Sections

Introduction. The sphere of the unconscious includes many phenomena that have a strong influence on human behaviour and cognitive activity. Although the importance of taking into account the unconscious is evident to most psychotherapists, its role is visibly underestimated in neuropsychology. In this regard, the present state of research on brain organization of unconscious processes is of interest.

Objective. The review aims to describe the current state of research on brain mechanisms of the unconscious. 

Procedure. The present paper describes a variety of unconscious phenomena. It also outlines widespread points of view on the correlation between consciousness and unconscious and discusses the freewill problem. The question posed is whether the research programme of neuropsychology allows studying the unconscious phenomena. The study analyses the subject matter of neuropsychology and discusses the historical change of A.R. Luria’s views on psychology of the unconscious. The paper describes the studies of brain mechanisms underlying a variety of unconscious manifestations that have been conducted within different psychological schools. The aim is to consider the essential principles of neuropsychological research of the unconscious.

Conclusion. In foreign neuroscience there are numerous studies in the field of brain mechanisms of unconscious processes. Up to now, the leading positions in the sphere are taken by neuropsychoanalysis and cognitive neuroscience. In Russian neuropsychology the unconscious is barely investigated because it does not comply with the traditional research object, that is, the higher mental functions. However, in the current conditions, the research programme of neuropsychology allows studying the unconscious. The paper highlights the advantages of investigating the unconscious phenomena from the neuropsychological standpoint considering its evolutionary purpose.

Background. Neuropsychological diagnosis and rehabilitation are among the fundamental practical tasks facing a clinical psychologist in accordance with applicable legal documents. The modern rehabilitation system is a partnership between patients with brain injuries, their families and various specialists involved in the rehabilitation process. Sick patients and their family continue living in the society of other people, and they have to solve issues of social interaction in a new status and with new limited opportunities. Cognitive and emotional, psychological and behavioural problems are interconnected, and neuropsychological rehabilitation should be appeal to all these problems.

The Objectives of the paper are: analysing and generalization of diagnostic and rehabilitation experience accumulated in neuropsychological rehabilitation; identifying of quality criteria for neuropsychological diagnosis and rehabilitation of patients with impaired cognitive functions in brain injuries, which should be followed by a practicing clinical psychologist in the process of rehabilitation work.

Results. Based on the analysis of applied research and practical guidelines, the recommended diagnostic tools for identifying thinking disorders are presented, the main directions and methods of rehabilitation work with thinking disorders that have been shown to be effective, including the organization of the dynamics of thought processes, the organization of the operational side of thinking, the organization of the regulatory side of thinking.

Conclusion. The findings can sustain practical work of a clinical psychologist with patients with disturbed thinking and brain damage. The findings outline the main directions of diagnostic and rehabilitation work for the practicing psychologist.

Background. Registration and analysis of bioelectric activity of the brain while performing the mental task allows us to obtain objective information about the physiological processes of the brain.

The Objective of the paper is to analyse session dynamics of changes in Theta rhythm(4-8 Hz), Delta rhythm (1-3.99 Hz), as well as slow (0.99-0.1 Hz) biorhythms of the human brain by registering the spectrum of the difference function of bioelectric activity (FBA) in the process of positional computer game.

Design. The efficiency of positional computer game of 65 female subjects in the age range of 18-58 years was analyzed. In 7 players in the course of four sessions of the game, the bioelectric activity of the brain in the range from 8 Hz to 0.13 Hz was studied.

Results. It is shown that the difference function of bioelectric activity at the significance level p=0.05 differs for each hemisphere in the frequency range. The changes in the frequencies of excitation (maxima) and inhibition (minima) of the difference function of bioelectric activity of the brain with an increase in the number of game sessions in each hemisphere in the ranges of theta, Delta and slow rhythms are revealed. A psychophysiological model of the player’s operations is proposed, which is consistent with the obtained data. The Statistica 10.0 package was used for statistical analysis.

Conclusion. In the final sessions of the positional computer game, the activity of the left hemisphere is reduced than the right one. As the strategy of the game has already been tested, the main elements of the game are already in memory, the novelty is almost absent. This is consistent with the transition from a successive (step-bystep) method of information processing to a simultaneous (one-step) analysis of the game position, which is characterized by rapid automatism in decision-making and performance.

