Abstract
The way how cognition is conceived and represented in brain functioning will directly impact clinical investigations of people with cognitive difficulties. This is particularly evident in the field of clinical neuropsychology where methodologies and tools are justified on a fundamental level by the theoretical foundations adopted. The present article outlined how the dominant influences of structural and anatomo-clinical theories of memory have led to a particular conception of clinical investigations. We propose to reconsider these dominant methods in favor of a more dynamic and functional representation of memory that would be clinically more appropriate. More precisely, we argued that relying exclusively on a particular memory conception (i.e., structural) may not be sufficient considering the range of real-life variables affecting a patient’s memory. By extracting clinically meaningful information in more functional and dynamic memory conceptions, we also aim at underlining the potentials advantages of such theories in facilitating personalized assessments and follow up of patients in clinical neuropsychology. We suggest that a dynamic, functional, and integrative conception of memory would be more coherent with the trend in clinical neuropsychology to promote a more collaborative interaction between the clinician and the patient. Finally, considering the absence of empirical studies on the possible benefits of implementing such recent memory concepts in clinical practice, we encourage researchers and clinicians to test in the field of clinical neuropsychology, the usefulness and explanatory power of more dynamic and functional representation of memory in order to objectively demonstrate its validity outside the research loop.
Highlights
MEMORY REPRESENTATIONSNeuropsychology is a discipline at the interface of neurosciences, cognitive and clinical psychology and it studies the mind–brain relationship
Reviewed by: Lucia Serenella De Federicis, National Institute of Social Welfare, Italy Sandra Düzel, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Germany
We propose to reconsider these dominant methods in favor of a more dynamic and functional representation of memory that would be clinically more appropriate
Summary
Neuropsychology is a discipline at the interface of neurosciences, cognitive and clinical psychology and it studies the mind–brain relationship. In the field of clinical neuropsychology, memory processes are most likely conceived as the result of coordinated activities of different subsystems This conception of memory into multiple systems that differ structurally and functionally has been encouraged by the observation of double dissociation of cognitive disorders. In such conception one may have a selective deficit affecting only a particular memory subsystem, while another person may show the reverse pattern. The structural model of Tulving (Tulving, 1972, 1995, 2002) currently known as the SPI model (Serial-Parallel-Independent; for serial encoding, parallel storage, and independent retrieval; Tulving, 1995) is probably the most influential memory model in both research and clinical domains It provides a description of memory as multiple systems that differ structurally and functionally. Such conception has not yet gained its milestones in the dynamic context of clinical investigation of memory
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