[The contribution of neuropsychology to psychiatry]

Human neuropsychology is the study of brain-behavior relationships based on the analysis of functional disturbances after brain damage. The assessment and analysis of pathological states and processes in the brain on cognition, speech and language, praxis, motivation and affectivity, represent the main topics of neuropsychological research. Patients with psychiatric disorders very often exhibit cognitive impairments which should also be assessed by means of specific neuropsychological diagnostic tools. The advantage of such tools is their validity and reliability which allow accurate qualitative and quantitative analysis and characterization of the various cognitive impairments. Neuropsychological methods of assessment can also be used for follow-up measurements, for example, in studies on the effect of medication. Finally, the outcome of a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment can provide a useful basis for the treatment of cognitive impairments in psychiatric patients using means that have proved successful in brain-damaged patients.