Transcript Lo Cultural en Cross Cultural Neuropsychology

Lo Cultural en Cross
Cultural
Neuropsychology
Antonio E. Puente
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Universidad de los Andes
Agosto 26, 2004
Outline
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Background
Basic Concepts
Research Program
Possible Interpretations
Future Considerations
Background
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Heritage
Education & Training
Clinical Work and its Limitations
Basic Concepts
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Clinical Neuropsychology
• History
• Current Perspectives
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Typical Clinical Activities
Typical Patients
Focus on Detecting Impairments
Basic Concepts II
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Culture
• Definition = Unwritten Social Rules of
Conduct
• Author of Rules = Majority Group
• Operant Conditioning of Cultural
Concepts
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Reinforcement
• Access to power, money, social opportunities
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Punishment
• Increased probability of poverty, illness, and
isolation
Basic Concepts: Integration
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Does Clinical Neuropsychology Tests
Measure the Majority Group
Culture´s Notion of Acceptable
Behavior?
If so, is Brain Damage or Impairment
Nothing More than a
Misunderstanding or Misapplication
of Prevailing Social Rules?
Finally, is There a Neuropsychological
“g”, i.e., Common Cognitive and
Emotional Variables Shared Across
All Cultures?
Research Program
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United States
Puerto Rico
Argentina
Spain
Russia
Brazil
Kenya
United States
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Intellectual (The Psychological
Corporation)
• Translation and Standardization of the
WISC
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Neuropsychological (Ardila &
Rosselli)
• Neuropsychological Evaluation of the
Spanish Speaker
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Tests, norms, and limitations
Education and brain dysfunction
Puerto Rico
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APA Visiting Psychologist Program
Inroduction of Clinical
Neuropsychology to Puerto Rico
Attempt at Adapting English Tests of
Cognition in Schizophrenics to
Spanish Populations
• Whitaker Index of Schizophrenic
Thinking
• Journal of Clinical Psychology
Argentina
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Fulbright Program (Malvinas War)
Introduction of Clinical
Neuropsychology to Argentina
Unable to Develop a Collaborative
Research Program
• Medicine control of neurological & np
issues
• Psychology´s focus on psychoanalysis
• Lack of resources
Spain
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Barcelona, Granada, Madrid, Salamanca
Development of:
• Educational Opportunties
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Teaching Graduate Courses in NP
Assist in establishing the specialty
Visiting professors and students
• Research Program
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Universidad Complutensa de Madrid
• Juan Miguel Tobal, Antonio Cano & Juan Manuel
Cespedes
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Universidad de Granada
• Juan Godoy & Miguel Perez Garcia
Spain II
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Luria-Nebraska
• Translation & Standardization
• Several Presentations and Publications
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Other (examples)
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Epilepsy
• Ecologically Valid Meaures
Russia
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Moscow State University, Alexander
Luria´s Laboratory
• Janna Glozman & Tatiana Akutina
• Dasha Krotova, Anna Agronovich
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Education
• Luria’s Conferences
• Training & Eaxchange of Ideas
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Research
Russia
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General Publications
• Comparison of Russian & American
Approaches
• Russian Perestroika
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Recent Efforts
• Agranovich´s Attempt at Cross-Cultural
Neuropsychology
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Time is not on my side
All things are not equal
Brazil
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Universidad Federal (Sao Paulo)
• Vivian Andrade
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Guarani Indians
• Sample
• Measures
• Results
Kenya
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Masai Tribe
• Written Language
• Counting and Digitizing
• Time
• Acquisition
• Social Rules
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Interface with Leaky
• The Role of Consciousness in Evolution
Possible Interpreations:
Lessons Learned
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Pragmatic
• Legal
• Financial
• Communication
• Social & Intellectual Interfacing
• Varied Rules for Intellectual Engagment
& Productivity
Lessons Learned
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Theoretical
• Culture Affects Brain Function, Starting
Very Early
• Brain Function Cannot Be Understood
Outside of Socio-Cultural Context
• Again, is Brain Dysfunction Nothing
More than Cultural Misunderstanding?
• Possibilities of Finding Culture-Free
Might be in Uneducated Individuals and
Others in Long Term Cultural Isolation
or Homogeneity
Future Considerations
Luria- The Idea of a Romantic
Science
 Sperry- The Interface Between the
Objective (brain function) and the
Subjective (Consciousness)
 Interfacing Methodology and Theory
and both with Clinical Practice
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