Issues in the Field of Neuroscience

.....neuroscience is one of the most common scientific field of study that basically involves study of the nervous system. Most of the jobs in neuroscience involves dealing with some problems that do not necessarily involve working in the lab. An example of such jobs that interests me is neuropsychology, which is an area in neuroscience that focuses on the science of brain-behavior relationships. I find clinical neuropsychology as an interesting field of neuroscience since it combines concepts of psychology in the study of the nervous system, particularly brain-behavior relationships. Given the combination of neuroscience and psychology, clinical neuropsychology will enable me to feel empathy for my patients/clients when addressing their issues (Ogden, 2012). In light of my passion for this field, brain functions and neuroscience that I find interesting are neurobiological theories that explain dysfunctions in language, behavior networks, vision, memory, and emotion. These brain functions and neuroscience are interesting because they help in understanding the relationships between the brain and behavior. The academic training required in this field is an advanced degree in a neuropsychology educational program as well as clinical practicum. The types of employment opportunities available in this field include clinical neuropsychology, neuropsychology research, and child neuropsychology.

Week 2 Discussion

King et al. (2012) conducted a study in which they utilized the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) to examine post-concussive symptoms in its thorough evaluation of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The research was carried out on the premise that post-concussive symptoms such as sensory, somatic, and cognitive complaints tend to occur following mild traumatic brain injury. However, the symptoms are not specific to mild TBI and overlap with other disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The psychometric study utilized item properties, internal consistency, and external validity of Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory. The methodology used to carry out this psychometric evaluation was multisite, longitudinal research approach in which data was obtained from a federally-funded evaluation of the experiences of combat veterans. The participants were 500 Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom combat veterans, some of whom had experienced at least one traumatic brain injury (King et al., 2012). The study utilized several data collection instruments like neuropsychological interview, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Military Version, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory-II.

The study found that Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory is valid and reliable tool for evaluating post-concussive symptoms. The effectiveness of this tool is attributable to the fact that its scores appropriately distinguished veterans with a history of TBI from those without such history. The strength of this experimental study is that it provided a suitable framework for examining the effectiveness of NSI in determining post-concussive symptoms. However, the study is weak in the sense that the results may not precisely reflect the extent of difference in symptom reports that could be found in a sample with significantly lower rates of neuropsychological symptoms. Therefore, this study can be improved through incorporating an evaluation of clinical, psychiatric, and psychological symptoms.

Week 3 Discussion

Anton Babinski Syndrome, which is commonly known as Anton's Syndrome, is a condition in which patients refute their blindness regardless of objective signs and evidence that demonstrate visual loss. Patients with this disorder of the sensory system continue to deny its existence despite evidence that shows total amaurosis of cortical blindness (Khalid et al., 2015). Some of the symptoms of this disorder include compromised visual association cortex, damage of visual association area, partial or complete loss of vision, denial of blindness, and denial of vision impairment. Anton's Syndrome is diagnosed through conducting laboratory tests or brain imaging to objectively examine the functioning of the non-cortical functions of the eyes and optic nerves. An example of such laboratory tests is fundoscopic evaluation, which examine =s ocular movements and pupil reflexes in the eye (Carvajal et al., 2012). Additional tests include neuro-ophthalmological examination and computed tomography of the brain (Khalid et al., 2015). The neurobiological basis for Anton's Syndrome is physical damage of the occipital cortex i.e. the visual processing center of the eye's cerebral cortex. In essence, the condition is brought by damages to the brain's occipital cortex that controls an individual's vision. The condition generates functional deficits through inhibiting an individual's ability to see the details. When carrying out occupational, recreational or social activities, an individual with this condition cannot see the details relating to a particular object or activity.

Week 5 Discussion

A 19-year-old male with 12 years of education has worked in the construction field successfully in the last 2 years. The individual's girlfriend has noticed that he is usually inattentive and tends to "space out", which forces her to constantly repeat information to him. The individual suffered a very brief loss of consciousness when he was involved in a car accident 6 months before. From the historical data, the individual does not suffer from pre- or post-traumatic amnesia despite his recent symptoms. As a clinician, the differential diagnosis I would consider in this case is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is primarily because the patient's inattentiveness, spacing out, and memory problems are hallmarks of both conditions (Elkins et al., 2014). The use of the differential diagnosis is attributed to the fact that existing research suggests that these symptoms overlap between anxiety disorders and ADHD. Therefore, the diagnosis will help in conducting tests that examine neurocognitive tasks relating to the individual's attentional processes. For the patient/family, my recommendations for ongoing social, academic and occupational functioning would be ongoing assessment and close collaboration (Rooney et al., 2011). Ongoing assessment and close collaboration will help in reducing the patient's anxiety, improve attention, and enhance overall functioning.

References

Carvajal et al. (2012, August). Visual Anosognosia (Anton-Babinski Syndrome): Report of Two Cases Associated with Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science, 2, 394-398.

Elkins et al. (2014, December). Inattention Symptoms and the Diagnosis of Comorbid Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Youth with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28(8), 754-760.

Khalid et al. (2015). Anton Babinski Syndrome -- A Rare Complication of Cortical Blindness. Gulf Medical Journal, 4(S2), S72-S76.

King et al. (2012). Psychometric Study of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 49(6), 879-888.

Ogden, J. (2012, November 28). A Career as a Neuropsychologist: Your Questions Answered. Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/trouble-in-mind/201211/career-neuropsychologist-your-questions-answered

Rooney et al. (2011, February 21). Differential Diagnosis and Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive, Inattentive, and Sleep Symptoms in a 7-Year-Old With PDD-NOS. Clinical Case Studies, 10(2).