Description
This volume illuminates the interplay among biological, psychological, and social-contextual processes in the development of prevalent clinical problems. Bruce F. Pennington explains the variety of methods used to investigate the mind-brain connection, including behavioral and molecular genetics, studies of brain structure and function, neuropsychology, and treatment studies. Shedding light on where mental disorders come from, how they develop, and why they are so common, the book also examines the implications for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
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Bringing a neuroscientific perspective to the topic, Pennington (psychology, U. of Denver) develops a theoretical framework of psychopathology that proposes four interlocking and interacting levels of analysis: genetic and environmental mechanisms, brain mechanisms that alter the developmental process, the neuropsychological processes that are disrupted, and the symptom or surface level of the pathological condition. Disorders of motivation, disorders of action regulation, and disorders of language and cognitive development are explored, with discussion of current analysis methods and possible future methods developed from his theoretical model. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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