Clinical Cultural Neuroscience

Clinical Cultural Neuroscience aims to provide clinicians and researchers with an overview of contemporary topics relevant to the study of culture in psychology and neuroscience. Within a translational thematic framework, this multidisciplinary volume surveys our current understanding of human behavior and culture along the spectrum of health and disease across multiple levels of analysis, from molecular genetics to sociocultural environment.

Clinical Cultural Neuroscience aims to provide clinicians and researchers with an overview of contemporary topics relevant to the study of culture in psychology and neuroscience. Within a translational thematic framework, this multidisciplinary volume surveys our current understanding of human behavior and culture along the spectrum of health and disease across multiple levels of analysis, from molecular genetics to sociocultural environment.

This Handbook examines disparities in public health by highlighting recent theoretical and methodological advances in cultural neuroscience. It traces the interactions of cultural, biological, and environmental factors that create adverse physical and mental health conditions among populations, and investigates how the policies of cultural and governmental institutions influence such outcomes. In addition to providing an overview of the current research, chapters demonstrate how a cultural neuroscience approach to the study of the mind, brain, and behavior can help stabilize the quality of health of societies at large. The volume will appeal especially to graduate students and professional scholars working in psychology and population genetics. The Oxford Handbook of Cultural Neuroscience represents the first collection of scholarly contributions from the International Cultural Neuroscience Consortium (ICNC), an interdisciplinary group of scholars from epidemiology, anthropology, psychology, neuroscience, genetics, and psychiatry dedicated to advancing an understanding of culture and health using theory and methods from cultural neuroscience. The Handbook is intended to introduce future generations of scholars to foundations in cultural neuroscience, and to equip them to address the grand challenges in global mental health in the twenty-first century.

The role of culture is significant when measuring cognitive abilities during neuropsychological assessments. However, cultural diversity is a frequently overlooked moderating variable. The International Handbook of Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology emphasizes major distinctions among cultural groups in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, an

Understanding Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology thoroughly examines the meaning of culture in the context of neuropsychology, focusing on the fundamental neuroscience underlying how different aspects of culture influence neuropsychological test performance, and how that is related to brain function. It explores in detail the relationship between brain activity and culture, and the influence of various cultural, educational, and linguistic factors on neuropsychological test performances across various cognitive domains. Written by leadings researchers in cross-cultural neuropsychology, the book first introduces the basic concepts in the field. It goes on to focus on the influence of cultural variables on specific domains of cognition, including perception, attention, memory, language, and executive functions. It also explores the implications of cross-cultural neuropsychology in practice, including a focus on test adaptation, the use of interpreters, the influence of acculturation, and the practice of neuropsychological rehabilitation in different cultural settings. This book is essential reading for neuropsychologists and related practitioners working with culturally diverse clients, who need a good grasp of the cultural impacts on neuropsychological test performance when assessing clients from different cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. It is also valuable for neuropsychologists in countries around the world who need a means of understanding the ways in which their culture impacts the performances of their clients on tests, which have been mostly developed in the U.S. or other Western cultures.

Providing a new perspective on human brain functional organization, this book examines how sociocultural experience interacts with genes in shaping brain and behavior. Reviewing numerous studies, it considers the nature of the human brain and implications for education, cross-cultural conflict, and the clinical treatment of mental disorders.

Minority and cross-cultural psychology is more relevant now than ever in our diverse world. Given the dramatic local and global changes occurring daily with regard to demographics, population changes, and immigration issues, minority and cross-cultural psychology is fast becoming a respected and critical area of scientific study. Pair that with the fact that people of all cultures and racial groups are living longer and experiencing age-related diseases and disorders, one can easily see the need for additional work on issues related to neuropsychological assessment. This new edition brings to the forefront recent developments by seasoned experts in the field. They offer up their newest projects in minority and cross-cultural aspects of neuropsychological assessment and are joined by new, up-and-coming professionals across a wide array of disciplines including psychology, medicine, and neuropsychology. Like the first edition, this updated collection sheds light on the ever-growing need for adequate neuropsychological assessment to a wider subset of individuals, crossing many cultural and minority barriers in the process. Continuously pushing the boundaries of neuropsychological assessment, this collection is essential reading for cognitive and clinical psychologists, and neuropsychologists, and a model text for advanced courses dealing with minority and cross-cultural issues.

Cultural Diversity in Neuropsychological Assessment provides a platform for clinical neuropsychologists, psychologists, and trainees to bridge cultures and speak to each other about the ethnically diverse communities they serve throughout the world. It allows readers to peek into their clinical filing cabinets and examine how they worked with diverse individuals from indigenous and migrant communities of Arab, Asian, European, Israeli, Latin American and Caribbean, Persian, Russian, Sub-Saharan African, and North American origin. The book first reviews important foundations for working with diverse communities that include key knowledge, awareness, skills, and action orientation. It then provides a collection of cases for each cultural geographic region. Each section begins with an introductory chapter to provide a bird’s eye view of the historical and current state of clinical and research practice of neuropsychology in that region. Then, each chapter focuses on a specific community by providing surface and deep-level cultural background knowledge from the authors’ unique perspectives. A case study is then covered in depth to practically showcase an evaluation with someone from that community. This is followed by a summary of key strategic points, lessons learned, references, further readings, and a glossary of culture specific terminology used throughout the chapter. In the end, the appendix provides a list of culturally relevant tests and norms for some communities. This ground-breaking peer-reviewed handbook provides an invaluable clinical resource for neuropsychologists, psychologists, and trainees. It increases self-reflection about multicultural awareness and knowledge, highlights practical ways to increase cultural understanding in neuropsychological and psychological assessments, and sparks further discussion for professional and personal growth in this area.

The goal of this volume is to highlight theoretical and methodological advances in cultural neuroscience and the implications of theoretical and empirical advances in cultural neuroscience for philosophy. The study of cultural and biological factors that contribute to human behavior has been an important inquiry for centuries, and recent advances in the field of cultural neuroscience allow for novel insights into how cultural and biological factors shape mind, brain and behavior. Theoretical and empirical advances in cultural neuroscience, which investigate the origins of culture, may shed light on philosophical issues of the mind and science.

Historically, relatively few investigations in neuropsychology have been sensitive to the analysis of cultural variables. This handbook will assist the neuropsychologist interested in cultural competence and help increase understanding of the link between cultural competence in assessment and intervention and good treatment outcomes. The handbook authors provide an in-depth discussion of the current status of multicultural training in neuropsychology; specific information on diverse groups (age, gender, ethnicity, etc.), assessment instruments, and clinical populations (HIV infected, seizure disorders, brain injuries); and unique analysis of immigration patterns, forensics, and psychopharmacology. This volume is the first to summarize the cultural data available in neuropsychology. A valuable resource for clinical neuropsychologists, school psychologists and rehabilitation professionals.