Articles

The article considers the role of different approaches to neuropsychological assessment, i.e. qualitative and quantitative analysis, from the point of view of those goals which can be put before neuropsychology in clinical practice. 

Actual problem of a modern neuropsychology is elaboration of batteries of tests combining advantages of qualitative and quantitative approaches. In this article we describe an important step of quantitative processing of neuropsychological data in “Method of neuropsychological assessment of children of 6—9 years” the formation of the generalized indices. The described procedure of the statistical analysis of neuropsychological results appreciably reproduces the logic of the expert who is carrying out the qualitative syndrome analysis of HMF-dysfunction. The formation of indices is considered on an example of neuropsychological assessment of 98 elementary school students with learning disabilities and 33 students with autistic disorders. 

The article is dedicated to problem in usage of main principals of syndrome neuropsychological analysis in psychiatry. Main requirements for realization of A.R. Luria’s syndrome approach are given: accountancy of psychopathology, conceptualization of brain functioning particularities, and special attention to the researched psychological reality. The prospects for further development of neuropsychology in psychiatry, including the assessment and theoretical perspectives, are observed.

In the article the problems of development of the level model of emotional regulation which are based on the synthesis of different approaches are examined. The concept of “a level of development of affective-behavioral complex” is introduced. This concept allows scrutinizing development of emotions and personality in children mostly in the frames of human ethology. The problem of development of mechanisms of “re-enciphering” of experience of realization of affective-behavioral complexes into movable symbolic images connected with dynamics of attachment behavior and into the basic structures of personality is set up.

The paper aims to consider a syndrome-based approach in methodology adopted for psychological phenomena in application to corporeity psychology. We present a study case of 290 patients with mitral valve prolapse. We endeavor constructioning of a psychosomatic syndrome, employing techniques for a qualitative and statistical data analysis of longitudinal clinical-psychological study. We bring evidence that the syndrome is of multi-level character, and that its structure is determined by several factors: a motivational factor (with domination of the infavoidance motive and unsatisfied self-approval need), a factor of emotional regulation disorders, and a psychophysiological factor. We argue that it is feasible to use a psychosomatic syndrome as a key method in approaching not only diagnostic but also prognostic problems both in clinical psychology and in medicine. 

The article is focused on the opportunities of further development of L.S. Vygotsky’s and A.R. Luria’s cultural-historical approach. Two of them are researched: 1) further analysis of symbolic mediation methods of psyche in the modern society and its social and cultural stratification and 2) cultural-historical analysis use in research of theories and conceptual apparat of clinical psychology. The necessity of understanding knowledge in clinical psychology in the context of its cultural-historical experience formation is proved. The importance of such analysis is shown for research of development conditions of such knowledge, its borders, functions and define historical sense, that contributes to the deeper understanding of psychological clinic and psychotherapy. 

The article analyzes certain socio-cultural and personal predispositions, which determine the modern diversity of displays of subjective uncertainty and ambiguity. The importance of understanding the relations between the resourceful and the psychopathological aspects of the ambiguity phenomenon and the cultural environment with its destructive ideals and mythologems, manipulative media-technologies and all-pervading idea of deconstruction is stressed for the creation of “realistic clinical psychology” (in terms of A.R. Luria). Methods for modeling the experiences of ambiguity in experimental settings, in pathopsychological examination and in projective psychological diagnostics are put in comparison. The arguments are adduced for the interpretation of deficient manifestations of subjective uncertainty and ambiguity as a criterion for diagnostics of the severity of personality disorder.

The paper presents the results of studying the dynamics of life meaning orientations in individuals with opioid dependence involved in the rehabilitation programs of religious and secular type. The study revealed that the process of qualitatively organized inpatient spiritually oriented rehabilitation program (SORP) allows you to change the individual drug addicts in the general sections of the meaningfulness of life, purpose and significance in the process of living, meeting process, the meaningfulness of the past, present and future, as well as the impact of life to a greater extent than would be possible to make a non-religious therapy communities. In the SORP the dynamics of subscales “locus of control — I” and “locus of control — the life” are poorly expressed, in some cases negative, indicating a need to connect the programs aimed at developing participants rehabilitants rehabilitation programs and degree levels of self-responsibility for the study and solution of life’s goals and objectives.

The paper determines and analyzes the term subject oriented neuropsychology, its relations to the cultural-historical theory, its conformity to the main features of Luria’s work and its value for efficient development of neuropsychology. 

The article presents a case study of multiple visual agnosia (object agnosia, prosopagnosia, topographical agnosia, colour agonsia, alexia without agrafia) of a patient with bilateral lesions of the inferior areas of the temporal-parietal-occipital lobes. Clinical data are presented from the point of view of the patient, who struggle for surviving and her adaptation to the broken life. 

Today the nature of neuropsychological syndromes in various corpus callosum (CC) pathology remains an open question. We have examined 30 subjects with cc pathology. All subjects performed the procedure of fixed set by D.N. Uznadze. The analysis of the results demonstrated connection between fixed set functioning and condition of left hemisphere and access to it. The most prominent impairment of set forming dynamics was demonstrated by the subjects with CC pathology. However these subjects have also demonstrated posterior right hemisphere deficit in standard neuropsychological examination. Thus, we can conclude the dissociative nature of the interhemispheric impairment syndrome. 

Based on the analysis of A.R. Luria’s works belonging to different periods of the formation and development of neuropsychology, the author highlights the main directions in the future development of the problem of neuropsychological factors. The author suggests possible aspects of the differential learning of the structural components of spatial factor, in accordance with its functional multiplicity in the systemic structure of the higher mental functions. 

Introduction.

In the memory of Vitis Kazisovich Vilyunas.

In the memory of Chingiz Abilfazovich Izmailov.