History of Neuropsychology in Russia

Abstract

This chapter considers major milestones in the history of Russian neuropsychology by describing the main principles of Lurian neuropsychology and their applications in the study of memory and language disorders. The chapter describes Lurian typology of aphasias and explains the influence of Lurian neuropsychological principles on the further development of neuropsychology in Russia. This chapter discusses the work of Luria and Vygotsky as an integrative whole. The development of their neuropsychological theories is discussed from a handful of fundamental precepts, as well as their principal manifestations and practical applications. After a historical summary of their lives and works, the chapter introduces their theory of higher cognitive functions (HCFs) and presents its two most fundamental postulates. The chapter examines the diagnostic method known as syndrome analysis and shows its application to the aphasias and amnesias. Lastly, it describes how these principles and practices were applied to neurorehabilitation and cognitive remediation.