Description
The study of neuropsychological functions in children has lately undergone a considerable evolution, most obviously represented by the evidence that cerebral areas of the child’s brain are specialized at a very early stage. Such evidence has been derived from a number of anatomical, physiological and clinical studies. This book takes its cue from the latest acquisitions, in order to examine and define the pictures of any deficient function, or of several, in relation to lesions of different cerebral areas, thereby indirectly demonstrating the role of these areas in neuropsycholgical development. The chapter presented by Arthur Benton, historical founder of clinical neuropsychology, illustrates the history of studies on focal lesions. The first part of the book is devoted to research on early anatomical specification of cerebral areas, and to the neuropsychological results which confirm this concept. The mechanisms of neurobiological and neurofunctional recovery after early brain lesions are emphasized with special regard to those variables (for example, age and characteristics of the lesions) related to recovery itself. Lesions to the left hemisphere are then considered, with specific reference to given localizations (basal ganglia and frontal lobes). The contribution of the left hemisphere is presented both as to the language-related functions, and to the functions such as spatial and praxis abilities. Finally, the book deals with the relevance of some structures, such as the cerebellum and the corpus callosum.
