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Role and Scope of Neuropsychology in Pakistan

Submitted by:

Tasleem Khalil

Student ID: Fa2020-BSAP-052

Submitted to:

Ms. Madeha Naz

June 20, 2023

Department of Psychology,

Lahore Garrison University, Lahore.

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Role and Scope of Neuropsychology in Pakistan

Neuropsychology is that branch of psychology that is concerned with how the brain and rest of the
nervous system influence a person’s cognition and behaviors.

The field emerged through the work of Paul Broca and Carl Wernicke , both of whom identified sites
on the cerebral cortex involved in the production or comprehension of language.

 Neuropsychology is scientific in its approach.

 It is closely related to cognitive psychology in that it also considers the mind as information
processing system
 Closely related to cognitive science.
 It is considered eclectic.
 Neuropsychology overlaps with some areas of neuroscience.
 It is also closely associated to philosophy of mind.
 It of course associates closely with neurology.
 However, psychiatry draws a lot from neurology.
 By using artificial neural networks it is considered close to computer science also.

Roles of Neuropsychologists.

 Neuropsychologists often called on by neurologists or other physicians to help establish or

rule out particular diagnosis.
 They make predictions regarding prognosis for recovery.
 Intervention and Rehabilitation ( Their role is to coordinate the cognitive and behavioral
treatment of patients who have shown cognitive and behavioral impairment as a result of
brain dysfunction or injury).
 Evaluation of patients with mental disorders to help predict the course of illness as well as to
help tailor treatment strategies of patients’ strength and weaknesses.
 Neuropsychologists use batteries of tests to triangulate the brain’s functioning and through
that triangulation, determine whether the brain is functioning as it should.
 Neuropsychologists also conduct research to determine the link between behavior and the
brain. To determine this link, they utilize lab animals and evaluate people.

Scope in Pakistan

Where can Neuropsychologists work in Pakistan?

 Clinical (Private or Professional) – diagnose and treat individuals suffering from

neuropsychological problems. Some neuropsychologists can work privately or work in-house
for corporations, the government, or research companies
 Hospitals, rehabilitation centers, clinics – clinical neuropsychologists work with medical
doctors and other health care practitioners to diagnose and treat individuals
 Academic – conduct research at universities, laboratories, or research institutes
 Industrial – function as product design consultants
 Forensic or legal – serve as forensic consultants
 Pharmaceutical settings – advise and consult on the development of drugs that could affect
central nervous system function

Neuropsychologist Careers include

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With a rapid increase in mental health related cases, and more people becoming aware of the
mental-health issues arising, they seek help from a psychologist, hence the demand for the
Neuropsychologists is on the rise since the past few years, and it continues to be so. There are many
employment/job types in the field of Neuropsychology which include:

1. Clinical Neuropsychologists -They are specifically trained to handle the assessment of the
human brain.
2. Neuropsychologist Professor-Neuropsychologists Professors and teachers are interested in
the academic research surrounding the brain and have a desire to teach it to students.
3. Neuropsychology Researcher-Helps psychologists and health care professionals better
understand how, why, and to what extent brain dysfunction occurs.
4. Forensic Neuropsychologists – They are professionals trained to contribute to solving legal
issues.
5. Cognitive Neuropsychologists –These professionals mainly focus on the association among
the brain and functions such as memory, attention, perception, body language, planning,
and others.
6. Pediatric Neuropsychologists –Pediatric neuropsychologists are trained to differentiate the
brain and behavior of newborns and children.

Neuropsychologist Salary in Pakistan

The average pay for a Neuropsychologist is PKR 2,924,979 a year and PKR 1,406 an hour in Pakistan.
The average salary range for a Neuropsychologist is between PKR 2,006,536 and PKR 3,574,325.

References

Benton AL, Sivan AB (March 2007). “Clinical neuropsychology: a brief history”. Disease-a-Month. 53
(3): 142–147. Doi:10.1016/j.disamonth.2007.04.003

Finger S (1994). “History of Neuropsychology”. Neuropsychology. Elsevier. Pp. 1–28.

Doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-092668-1.50007-7. ISBN 978-0-08-092668-1.

Posner MI, DiGirolamo GJ (November 2000). “Cognitive neuroscience: origins and promise”.
Psychological Bulletin. 126 (6): 873–889. Doi:10.1037/0033-2909.126.6.873

https://www.erieri.com/salaryreport/researcher