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Unusual Cases of Memory Loss

Case Studies in the Neuropsychology of Memory, Alan J. Parkin (Ed.). 1997. Hove, UK: Psychology Press. 240 pp., $44.95.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2000

Elizabeth L. Glisky
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Abstract

In recent years, edited books presenting unusual case studies of neuropsychological disorders have appeared in the literature with increasing frequency. In general, I have found these books to be fascinating, illustrating the seemingly endless variety of ways in which damage to the nervous system can affect the cognitive functioning and the day-to-day lives of previously normal individuals. These volumes, which focus on the uniqueness or specificity of an individual neuropsychological deficit rather than on the commonality of dysfunction across individuals, always include at least some cases that are unlike any that I have previously encountered and almost always present some real surprises—cases that seem to defy easy explanation in terms of existing theories. In these respects, Case Studies in the Neuropsychology of Memory, edited by Alan Parkin, is no exception. The descriptions of the cases reported in the 10 chapters of this book are unique and intriguing. They are presented as stand-alone case studies without any cross-referencing to other cases in the book, which highlights their uniqueness. There is little in the way of editorial intrusion. A brief introduction tells us what to expect, provides some rationale for the selection of cases that appear in the book, and includes a sentence or two of the accepted theory that may be challenged by the reported case studies.

Type
BOOK REVIEWS
Copyright
© 2000 The International Neuropsychological Society

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