Sedaka
Veteran
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,597
Location: In the recesses of my mind
29 Apr 2010, 6:55 am
29 Apr 2010, 7:03 am
Poke wrote:
Another topic that this line of thinking gestures towards is the confluence of neurology and psychology.
Naturally, this is an extremely dicey topic, given the great number of people in the world whose overall outlook on life hinges on the brain and mind not being ultimately equivalent. It is my wish that we do not allow this fact to keep us from reading the writing on the wall.
Think about the ways in which a neurologist and psychologist ascertain DDA of the brain/mind, and how they differ.
You might compare them to two people who are taking part in a marksmanship contest. The first person uses a very old, somewhat crude pistol. The second person uses a newer, more accurate pistol, but they do not face the target and aim at it directly--they stand facing away from the target and shoot over their shoulder, using a mirror to help them aim.
The first shooter is analogous to the neurologist, who addresses the brain/mind on the most concrete level--by examining its physical structure. However, our understanding of the brain/mind in terms of pure physiology is, at this point, somewhat crude.
The second shooter is analogous to the psychologist, who addresses the same concrete brain/mind, but only through the "mirror" of behavior. The psychologist has an advantage, however, in that the medium in which they operate, when used properly, is more precise--this is reflected by the fact that DDA of the brain (autism) is often diagnosed in individuals who, upon neurological assessment, do not show any obvious physical signs.
Naturally, this is an extremely dicey topic, given the great number of people in the world whose overall outlook on life hinges on the brain and mind not being ultimately equivalent. It is my wish that we do not allow this fact to keep us from reading the writing on the wall.
Think about the ways in which a neurologist and psychologist ascertain DDA of the brain/mind, and how they differ.
You might compare them to two people who are taking part in a marksmanship contest. The first person uses a very old, somewhat crude pistol. The second person uses a newer, more accurate pistol, but they do not face the target and aim at it directly--they stand facing away from the target and shoot over their shoulder, using a mirror to help them aim.
The first shooter is analogous to the neurologist, who addresses the brain/mind on the most concrete level--by examining its physical structure. However, our understanding of the brain/mind in terms of pure physiology is, at this point, somewhat crude.
The second shooter is analogous to the psychologist, who addresses the same concrete brain/mind, but only through the "mirror" of behavior. The psychologist has an advantage, however, in that the medium in which they operate, when used properly, is more precise--this is reflected by the fact that DDA of the brain (autism) is often diagnosed in individuals who, upon neurological assessment, do not show any obvious physical signs.
Depends on which neurological assessment
Neuropsychological testing, for example, is a neurological assessment. The typical neurological exam, brief mental status exam, cranial nerves, motor, sensory, and cerebellar function, won't diagnose autism except in the most obvious cases. However, the brain does more than just what's measured by those tests, and that *can* be tested, though not in a 40 minute initial neurological visit.
~Kate
29 Apr 2010, 12:59 pm
29 Apr 2010, 1:00 pm
Meow101 wrote:
Depends on which neurological assessment Neuropsychological testing, for example, is a neurological assessment. The typical neurological exam, brief mental status exam, cranial nerves, motor, sensory, and cerebellar function, won't diagnose autism except in the most obvious cases. However, the brain does more than just what's measured by those tests, and that *can* be tested, though not in a 40 minute initial neurological visit.
Neuropsychological testing, for example, is a neurological assessment. The typical neurological exam, brief mental status exam, cranial nerves, motor, sensory, and cerebellar function, won't diagnose autism except in the most obvious cases. However, the brain does more than just what's measured by those tests, and that *can* be tested, though not in a 40 minute initial neurological visit.Yes, I should've prefaced by saying that my analogy was simplistic.
29 Apr 2010, 1:24 pm
29 Apr 2010, 1:28 pm
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