ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims at the clinical psychologist who is either specialising in neuropsychology or who is required to conduct neuropsychological assessments in the course of more general clinical duties. It reviews the background to language dysfunction and presents a number of alternative, and clinically robust, assessment schemes. The book evaluates the tests that are available and discusses the changes in behaviour and mood that can follow damage to anatomical areas within the frontal lobe. It deals with the admissibility of neuropsychological evidence, report writing and the possibility of faking deficits. The book describes the major clinical conditions that the clinical neuropsychologist is liable to encounter. Clinical neuropsychology is a demanding profession, requiring not only a high level of clinical skills but also a detailed and highly specialised knowledge base.
