Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/748893
Bulletin vol. 30 no. 2 | 5 Editor's Corner As the Editor of the NAN Bulletin, I am happy to present to you our latest issue, with a focus on secondary influences on neurocognitive test performance. Secondary influences are the result of something associated with brain injury or disease besides the specific areas of the brain affected. These can be contrasted to primary influences, which are the direct result of the extent and location of damage to the brain. In the Professional Issues section of this NAN Bulletin, three experts in the field address core issues of interest in the area of secondary influences that are relevant to practitioners. These include sleep, response expectancies, and depression. All of these factors can have a significant impact on cognitive test performance, something practitioners should be keenly aware of as they proceed with their clinical evaluations. As with other recent issues, to enhance translation of the research reviewed to clinical practice, each article in this section includes several clinical take home points. The Student Corner section of the Bulletin includes a discussion by a current doctoral student from Australia about her experience as a graduate student at her university there. Readers will find this to be very interesting, as it provides a nice cross-cultural window into her experience there. In the Journal Section, a recent article published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society is reviewed that focuses on neuropsychological functioning in veterans with PTSD and its impact on cognitive functioning, as well as performance validity, comorbidities, and functional outcomes. This article dovetails nicely with the secondary influences theme of this issue. Finally, we have again included a Special Topics section in this issue that includes two pieces of practical significance. One article presents a pilot study on the potential usefulness of webinars in the educational process for neuropsychologists, and the other reviews a recent FDA workshop on medical devices involving cognitive assessment (e.g., computerized cognitive batteries) and non- invasive brain stimulation (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation) that readers should find of great interest. Of note, Dr. John Randolph has continued to serve as Associate Editor of the Bulletin, and was instrumental in working with me on completing this issue. We also appreciate the continued help from the members of the NAN Publications Committee, and welcome the new chair of this committee, Dr. Lee Ashendorf, who provided valuable input on the contributions to this issue. Peter Arnett, Ph.D., Professor & Director of the Neuropsychology of Sports Concussion and MS Programs at Penn State University NAN Bulletin Editor Opinions expressed by the authors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the position of the National Academy of Neuropsychology. Peter Arnett, Ph.D., NAN Bulletin Editor Does Executive Function Training Improve Outcomes of a Behavioral Weight Loss Program? A Pilot Study Rachel Galioto, Ph.D. | Rhode Island Hospital Cognitive and Affective Contributors to Financial Capacity and Financial Capacity Awareness Preeti Sunderaraman, Ph.D. | Columbia University Medical Center Clinical Research Grants Program 2016 Recipients