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Neuropsychology, Psychopathology, and Neuroscience: the Death of Dualism Inés Monguió Phd

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Neuropsychology, Psychopathology, and Neuroscience: the Death of Dualism Inés Monguió Phd Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism Inés Monguió PhD American College of Forensic Psychology San Diego, 2016 Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism Jurors, judges, you and I when asked to form an opinion regarding a criminal act, likely will contemplate the following: • “Was it him, or was it his circumstances? Was it him, or was it his brain? But what most people do not understand, despite the fact that naturalisOc philosophers and scienOsts have been saying it for centuries, is that there is no ‘him’ independent of these other things. Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism (Or, to be a bit more accommodang to the supernaturally inclined, there is no ‘him’ independent of these things that shows any sign of affecOng anything in the physical world, including his behavior.)” “Dualism fits naturally with libertarianism [i.e., belief in free will] because a mind disOnct from the body is precisely the sort of non-physical source of free will that libertarianism requires. “ (Greene and Cohen, 2004) Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism Explaining the Mind-Body Issue • Dualism: The belief that there are two separate and disOnct substances that make up a human being: mind and body. – Plato – ChrisOan doctrine & much of Western Civilizaon – Descartes res extensa (measurable) and res cogitans (non-physical, non-dimensional) Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • Res cogitans was the “soul” of pre- Enlightenment thinkers. So it was for Descartes. • In the 20th Century the stuff of res cogitans someOmes is referred to as “consciousness”. • Physicalism: Consciousness as an epiphenomenon of brain • Modern Trialism (Karl Popper, John Eccles) The “Hard” quesOon is always “HOW”? Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • HOW does the immaterial, non-dimensional, non-measurable “soul”, “psyche”, “mind”, res cogitan cause physical changes in the physical reality that is the brain? HOW does it cause behavior? Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism “Any mind to brain communicaon has to be compable with the natural laws, in parOcular with the principle of energy conservaon. Making the brain do things, like messing with synapses, takes work that the soul would have to perform and that has to be accounted for.“ (Koch, C. (2012), page 151) Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • Integrated informaon theory (IIT) in the late 20th and current 21st Century (Francis Crick, Giulio Tononi, Chirstof Koff). • Consciousness (Φ) exists in all and every system that possesses informaon that it integrates, and that creates new informaon of its own. The more informaon, the higher the Φ. Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • In our chosen specialty of Forensic Psychology we are asked to evaluate “fuzzy concepts” such as moOvaon, intent, understanding, appreciaon of consequences, veracity, prognosis of recidivism, psychopathology, extenuang circumstances, and so on. • Dualism seems to be at the root of many opinions and recommendaons I have read in reports by colleagues in forensic psychology. Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism Definions of Psychology - The scienOfic study of the human mind and its funcOons, especially those affecOng behavior in a given context. - The mental and emoOonal factors governing a situaon or acOvity. (Note the implicit dualism in the defini7on) Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism DefiniOon of psychopathology • The scienOfic study of mental disorders in order to understand their geneOc, biological, psychological, and social cause, course and treatment. Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism Definion of Neuropsychology -The study of the relaonship between behavior, emoOon, and cogniOon on the one hand, and brain funcOon on the other. - A science concerned with the integraon of psychological observaons on behavior and the mind with neurological observaons on the brain and nervous system Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism Definion of Forensic Psychology - As defined by the American Psychological Associaon, is the applicaon of clinical specialOes to the legal arena - The applicaon of clinical specialOes to legal insOtuOons and people who come into contact with the law ( Cronin, p. 5). - The applicaon of psychology to legal maers in a court of law. Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • Much press given to the neurosciences in the past 15 -20 years. • The Decade of the Brain was a designaon for 1990-1999 by U.S. president George H. W. Bush as part of a larger effort involving the Library of Congress and the Naonal InsOtute of Mental Health of the Naonal InsOtutes of Health "to enhance public awareness of the benefits to be derived from brain research". Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism Definion of Neuroscience - The interdisciplinary scienOfic study of the nervous system. It involves biology, chemistry, engineering, computer science, linguisOcs, mathemacs, medicine (in cluding neurology), genecs, philosophy, physics, and psychology. Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism “The growing role of neuroscienOsts in court means that neuroscienOsts should be aware of important differences between the scienOfic and legal fields, and, especially, how scienOfic facts can be easily misunderstood by non-scienOsts, including judges and jurors.” (Jones et al., 2013) ISSUE: Is a judge or jury able to define a “normal” brain? Since the brain causes all behavior, can any behavior be excused? How about NO behavior can be excused? Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • Mr. Weinstein, 1992, killed his wife and then threw her out the window from their Manhaan apartment to make it look like suicide. A subarachnoid tumor was found in his brain. The prosecuOon so feared the informaon going to the jury that Mr. Weinstein was allowed to plea to manslaughter. Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • Science aims to discover facts through inducOve and deducOve means that increase our collecOve knowledge of reality. • The law aims to pursue the ends of society’s values — with respect to orderly, producOve and just behavior. • Judge and jurors must always decide within a system of uncertainty. The more dire the consequences of their decision, the more that uncertainty must be reduced. Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • As expert witnesses in psychology or neuropsychology we must be constantly on the alert to – 1) IdenOfy our own propensity to separate “psyche” from “soma” in the evaluaon and in our conclusions – 2) Educate lawyers, invesOgators, judges and juries in considering factors important at the Ome of clarifying/concreOzing “fuzzy concepts” Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • Assess the individual in all spheres of funcOoning and of influence received • Consider all possible condiOons that must be ruled out, and thoroughly assess (personally or via well-coached invesOgators) • Insist on having access to all medical, school, and employment records available • Always quesOon your first impression by forcing yourself to come up with alternave explanaons for a symptoms or behavior Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism Known areas of the brain are involved in • Appreciaon of reward and punishment • Ascribing emoOonal valence to external events • EmoOonal responsiveness and aggression • Decision making • Reasoning • And many/all behaviors associated with lawful and unlawful behavior Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • Since all and any behavior has correlates in the brain, and the behavior of the brain correlated with external and internal behavior of the periphery, then it follows that at the Ome of assessing criminal behavior the psychologist must consider physical condiOons that may present with psychological or neuropsychological symptoms and condiOons. Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • “Physical” illnesses/condiOons with neuropsychological or psychological correlated symptoms: ! Migraines ! Porphyria ! Chronic Fague Syndrome ! Fibromyalgia ! Chronic Lyme Disease ! Hypoglycemia ! Hypothyroidism Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • “Physical” illnesses/condiOons with neuropsychological or psychological correlated symptoms, (cont.) ! Systemic Lupus ! Gulf War Syndrome and other chemical injuries ! Acute thiamine (vitamin B6) deficiency ! MulOple sclerosis ! Alzheimer’s disease and Pick’s disease, early ! HunOngton’s chorea, early ! Cushing’s syndrome Neuropsychology, psychopathology, and neuroscience: The Death of Dualism • “Physical” illnesses/condiOons with neuropsychological or psychological correlated symptoms, (cont.) ! ParOal complex seizures ! Accumulaon of toxins from severe liver or kidney disease ! Disturbances in electrolytes ( toolow sodium or too high calcium) ! Intoxicaon with heavy metals (lead, mercury, manganese) ! Exposure to pesOcides ! Menopausal and premenstrual syndromes ! Inhaled anesthesia Neuropsychology, psychopathology,
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