This paper is devoted to illustrating how process neuropsychology and neurolinguistics, based on microgenetic theory androoted in process thought, can help to explain the often baffling symptomatology of brain damage. Our purpose is to present an overview of this difficult and complex subject matter for readers, with particular emphasis on its creative potential. The essence of microgenetic theory in neuropsychology is an account of the phases in brain process through which successive mind/brain states arise and perish over the duration of the psychological present, measured in milliseconds. According to the theory, mental states are rhythmically generated out of a “core” in the anatomically deepest and phylogenetically oldest parts of the central nervous system, over phases to the outermost and youngest regions of the brain, the neocortex. The clinical applications are only one aspect of the creative potential of microgenetic theory. Indeed, the elegance of the theory consists in the way in which it can be extended into a number of different fields of endeavor, providing a kind of “unified field theory” for the explanation of often rather diverse phenomena. This provides an opportunity for neuropsychology and neurolinguistics to resume the interdisciplinary discourse they were founded to conduct.
When a child is born with a deformed face, his/her social environment is quickly confronted with a change which undoubtedly favours numerous over-generalizations. Children with craniofacial microsomia anomalies (CFCs) may experience less social support, more rejection and make them withdraw from their social life more frequently. The purpose of this research study is to show how children with craniofacial hypoplasia abnormalities is perceived by their close relatives. The sample of this study consisted of 26 participants (F=16; M=10). This research study was conducted using the following questionnaire methods: the Scale of Over-Generalization Effect by K. Milska and A. Mański (SOGE), modified Own Health Assessment Scale method (SOWC) and the Authors-Designed Questionnaire (ADQ) to obtain information on the issue. A child's illness always affects a variety of family life spheres. Most of the surveyed women did not experience any complication during pregnancy or childbirth. Unfortunately, after their child was diagnosed, most adults were not offered getting in contact with a psychologist / psychiatrist / psychotherapist. Some relatives - after the birth of a child with craniofacial microsomia (CFM) - reduced their working hours or gave up work completely in order to take care of the child. The most urgent needs for this child's illness reported by adults most often referred to educational and financial matters. At the time of this research study, most of the respondents (61%) - upon the birth of a child with CFM - considered it plausible to enlarge their family. As a result of the conducted research studies, new variable systems (a type and character of dysmorphia, closeness - distance) were identified, which may be a relevant element to facilitate research studies on the perception of children with body deformities by their environment. In the characteristics of a child with CFM, it was shown that his/her close relatives evaluate the child positively. Family members apply constructive strategies for coping with the child's illness, however, the research study results indicate the legitimacy of introduction of psychological and psychiatric consultations for close relatives to the standards of CFM child treatment.
Perception is one of the psychological operations that can be analyzed from the point of view of microgenetic theory. Our study tests the basic premise of microgenesis theory – the existence of recurrent stages of visual information processing. The event related potentials in two variants of a cued GO/NOGO task (contrasting images of Animals and Plants in the first variant, and contrasting images of Angry and Happy faces in the second variant) were studied during the first 300 ms following stimulus presentation. The independent component analysis was applied to a large collection of ERPs. The functional independent components associated with visual category discrimination, comparison to working memory, action initiation and conflict detection were separated. Information processing in the ventral visual stream (the temporal independent components) occurs at two sequential stages with positive/negative fluctuations of the cortical potential as indexes of the stages. The first stage represents the comparison of the pure physical features of the visual input with the memory trace. The second stage represents the comparison of more sophisticated semantic/emotional features with the working memory. The two stages are the results of interplay between bottom-up and top-down projections in the visual ventral stream.
Arnold–Chiari I malformation is a congenital malformation of the hindbrain characterized by displacement of the cerebellar tonsils into the foramen magnum, pressure on the fourth ventricle, and decreased fluid flow to the basal cisterns. It is a mild form of the neuro-cranio-vertebral syndrome (Arnold–Chiari syndrome) because in many cases it is asymptomatic or has few clinical signs and symptoms of mild severity. The case study presented in the article concerns a 16.5-year-old patient with Arnold–Chiari I malformation following surgery. Based on the neuropsychological diagnosis, clinical symptoms that might result from the course of structural and functional changes in the hindbrain in Arnold–Chiari I syndrome were described and explained. The following were observed: selective difficulties in planning and concentration (maintaining the direction of action) and a weakening of visual perception (described by the patient as a subjective state of derealization). The results of the neuropsychological diagnosis point to certain practical implications for the further therapeutic treatment of patients with a mild form of Arnold–Chiari I malformation, especially as there is a risk of clinical symptoms changing over time due to the posibility of progressive neurodegenerative changes in the hindbrain.
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