Relevance of modern neuropsychology to psychiatry

This review of new developments in clinical neuropsychology is intended to acquaint the practicing psychiatrist with the current status of the field, focusing on its applicability to a variety of psychiatric situations. The approach of Luria is described in some detail, essentially because this represents one of the major formulations of the functional organization of the brain, which is now available for standardized assessment purposes as the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery. At this juncture, it is relevant for psychiatry to gain familiarity with these new approaches, as an important adjunct to the diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic problems of brain damage in the psychiatric patient.