Navigating Neuropsychology

In our second Neuropsych Bite, we talked with Joel Kamper, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, about Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare condition that leads to rapid decline in cognitive, motor, sensory, and behavioral functioning.  This is the first of a series on rare neurological disorders. Show notes are available at www. NavNeuro.com/44 _________________ If you'd like to support the show, here are a few ea...

In our first Neuropsych Bite, we talked with Dr. Maggie Lanca about advocacy for neuropsychology at both the state and federal level.  She also discusses her recent advocacy efforts for teleneuropsychology in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as President of the Massachusetts Psychological Association, as well as her advocacy work as a delegate of the Interorganizational Practice Committee (IOPC)....

We talked with Joel Kamper, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, regarding licensure requirements to practice as a clinical psychologist, and how these requirements vary across states and provinces.  In addition to providing an overview of the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), Joel discusses his role in the development of the EPPP Part 2-Skills. Show notes are available at www. NavNeuro.com/...

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting every corner of our world, and neuropsychology is certainly not immune from its effects.  In particular, many neuropsychological clinics have temporarily shut down operations in response to the widespread call for social distancing.  With this as the backdrop, we speak with Munro Cullum, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, about teleneuropsychology and telemedicine in general.  We...

We brought Monica Rivera Mindt, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, back on the podcast to discuss the cognitive effects of opioid use (both licit and illicit).  We discuss the history of the opioid epidemic in the U.S., the neurobiology of opioids, and common treatments for opioid use disorder. Show notes are available at www. NavNeuro.com/40 _________________ If you'd like to support the show, here are a few easy...

Although clinical neuropsychological research tends to focus on assessment and differential diagnosis, a growing contingent of neuropsychologists are attempting to apply their knowledge of neurobiology and cognitive and emotional functioning to pursue interventional neuropsychology.  To this end, we speak with Glenn Smith, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, about the cognitive remediation program he has developed t...

Today we are bringing you a podcast episode on the health benefits of nutrition, which we created for the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) Foundation as part of a larger brain health mini-series.  Unlike typical NavNeuro episodes, the NAN Foundation mini-series is meant for the general public.  This is the last one in the series, for now.  Neuropsychologists are encouraged to share this p...

Dr. Bilder returns to discuss another passion area of his, which is the study of phenomics and cognitive ontologies.  He discusses how these areas of study are integral to "Neuropsychology 3.0" and are key to our ability to pace medical technological advancements in pursuit of precision medicine. Show notes are available at www. NavNeuro.com/37 _________________ If you'd like to support the show,...

Today we bring you a podcast episode on the health benefits of physical activity, which we created for the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) Foundation as part of a larger brain health mini-series.  Unlike typical NavNeuro episodes, the NAN Foundation mini-series is meant for the general public.  This is the second in the series (the episode on sleep was released on 12/15/19).  We will bri...

We kick off the new year (and decade) by providing commentary on our episode with Robert Bilder, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, and talk more about the future of neuropsychology.  Specifically, we discuss Dr. Bilder's concept of "Neuropsychology 3.0," and we explain what the 1.0 and 2.0 phases were.  We also discuss the prominent concerns and benefits related to computerized testing, which is crucial for Neurop...

Today we are bringing you a podcast episode on the health benefits of sleep, which we created for the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) Foundation as part of a larger brain health mini-series.  Unlike typical NavNeuro episodes, the NAN Foundation mini-series is meant for the general public.  We will bring you two other episodes (physical activity and nutrition) on 1/15/20 and 2/15/20.  Neu...

Research has repeatedly demonstrated the benefits of neuropsychological evaluations to patients and their families.  However, there is great potential for advancement and improvement in the field.  For example, there is growing interest in improving the validity of neuropsychological tests in the assessment and prediction of complex medical conditions using biological, statistical, and informatic...

Today we bring you the second part of our conversation with Lisa Eyler, Ph. D., on age-related changes in the functional connectivity of individuals with severe mental illness (SMI).  Dr. Eyler also summarizes the literature on the biomarkers of SMI in accelerated aging and the clinical utility of these biomarkers independently and in combination with behavioral strategies.  After the conversation...

