Theoretical Issues and Statistical Methods in Neuropsychological Diagnosis

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 2249

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Interests: cognitive neuropsychology; quantitative methodology; cognitive science; analysis; visual attention; statistical analysis; neuropsychological assessment; experimental neuropsychology

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Co-Guest Editor
Psychology Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
Interests: neuropsychological assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diagnosis of single deficits, and of dissociations between deficits, is key in both clinical and cognitive neuropsychology. While statistical techniques for neuropsychological diagnosis have shown considerable development in the last few decades, neuropsychological interpretation requires further attention. Since Shallice’s seminal 1988 book, there has been very little refinement of inferences from the performance of brain-damaged patients in the cognitive system. 

This Special Issue will bridge the gap between the rich statistical literature and the neglected theoretical nodes. Space will be provided for both theoretical and statistical studies, provided that the proposed statistical models are fully justified in terms of the inferences they allow on mental processes.

Over the next few years, neuropsychological diagnosis will face many statistical challenges. The exponential growth of computational power now allows researchers to carry out statistical procedures that were once prohibitive, such as complex Bayesian models. We have also entered the era of Big Data, and available information has increased significantly, making the management of false positive rates—one of the main contributors to the current credibility crisis—an urgent issue. This Special Issue seeks contributions on these and other topics, all relating to neuropsychological diagnosis of single deficits and/or dissociations. Methods that are clearly linked to the cognitive systems under study are particularly welcome.

Dr. Alessio Toraldo
Dr. Daniele Romano
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • dissociation
  • neuropsychology
  • neuropsychological diagnosis
  • single-case methods
  • single-case studies
  • statistical models

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 3305 KiB  
Article
Clinical Profiles in Multiple Sclerosis: Cognitive Reserve and Motor Impairment along Disease Duration
by Sabrina Maffezzini, Veronica Pucci, Alice Riccardi, Sonia Montemurro, Marco Puthenparampil, Paola Perini, Francesca Rinaldi, Paolo Gallo, Giorgio Arcara and Sara Mondini
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(9), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13090708 - 25 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1536
Abstract
(i) Background: Cognitive impairment in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been studied in relation to certain clinical variables (e.g., motor disability and disease duration) and lifestyle factors such as cognitive reserve (CR). However, only very few studies have considered the interaction of [...] Read more.
(i) Background: Cognitive impairment in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been studied in relation to certain clinical variables (e.g., motor disability and disease duration) and lifestyle factors such as cognitive reserve (CR). However, only very few studies have considered the interaction of clinical variables and cognitive reserve in preserving the integrity of the neuropsychological profile. In this paper, we hypothesised that a higher level of CR might predict good cognitive efficiency by modulating the clinical outcome of the disease. (ii) Methods: A sample of 100 participants with MS (age range 30–74), was recruited and assessed remotely with a questionnaire to measure CR and a cognitive screening test. Data were analysed through generalized additive models. (iii) Results: We found that the model analysing the interaction between CR and disease duration, and between CR and motor disability, was able to explain a significant percentage of cognitive performance. In particular, higher levels of CR predicted a better cognitive performance despite a long disease duration, unless the motor disability was severe. (iv) Conclusion: This study highlights the crucial role of CR in modulating cognitive efficiency in people with MS. Full article
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