Clinical neuropsychology: Prospects and problems

The relationships between test performance, cognitive constructs, and underlying neurological status are examined. It is concluded that, while there are many tests that are sensitive to dysfunction in a given cortical area few are specific to such dysfunction. This is particularly true in the case of behavioral functions mediated by the frontal lobes. Modern clinical neuropsychology represents a fusion of experimental and correlational approaches in both research and practice. A serious time lag exists in the execution of seminal research and its application in clinical practice. The use of small collaborative data banks in reducing this time lag is discussed.