ABSTRACT
The measurement of brain-based activity has been become standard procedure in many diagnostic tests of the nervous system. Physiological measures have been applied in a variety of clinical situations by neurologists, psychologists and psychiatrists. Some of the applications have included testing of vision, hearing, brain responses in retarded individuals, and brain activity in neurological and behavior disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Examples of how physiological responses have been used in these various clinical situations, are briefly described in the sections that follow. In a special issue of the International Journal of Psychophysiology, BeuzeronMangina (2000) emphasized that psychophysiological techniques were relevant for diagnosing conditions and evaluating therapeutic outcome for persons afflicted with nervous system and related behavioral disorders. Polich (2000), in another special issue of the International Journal of Psychophysiology, described how event-related brain potentials (ERPs) can be used to assess abnormal brain processes and accompanying behavioral problems. The reader with interest in clinical applications is advised to consult both of these special issues to obtain a detailed account of disorders that can be evaluated with physiological measures.