Severe mental illness (SMI) refers to mental disorders that result in significant functional impairment (e.g., schizophrenia and bipolar disorder).  In this episode, we bring you Part 1 of our conversation with Lisa Eyler, Ph. D., about inflammation in individuals with SMI, how inflammation is associated with accelerated aging and other health problems, and the clinical utility of functional magne...

There is a benefit to developing computerized test batteries that can be used across large, longitudinal epidemiologic studies and prevention/intervention trials to facilitate comparison and harmonization across studies.  The National Institute of Health (NIH) Toolbox is a royalty-free battery of tests designed to measure cognitive, sensory, motor, and emotional functioning that can be used across...

Karen Postal, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, talked to us about neuropsychological feedback in episode 17 (www. NavNeuro.com/17).  Today, she graciously returns to continue the discussion of how to best deliver feedback and talk about her new book, Testimony That Sticks: The Art of Communicating Psychology and Neuropsychology to Juries. We also spend time talking to Karen about her training and supervision styl...

Although board certification is not currently required in the field of neuropsychology, the number of board-certified neuropsychologists is rapidly increasing, suggesting that this may become the standard in the near future.  This is relevant for both professionals and trainees because some employers are already beginning to require board certification.  In this episode, we speak to Kira Armstrong...

We discussed INS leadership and research productivity with Keith Yeates, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, in episode 16.  As the most published investigator of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the world over the last 10 years, he returns today to discuss the prevalence rates and causes, behavioral sequalae, differences in outcomes, and psychosocial interventions for children with TBI.  We also discuss sy...

Last episode we spoke to Jacobus Donders, Ph. D., ABPP (CN, RP) about neuropsychological report writing (visit  www. NavNeuro.com/25 ).  Today we provide commentary on that episode.  Specifically, we discuss the Postal et al., 2018 "Stakeholders" paper from The Clinical Neuropsychologist as well as takeaways from our conversation with Dr. Donders.  We also review other helpful tips to reduce repor...

Writing effective reports allows neuropsychologists to share important insights and recommendations gleaned from a neuropsychological evaluation.  Although the format and length of reports may differ depending on the referral source and practice setting, there are common elements in every neuropsychological report.  In this episode, we speak to Jacobus Donders, Ph. D., ABPP (CN, RP), about these c...

We discussed the cognitive and emotional effects of electrical injury with Neil Pliskin, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, in Episode 9.  As the former President of the Society of Clinical Psychology (SCN), a Program Director, and a clinical supervisor, he returns today to discuss professional development, the Houston Conference Guidelines, and effective supervision. We also provide our own commentary to delve int...

Today we bring you the conclusion of our conversation with epilepsy expert Nancy Nussbaum, Ph. D., ABPP-CN (listen to Part 1 here: www. NavNeuro.com/22 ).  We cover a range of topics including the role of a clinical neuropsychologist on an interdisciplinary team, common academic challenges, various treatment options, providing psychoeducation for families, and much more.  We also ask Nancy about h...

Epilepsy is a broad term used to describe various neurologic conditions that cause seizures.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. had approximately 3 million adults and 470,000 children with epilepsy in 2015.  Children with epilepsy are more likely to report academic difficulties, experience cognitive impairment, and live in poverty.  Today we bring you Part...

Clinical neuropsychologists are currently using instruments that are derived predominantly from monolingual, monocultural, and homogenous populations.  According to U.S. Census projections, the U.S. is expected to continue becoming a more racially and ethnically pluralistic melting pot.  As the number of White Americans is expected to decrease, the Hispanic population is projected to nearly double...

Adam Brickman, Ph. D., returns to discuss the involvement of white matter disease in Alzheimer's disease progression and clinical presentation.  Dr. Brickman discusses his research on the presence of biomarkers of cerebrovascular disease (e.g., white matter hyperintensities), which are present in aging and Alzheimer's disease. Although cerebrovascular disease is traditionally associated with its o...