Background. The influence of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) on mental functions is not given a proper account in modern neurology and neuropsychology. The data published provide information on the state of higher mental functions (HMF) and on disturbances of the psychological well-being of children and adolescents after MTBI. The analysis of research materials in this area provides data on disorders associated with both local and cerebral symptoms, which form a diverse picture of cognitive and behavioural disorders.

The Objective is to study HMF in adolescents of 10-14 years old after TBI of mild severity as part of the methodology of neuropsychological syndrome analysis (Luria, 1973). Design. The study is based on the original set of techniques designed by A.R. Luria. We focused on assessing the status of various HMF components (motor areas, gnostic areas of memory and intelligence). We also studied the mental activity in its regulatory and dynamic aspects. The population included 31 patients with MTBI and 20 healthy subjects.

Results. The analysis of the results showed that violations of HMF in the acute period were represented by three types of syndromes. The leading place in each syndrome is occupied by deficiency symptoms of non-specific brain structures.

Conclusion. The information obtained enriches the knowledge of neuropsychology about the patterns of development of brain systems and related mental functions in adolescence, and also allows one to choose more suitable options for rehabilitation effects aimed at improving the adaptation of patients, enhancing their quality of life, and preventing negative consequences of MTBI.

Introduction. The Taylor Complex Figure (TCF) technique is one of the neuropsychologist’s tools and is used to diagnose children after 4 y.o. and adults for assessing visual spatial characteristics, visual constructive skills and visual memory.

However, the lack of quantitative standards for using the Taylor method obtained within the Russian sample makes it difficult to apply it both in research and in practical work.

The Objective is to obtain age standards of the “Taylor Integrated Figure” technique on children 4–17 years old, and also to validate it according to the results of a neuropsychological examination.

Procedure. The study used the quantitative approach to assess the “Taylor Integrated Figure” children of 4–17 years. Each of the 18 elements of the figure was evaluated by the quality of the pattern and the correctness of the placement in space. The figure obtained by copying the original image and the figure reproduced by memory 20 minutes after copying were separately evaluated. Additionally, a qualitative assessment of the figures was carried out according to the level of development of metric and structural topological representations. The study involved 377 children, of which 243 boys and 134 girls aged from 52 to 214 months (average age - 117 ± 42 months).

Results. The nonlinear dependence of the estimated indicators on age was found. Age standards for the implementation of the technique for 5 age groups (4–5, 6–7, 8–9, 10–12, 13–17 years) were calculated. Indicators of the complexity of working with each element of the figure were obtained. Based on the analysis of the success ratio of the simplest and most complex elements of the figure, a mathematically grounded threshold for making a decision on the presence of aggravation has been proposed. The validity of the technique was assessed based on the results of a neuropsychological examination. It is shown that the technique to the greatest extent measures structural and spatial functions and visual memory in children under 13 years, it has low discriminant validity with respect to other neuropsychological characteristics. The substantive validity of qualitative assessments and quantitative indicators is in many respects the same, while quantitative indicators are about 1.5 times more strongly associated with the results of neuropsychological diagnostics.

Conclusion. Analysis of the predictive ability of logistic regression models indicates the possibility of applying the technique for screening diagnostics at school. The method allows separating children without neurocognitive deficiency from those who need to undergo a full neuropsychological examination.

The paper analyzes the work of Russian and foreign scholars devoted to the role of cross analyzer cooperation in developing and implementing mathematical abilities. Crossmodal interaction is considered as an additional category of neuropsychological analysis that allows to extend the existing ideas about the psychological structure and brain providing the mathematical ability. There are data that confirm the relevance of studying the interaction of the senses. Many of the research on this issue are carried out using the synesthesia which is considered a rare phenomenon. However, both Russian and foreign works suggest that the interaction of analyzers is not characteristic only to those whose brain is synesthetic. The joint work of the senses is characteristic of every person since his/her childhood, and is an obligatory condition for cognitive processes.

Cross analyzer synthesis is assumed to play an important role in producing spatial representations and the ability to intuitively perceive the notion of quantity (evolutionary foundations of mathematical ability). On the brain level, these processes are provided primarily by functioning of parietal and tertiary cortical areas located at the junction of cortical analyzer areas and also temporal areas that border on the parahippocampal brain area.

