, and the magnitude of executive decline presented. The higher the first and the lower the second, the stronger the dissociation presented.

Symptom complexes

In a traditional way within our field of study it has been called "syndrome" to a set of symptoms (in this case behavioral) that tend to occur together in an individual under various conditions.

Classify patients into "syndromes" has a number of advantages for the clinical psychologist. One of them is that, since a syndrome corresponds to a certain location of the lesion produced, it can be determined this by observing the performance of the patient in the tasks for their consequent assignment to a specific syndrome.

Another advantage for the therapist is that what we call "syndrome" has a clinical entity, therefore, a Once it is described, it is considered that the behavior of every patient who has been assigned to he.

It is necessary to emphasize that, in fact, rarely does a patient under treatment fit perfectly into the description of a specific syndrome; furthermore, patients assigned to the same syndrome do not usually resemble each other.

The reason for the above is that, in the concept of "syndrome" that we know, there is no restriction on the causes why the symptoms that compose it tend to occur together, and these reasons can be at least three types:

1. Modularity

There is a single altered biological component and / or module and all the symptoms presented in the patient's behavior are derived directly from this alteration.

2. Proximity

Two or more significantly altered components are present (each of which causes a series of symptoms), but the anatomical structures that keep them functioning and / or serve as support for they are very close to each otherTherefore, the lesions tend to produce symptoms all together and not just one in particular.

3. Chain effect

The direct modification of a neurological element or module resulting from a brain injury, in addition to directly causing a series of symptoms (known as “primary symptoms”), alters the executive function of another element and / or neurological structure whose anatomical support is originally intact, which causes secondary symptoms even without having been the main target of the injury produced.