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 Printable version |
The paradox of singular and plural identity : a novel paradigm and a new challenge for neuropsychology |
Revue de neuropsychologie. Volume 4, Number 1, 9-23, Mars 2012, Point de vue
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 Résumé
Article gratuit
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Author(s) : Francis Eustache |
Summary : This article has two main objectives, one specific and the other more general. Based on a review of clinical, experimental and theoretical studies covering different fields, the first aim is to discuss the links between memory, consciousness and personal identity (or “Self”) and their impairments in dementia, in particular in Alzheimer's disease at a severe stage. This step requires a thorough examination of the concepts in light of philosophy, cognitive neurosciences and diverse branches of psychology because, in spite of (and maybe due to) the many studies on the Self over the past few years, its terminology remains imprecise and sometimes confusing. Some pertinent findings are highlighted in this article, and possible areas of research, but there lacks today a consensual model, sufficiently broad to assemble the different concepts in a coherent whole and explain the structural and functional organization of personal identity in its relation to consciousness and memory. This reference is crucial to propose a structured framework to provide health care to patients with a modified personal identity. This field generates specific problems to clinical researchers and it is particularly important to identify them accurately. Finally, this particular situation helps to illustrate a broader thought, which is the second aim of this article, on the practice of clinical neuropsychology. Alongside a diagnostic approach where it keeps an essential position, the area of health care of patients with a modified personal identity is presented as an opportunity to intensify a reorientation of neuropsychology towards treatment and structured health care of patients in their everyday environment. Some ethical considerations, in relation to the philosophy of care, are intrinsically linked to this therapeutic activity, and are also proposed to feed this thought. |
Keywords : identity, self, memory, consciousness, ethics, epistemology |
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