When dealing with school mathematics the structure of mathematical abilities is changing due to verbal and symbolic representations of numerical coding. Dealing with symbols opens up new opportunities, but it also narrows the spectrum of modalities involved in doing mathematical sums. Thus, the ability to re-encode information from one modality to another after school mathematics is perceived has an impact on the efficacy of mathematical activity. Doing mathematical sums is accompanied by crossmodal interaction that occurs on the unconscious level.

Some problem conditions may be efficiently processed in one modality, others may be solved in other modality.

Apparently, the ability to various crossmodal re-encoding patterns varies considerably from person to person. The effectiveness of crossmodal interactions may determine the severity of certain components of mathematical abilities and influence successful solutions of the corresponding types of mathematical problems.

The psychophysical research (N=106) on loudness distinction of tonal signals (method 2AFC) has been carried out. Applying the principle of subject`s activity and qualitative analysis to traditional psychophysical research was accomplished in the frameworks of differential psychological approach in psychophysics. The influence of self-regulation (questionnaires: HAKEMP-90, Style of behaviour self-regulation, Self- organization of behavior) on sensory sensitivity index A’ was observed. The relationship between loudness distinction effect and self-regulation processes mediating the sensory task decision were revealed. Applying the theoretical principle of subject`s activity to traditional psychophysical research was accomplished in the frameworks of differential psychology approach in psychophysics (A.N. Gusev). The idea of stimuli variation uncertainty results in appropriate transformation of the functional organ (A.N. Leontiev, A.A. Ukhtomskiy) that is relevant to sensory discrimination task performance.

This research studies the effect of long-term cognitive load on developimg fatigue on a range of subjective, behavioural (reaction time) and electrophysiological (individual alpha rhythm), fatigue index parameters in carriers of various polymorphisms of DRD2 genes. Mental fatigue was modeled as a result of continuous cognitive tasks aimed at using attention and working memory for 2.5 hours.

The sample included 51 subjects (male right-handers, the average age - 20 ± 4 years) whose genetic analysis was conducted and polymorphism options of DRD2 gene Taq1A (A1A1, A1A2 and A2A2) were identified.

The research results show that such load significantly affects almost the entire complex of indicators. Significant differences were found between the polymorphisms carriers A1A1 and A1A2 and A2A2 of DRD2 gene polymorphism in the reaction of choice, and also in fatigue index, which reflects the ratio of slow brain rhythms to fast. The results show the positive role of dopamine in developing fatigue.

Group of A2A2 («A1») polymorphism carriers was assumed to show lower fatigue, characterized in SVMR and PB significantly slower reaction time, and before and after long-term cognitive load, compared with carriers of polymorphisms A1A1 and A1A2 (« A1 + «).

Notably, the dynamics of error increase within all polymorphisms is the same, and genotype number of errors does not vary before or after fatigue. The dynamics of reaction time after the exhaustion of all SNPs is approximately the same. This means that polymorphisms are different not only in dynamics of fatigue but physical predisposition to sensory information processing.

The paper studies the connection of the lateral features in the manual, auditory, visual fields, and their interaction with the mathematical abilities in adolescence. The research involved 92 healthy people including 17 males and 75 females aged 15 to 25 years (18,7 ± 2,2), who do not major in mathematics. To measure the components of mathematical ability the standardized math test MAAGS-2015 to reveal arithmetic, algebraic, geometric abilities was used. Diagnosis of hemispherical asymmetry was performed using self-reports of manual asymmetry, M.Annette standardized questionnaire modification, samples of «Interlocking fingers,» «Napoleon’s Pose», «Applause», «Aiming», Rosenbach’s test and dichotic listening. When comparing the features with lateral components of mathematical ability to incorporate asymmetries possible interaction of different analyzers was considered.

The research results reveal that different lateral characteristics are significant predictors for the different components of mathematical abilities; some lateral symptoms are not related to mathematical ability. The greatest predictive power belongs to sensory asymmetries and their interaction. In general, the highest mathematical abilities are observed in patients with right and bilateral signs, left-sided symptoms often reveal negative predictors. The interaction asymmetries between different analyzers manifested in unequal due to the mathematical abilities indicators lateralization in the same field in different versions of lateralization in the other. Cross-lateralization in most cases is a negative predictor of mathematical abilities. The models based on the interaction between the lateral features allow to explain more than a quarter of the variability of the components of mathematical abilities. The predictive ability of these models is significantly higher than that of models with individual predictors.

