Neuropsychology of Space: Spatial Functions of the Human Brain

The Neuropsychology of Space: Spatial Functions of the Human Brain summarizes recent research findings related to understanding the brain mechanisms involved in spatial reasoning, factors that adversely impact spatial reasoning, and the clinical implications of rehabilitating people who have experienced trauma affecting spatial reasoning. This book will appeal to cognitive psychologists, neuropsychologists, and clinical psychologists. Spatial information processing is central to many aspects of cognitive psychology including perception, attention, motor action, memory, reasoning, and communication. Any behavioural task involves mentally computing spaces, mechanics, and timing and many mental tasks may require thinking about these aspects as well (e.g. imaging the route to a destination).

• Discusses how spatial processing is central to perception, attention, memory, reasoning, and communication
• Identifies the brain architecture and processes involved in spatial processing
• Describes theories of spatial processing and how empirical evidence support or refute theories
• Includes case studies of neuropsychological disorders to better illustrate theoretical concepts
• Provides an applied perspective of how spatial perception acts in the real world
• Contains rehabilitation possibilities for spatial function loss

Albert Postma obtained his PhD at Nijmegen University in 1991. Subsequently he moved to Utrecht University. He now holds the chair of Clinical Neuropsychology, Utrecht University and is head of the Department of Experimental Psychology. Over the past two decades, his research has focused on spatial cognition and human memory in both healthy and brain damaged individuals. Much of this work has been inspired by the EU NEST Fp6 program “Finding your way in the world – on the neurocognitive basis of spatial memory and orientation in humans” (Wayfinding) for which Albert Postma was coordinator. Another line of his spatial cognition research has focused on multisensory space and what happens to spatial cognitive abilities after sensory deprivation (blindness; deafness). Albert Postma has been editor for the memory and learning section of Acta Psychologica for several years, as well as guest editor for special issues on spatial cognition of Neuropsychologia and Acta Psychologica.

Ineke van der Ham obtained her Bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology at Erasmus University Rotterdam. She continued her studies at Utrecht University where she obtained her Master’s degree in cognitive neuroscience. In 2006 she started as a PhD student at the department of experimental psychology at Utrecht University. In her PhD work she mainly focused on the hemispheric lateralization patterns typically found in spatial relation processing. In 2009 she was a visiting research fellow at Harvard University. In 2010 she finished her dissertation entitled: Thinking left and right, neurocognitive studies on spatial relation processing. In 2010-2015 she was employed as an assistant professor neuropsychology at Utrecht University. Since 2015 she is an assistant professor neuropsychology at Leiden University. In her current research, she focuses mainly on the neurocognition of navigation ability and navigation impairments. She is developing diagnostic and training tools, making use of virtual reality and serious gaming techniques.