Navigating Neuropsychology

Despite global efforts to understand and ultimately assess, diagnose, and treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) more effectively, a consensus definition of AD still does not exist.  In 2018, the National Institute of Aging – Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) Research Framework recommended that we should shift the definition of AD from a syndrome (i.e., the cognitive/behavioral symptoms that individuals pr...

Today we give an overview of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), which includes a collection of disorders that occur when a fetus is exposed to alcohol.  We discuss this topic with Dr. Jeffrey Wozniak, a neuropsychologist with extensive research and clinical experience in FASD, and cover the physical, cognitive/developmental, and behavioral effects commonly seen in children and adults with thi...

Effective communication of neuropsychological test results and recommendations is a nuanced practice that is considered both a science and an art.   Today we bring you our conversation with Karen Postal, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, the past president of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology and the lead author of the book Feedback that Sticks: The Art of Effectively Communicating Neuropsychologica...

Today we discuss a wide variety of topics related to leadership, professional development, and research productivity with Keith Yeates, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, the sitting International Neuropsychological Society (INS) president at his 2019 presidential meeting in NYC.   Show notes are available at www. NavNeuro.com/16 _________________ If you'd like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get...

Compensatory Cognitive Training (CCT) is a growing area of research and clinical practice for  neuropsychologists in academic and rehabilitation settings.  CCT leverages intact brain networks in order to teach skills that can improve someone's ability to function independently in day-to-day life, despite the presence of other disrupted brain networks.  CCT has wide-reaching applications and can be...

We provided an overview of the field of neuropsychology in Episode 2 , but we wanted to run it by someone outside the field to see if anything was unclear or if other questions came up.  This episode is a Q & A with someone without any background in neuropsychology.  We discuss lots of topics, such as the difference between normal and "abnormal" forgetfulness, why some people are able to process i...

Clinical trials in Alzheimer's disease frequently include the measurement of risk genes (i.e., the APOE e4 allele), and advancements in direct-to-consumer genetic testing (e.g., 23andMe) have made these biological data widely available to the public.  Is it helpful or harmful for clinicians to disclose information on genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease to patients and research participants?  How...

We have a different kind of episode for you today.  We were recently asked to speak about NavNeuro at an ANST brown bag lunch at the University of Florida.  This episode is the audio from our Q & A with students who are particularly interested in the podcast and wanted to know more of the details about how we got started and what our plans are for the podcast, as well as a bit more about us on a p...

In our bodies, microbial genes outnumber human genes by about 100 to 1.  The human microbiome (the bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live in us) has been linked to gastrointestinal diseases, immune functioning, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and more recently cognitive and psychiatric functioning.  Today we speak with Dr. Tanya Nguyen, a neuropsychologist whose research is helping to clarify this link....

A tremendous amount of stress and anxiety is experienced by caregivers of older adults with dementia.  Caregivers often endure both psychological and medical illnesses and there are significant barriers (e.g., caregiver responsibilities) preventing them from attending traditional psychotherapy.  In this episode, we talk to Dr. Geoff Tremont, a board-certified neuropsychologist and the developer of...

Electrical injuries often result in diffuse cognitive symptoms and mood changes.  In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of this unique injury with Dr. Neil Pliskin (former president of APA Div. 40), who has done a significant amount of clinical work and research with this population.   Show notes are available at www. NavNeuro.com/09 _________________ If you'd like to support the show, here...

John and Ryan recently went through the process of interviewing for pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship, and they have lots of ideas and advice to share about their experiences.  This episode is applicable to everyone who will be interviewing for internship or postdoc, both neuropsych and general psychology applicants. Show notes are available at www. NavNeuro.com/08 ______________...

Older adults are at greater risk for unsafe driving, due in large part to the increased risk for pathological cognitive decline. Neuropsychologists frequently address driving safety in their clinical evaluations. In this episode, we discuss these issues with Dr. Jennifer Davis, a board-certified clinician-researcher with knowledge of the impact of neurocognitive performance on driving safety.   Sh...

In Part 2, we continue our discussion about childhood cancer with Dr. Christine Trask.  We talk about the ins and outs of testing, the impact of neuroplasticity, academic effects of symptoms and treatment, neuropsych recommendations, report writing for multiple consumers (e.g., physician, parent, teacher), delivering feedback, training in peds onc, and other topics. Show notes available at www. Na...

An introduction to the role of a neuropsychologist in assessing children with cancer, with Christine Trask, Ph. D., ABPP-CN. Christine walks us through essential concepts in the biology of cancer, pros and cons of current treatments, and strategies for successful clinical interactions with pediatric patients and their families. Show notes available at www. NavNeuro.com/05 _________________ If you'...

Join us for a conceptual conversation with Dr. Steve Correia, a board-certified neuropsychologist with extensive neuroimaging experience. We talk about how to increase your skill in interpreting brain scans, how to communicate effectively with radiologists, and the relationship between brain structure and function, among many other things. As always, we hope you enjoy the show! Show notes availabl...

We interviewed Stephen Correia, Ph. D., ABPP-CN, a neuropsychologist with extensive research and clinical training in the use of imaging techniques.  In this week's episode, we cover the following content related to clinical neuroimaging, with a focus on adult patient populations and computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques: The centrality of patient care in making...

This week's episode is meant for non-neuropsychologists, but neuropsychologists and trainees might enjoy hearing how we introduce the field.  We introduce and talk about what neuropsychology is and what neuropsychologists do.  Content includes: A very brief history of the field Clinical neuropsychology compared to research neuropsychology Pediatric neuropsychology compared to adult neuropsychology...

Welcome to Navigating Neuropsychology (NavNeuro for short), a podcast for neuropsychology trainees, professionals, and anyone interested in the brain and behavior.  This episode is an introduction to the podcast.  We discuss the motivation behind it, structure, plans for the future, and disclaimers. Show notes are available at www. NavNeuro.com/01 _________________ If you'd like to support the sho...