Biases and Concerns With the Single Case Approach in the Neuropsychology of Memory

The purpose of single case studies, regarding memory as well as other cognitive processes, is twofold: either descriptive or theoretical. Case studies may consist of meticulous clinical descriptions or insightful experimental investigations. Neuropsychological studies have documented a number of clear-cut dissociations between task performance, thus introducing or confirming important distinctions between memory type, processes and structures. The neuropsychological assessment of individual patients for either clinical or experimental aims is a very complex process. It requires explicit theoretical questions derived from models of normal cognitive functions. Motivated hypotheses should always guide neuropsychological assessment; at the same time, assessment should always aim to test, modify or develop existing models.