The data is analyzed in the article about structural and neurochemical brain
hemispheric asymmetry, which, together with results of neuropsychological
investigations, allow considering in a new way the problem of realization of psychic
events. Modern investigations of cellar and molecular processes in neural system
show, that the endogenous neural activity and the ways of neural self-organization
are in many respects defined by the composition of extracellar environment.
The complication of brain during phylogenies was accompanied by increasing
asymmetry of neural system at the same time the biological prerequisites for
differentiation of general “meanings” and one’s personal “sense” of the acquired
experience were forming. The asymmetric mediation of psychic events by cellar
and neurohumoral components of brain processing provided the opportunity for
appearing language and distinct subjective experiences in human.
The paper presents results of the neuropsychological assessment of processes
involved in the maintenance of activation (Luria’s Unit I functions) in 64 firstgraders
who demonstrated various levels of academic success. On the basis of
this assessment, the children were divided into three groups: (i) the children
without any deficit in the Unit I functions (CONTROL children), (ii) those
predominantly showing slowness/fatigue (SLOW children), and (iii) those who
can be considered as predominantly hyperactive-impulsive (HYPERACTIVE
children). It is shown that, relative to controls, both SLOW and HYPERACTIVE
children show reduced academic scores and the decrease of most indices that
characterize functions of the Units II and III. The weakness of executive and
visuo-spatial functions are predominantly observed in HYPERACTIVE children,
whereas SLOW children usually show some deficit in processing of kinesthetic
(proprioceptive) and audio-verbal information. Children with functional
weakness of the Unit I functions show an overall reduction in performance and its
speed in the computerized versions of the “DOTS” and “SCHULTE—GORBOV
tables” tests. In HYPERACTIVE children, deficits are observed in the most
difficult tasks (those probing mostly into planning and control functions), and
their performance is the most unstable. In SLOW children, the performance
rate is noticeably decreased for the moderate-to-difficult tasks. Overall, the data
reported contribute to the understanding of the diversity of Unit I functions
deficits and their relation to the learning difficulties experienced by children in
the primary school.
An established link between the intellectual attention and the activity of
frontal lobes in studies of E.D. Homskaya brings forward the application of
special experimental psychological procedures. The latter are characterized by
sensitized cognitive load and address both attention and memory. A modified
version of the Stroop Task (Shilko R.S.) was employed in the present study of
intellectual attention. 50 men ranging in age from 18 to 24 years with higher
or incomplete higher education took part in the study. Among the participants
there were 20 healthy subjects and 30 patients with schizophrenia in a paroxysmal
form, developed in adolescence. The patients were under medical treatment in
the Mental Health Research Center of RAMS. Comparison of intergroup results, based on the analysis of errors that were made by subjects in both groups, revealed
the features of memory and attention, specific for the cohort of patients. Unlike
the healthy subjects, schizophrenia patients revealed the types of errors which
in accordance with the system of neuropsychological qualification of errors are
typical for disturbances of functions of control and selectivity on different stages
of activity and levels of attention regulation (A.R. Luria’s qualitative assessment
scheme). There was ascertained a high sensitivity of the technique to study of
the dysfunctions of the frontal lobes and identification of various parameters
of intellectual attention.
The results of complex neuropsychological examination of the subjects
with various pathologies of the corpus callosum (CC) conducted by the author
are analyzed in the article. In the survey were used method for the study of
the formation of fixed installation in haptic sphere and perceptive priming
method. The goal of the study was development of one of neuropsychological
factors of hemispheric interaction. Split Brain Syndrome characterized as a
neuropsychological syndrome and the symptoms of higher mental functions
violations in patients with various pathologies of the CC are described. The
author describes the primary symptoms of hemispheric interaction violations
caused by commissure pathology. Second part of the paper discusses the point
of view of domestic and foreign researchers on the functional role of cerebral hemispheres, their front and rear parts in the human psyche and behavior.
In the third part of the article the author describes neuropsychological factor
interhemispheric interaction associated with the CC activity. This factor is a
syndrome-forming with the CC pathology of various origins. It is integrative as
the result of cooperation of two associative brain areas. It could be determined
as the factor of formation and reproduction of behavioral acts or psyche selfdetermination
factor.
The article presents the overview of the basic approaches, concepts and
directions in studying personality in neuropsychology. Neuropsychiatric approach is based on phenomenological description of personality disorders in
patients with various brain damages. Neuropsychological studies of personality
held in A.R. Luria school that are mainly present in works under E.D. Homskaya
guidance, in order to experimentally study brain organization of personality
suggest using structural-functional model that includes emotional, motivational
and executive processes and self-awareness. Aphasiology postulates, that
personality disorders are secondary to communication disabilities that occur in
speech pathology. Finally, neuropsychoanalysis focuses on cerebral mechanisms
of unconscious processes and personality functioning in different pathological
models. The paper presents the results of the study held. With the use of
neuropsychological syndrome analysis method 50 young adult male patients
have been studied with pathocharacterological spectrum disorders divided in two
groups: schizoid personality disorder (30 patients) and schizotypal personality
disorder (20 patients). It has been established that both groups have specific
cognitive disturbances that indicate frontal-parietal-thalamic connections.
Lateral differences are revealed: neuropsychological symptoms that are associated
with left hemisphere dysfunction are specific for schizotypal personality disorder;
neurocognitive deficit that is associated with right hemisphere is specific
for patients with schizoid personality disorder. Perspectives of personality
neuropsychology are discussed.
