Foundations of Neuropsychology Quiz

Incas, Egyptians, and Greeks made foundational contributions to neuropsychology. Incas practiced trepanation to observe effects of brain injury. Egyptians documented head injuries in medical texts. Greeks introduced systematic reasoning and written theories about the relationship between the mind, brain, and behavior, laying early scientific groundwork.

Greek scholars debated whether the heart or brain controlled behavior. Empedocles supported the cardiac hypothesis, believing the heart was central to thought and emotion. Alcmaeon argued the brain governed sensation and cognition, introducing one of the earliest brain-centered theories of behavior.

Aristotle believed behavior emerged from mental processes shaped by experience rather than fixed biological structures. He anticipated tabula rasa concepts, proposed hylemorphism, and supported the cardiac hypothesis. He viewed mind and body as working in parallel without localized brain functions.

Tabula rasa means “blank slate.” It refers to the idea that humans are born without innate mental content and that knowledge, behavior, and personality develop through experience and interaction with the environment rather than predetermined traits.

Herophilus was the first known physician to perform systematic human dissections. He identified brain structures, differentiated nerves, and believed the ventricles housed the soul, significantly advancing early anatomical and neurological understanding.

Erasistratus believed air entered the lungs and was transformed into vital spirit, which traveled to the brain and became animal spirit. This animal spirit then flowed through nerves to produce movement and behavior, linking respiration to action.

Galen argued that the brain controlled mental functions, opposing Aristotle’s heart-centered view. Despite strong evidence, Galen’s ideas were resisted for centuries due to Aristotle’s authority and religious support for mind–body separation.

Galen classified personalities based on stability. Stable types included sanguine and phlegmatic, while unstable types included choleric and melancholic. He linked temperament to bodily humors, influencing personality theory for centuries.

Modern neuropsychology follows the bio-psycho-social model, integrating brain structure and function, cognitive and emotional processes, and social functioning to understand behavior and rehabilitation outcomes.

Neuropsychology incorporates educational psychology, cognitive science, neuroimaging, and social psychology. These disciplines help explain learning, brain structure, neural activity, and social adaptation following neurological injury.

Descartes believed in dualism, separating mind and body. He viewed animals as mechanical and located the soul in the pineal gland, shaping early debates on consciousness and physiology.

Descartes chose the pineal gland because it is singular, centrally located, and not bilaterally represented. He believed this made it suitable as the interaction point between the immaterial soul and physical body.

Darwin and Wallace promoted materialism through evolutionary theory and common descent, suggesting nervous systems evolved across species. This shifted explanations of behavior toward biological mechanisms.

Gall and Spurzheim founded phrenology, proposing that mental abilities were localized in specific brain areas reflected by skull shape. Though incorrect, it influenced later localization research.

Stephen Gray demonstrated that living bodies could conduct electricity. His experiments showed biological tissues had conductive properties, laying groundwork for bioelectricity research.