Bishop D V
MRC Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge, U.K.
Q J Exp Psychol A. 1997 Nov;50(4):899-923. doi: 10.1080/713755740.
Cognitive neuropsychology provides a theoretical framework and methods that can be of value in the study of developmental disorders, but the "dissociation" logic at the centre of this approach is not well suited to the developmental context. This is illustrated with examples from specific language impairment. Within the developing language system there is ample evidence for interaction between levels of representation, with modularity emerging in the course of development. This means that one typically is seeking to explain a complex pattern of associated impairments, rather than highly selective deficits. For instance, a selective impairment in auditory processing can have repercussions through the language system and may lead to distinctive syntactic deficits that are seen in written as well as spoken language. Changes in the nature of representations and in the relationships between components of a developing system mean that cross-sectional data at a single point in development may be misleading indicators of the primary deficit. Furthermore, traditional cognitive neuropsychology places a disproportionate emphasis on representational (competence) deficits, with processing (performance) deficits being relatively neglected. Methods for distinguishing these two kinds of impairment are discussed, as well as other approaches for elucidating the underlying nature of developmental disorders.
认知神经心理学提供了一个理论框架和方法，这些在发育障碍的研究中可能具有价值，但这种方法核心的“分离”逻辑并不十分适用于发育背景。这一点从特定语言障碍的例子中可以得到说明。在发育中的语言系统内，有充分证据表明表征水平之间存在相互作用，模块化在发育过程中逐渐出现。这意味着人们通常试图解释的是相关损伤的复杂模式，而不是高度选择性的缺陷。例如，听觉加工方面的选择性损伤可能会通过语言系统产生影响，并可能导致在书面语和口语中都出现的独特句法缺陷。发育系统中表征性质和各组成部分之间关系的变化意味着，发育过程中某一时刻的横断面数据可能是主要缺陷的误导性指标。此外，传统认知神经心理学过度强调表征（能力）缺陷，而相对忽视了加工（表现）缺陷。本文讨论了区分这两种损伤的方法，以及阐明发育障碍潜在本质的其他方法。
