Navigating Neuropsychology

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 her experience as President of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) and advice regarding leadership in the field.   Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/23 _________________ If you’d like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners’ own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

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 1 of our conversation with epilepsy expert Dr. Nancy Nussbaum, a board-certified neuropsychologist at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Central Texas and former President of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology.  We cover a range of topics including the definition of epilepsy, epileptic syndromes and etiologies that are common in childhood, assessment, treatments, outcomes, and much more. Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/22 _________________ If you’d like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners’ own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

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 over the next few decades.  The need for cultural responsiveness will only increase as the population becomes more diverse.  In this episode, we talk with Dr. Monica Rivera Mindt, board-certified neuropsychologist and President of the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society (HNS), about various cross-cultural considerations in the context of neuropsychological assessment, including bilingualism, “culturally neutral” tests, and the role of acculturation in cognitive performance.   Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/21 _________________ If you’d like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners’ own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

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 own unique cognitive profile, Dr. Brickman discusses evidence suggesting that the cognitive deficits and underlying etiologies often commingle and complicate our case conceptualization.  Additionally, he proposes the integral role that cerebrovascular disease may play in predicting (and possibly initiating) disease progression and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease.   Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/20 _________________ If you’d like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners’ own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

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 present with) to a purely biological construct, specifically the presence of βamyloid deposition, pathologic tau, and neurodegeneration (the "A/T/N" model).  In this episode, we talk to Dr. Adam Brickman about the NIA-AA Research Framework biological definition of AD, the role of vascular contributions, assumptions about the amyloid hypothesis, and implications of not including the clinical syndrome in the diagnosis of AD. Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/19 _________________ If you’d like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners’ own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

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 this condition. Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/18  _________________ If you’d like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners’ own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

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 Neuropsychological Assessment Results.  We talk with Dr. Postal about how to provide effective feedback as a neuropsychologist and how we can refine the communication of findings to maximize the benefit to our patients and referral sources. Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/17 _________________ If you’d like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners’ own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

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 APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners’ own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

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 beneficial for many of the clinical populations neuropsychologists already work with, including individuals with traumatic brain injury, severe mental illness, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia.  In this episode, we will talk to Elizabeth Twamley, Ph.D., about CCT: how it is applied, similarities to cognitive rehabilitation, who benefits most, where the field is going, and much more. Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/15 _________________ If you’d like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners’ own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

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 information quicker than others, the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and much more.  Students, trainees, and the general public will likely benefit most from the content.   Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/14 _________________ If you’d like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners’ own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]