The article describes the results of the investigation of the mechanisms of logical-grammatical constructions comprehension in students 7-8 y.o. with and without language acquisition disorders. Computer-administered tests were used to assess the ability to comprehend logical-grammatical constructions, as well as the tests of serial organization of speech and movement (traditional and computer-based) and the tests for assessment of the level of visual-spatial perception strategies. Neuropsychological syndrome analysis allowed to conclude that the difficulties of logical-grammatical constructions comprehension are linked to the deficit of visualspatial perception, which is the common point of view for Russian neuropsychology. 

Also, the experimental evidences were found, that the understanding of logicalgrammatical construction is closely linked to the serial organization of speech and movements. The character of this connection differs from the character of the connection between the understanding of logical-grammatical constructions and the level of visual-spatial strategies perception, which highlights that these two groups of functions provide different contributions to the process of comprehension of grammatically complex sentences. These findings are interpreted using the theory of systemic dynamic localization of higher mental functions by Vygotsky-Luria, the model of the three levels of language organization by A.R. Luria and the model of the three levels of syntax by T.V. Akhutina. It is considered that the operations of grammatical re-structuring of complex sentences ontogenetically relate closely to the functions of serial organization of movements and develop on the neighbouring anatomical substrate (posterior parts of frontal cortex). The other aspect of the process of logical-grammatical constructions comprehension, which includes finding of the «reference point», and generation of asymmetrized «quasi-spatial» structure of the sentence, where the thematical roles are assigned, is linked in the same way to the functions of visual-spatial perception and the anatomical substrate of these functions (temporal-parietal-occipital zone).

The paper deals with a complex of issues relating to the current state and use of the category of “syndrome”, which until recently has been inclusive within the field of professional medical use and clinical psychology. However, since late 20th century, this category has been more and more often used when describing the specific manifestations of human psyche in the particular circumstances of life and activity with the absence of disease symptoms and presented a huge list of so-called “psychological syndromes” of the norm. In this connection, there arise a number of issues concerning the relations of new approaches to understanding the category of “syndrome” with past performances, and also research methodology, which determines task setting, the unit of analysis of human psyche and psychological syndrome-making determinants. The authors assume the answer to these questions lie in the methodology by L.S.Vygotsky and further syndrome analysis method by A.R. Luria. The paper provides a brief history of the notion of “syndrome” and its transition from medical study to psychology with the developed meaning based on the structure of higher mental functions in the neuropsychological paradigm. The basic structural components of the syndrome in system-dynamic relationship are discussed. Special attention is paid to the problem of “factor” as a common syndrome-making state which integrates symptoms into hierarchically organized circuit. Various aspects of the categorization are discussed, i.e. whether it belongs to the norm or pathology.

In the context of the syndrome approach development prospects, new issues of polycausativity syndrome appear in relation to the classical paradigm, with compensatory symptoms, the need for statistical data verification, the role of individual supervision and others to be further included into the paradigm. The main current approaches of studying different syndromes using the potential of the Russian methodology of syndrome analysis, the basic principles of postnonclassical model of scientific rationality are considered.

RAN / RAS test (Rapid Automatized Naming / Rapid Alternating Stimulus) has been used successfully used by many psychologists, primarily to predict the risk of dyslexia, as it includes a language component and requires good visual-verbal connections. However, The research demonstrates that the low speed of naming is an effective indicator of neurocognitive problems of information processing as a whole (learning difficulties in general), not just reading difficulties. This can be explained in two ways: disturbance of executive mental control and the difficulties of automatization: the difficulties of the transition from a controlled energy-consuming assignment to a less energy-consuming one. The second interpretation describes the problems of energy resources of cognitive functioning. It is similar to weak maintenance of cortical structures activation. However, using the test mentioned herewith for assessing functions of activation regulation has not been described previously.

In terms of the Luria’s three functional units of the brain theory the RAN / RAS test can be considered as sensitive to the weakness of the first unit, whose function is to maintain the activity of cortical structures. So the aim of the research is to prove the possibility of assessing the activation regulation using the RAN / RAS test. This issue is relevant because neuropsychological tools for determining the weakness of Unit I functions are not quite sufficient, while the problem of “energetic” unit ranks first in the frequency of occurrence in children with learning disabilities.