Luria-Tsvetkova’s Legacy in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation with New Clinical Applications: the Case of Psychiatry

Background. Psychiatry needs a methodological revolution that increases the effectiveness of its intervention. As Bluma Zeigarnik has argued, this revolution would involve a psychological discussion in mental health and illness. All the new proposals would be important and welcome. The therapeutic interventions in psychiatry and mental health, developed in recent decades and guided by Luria-Tsvetkova’s legacy, seem especially pertinent. The proposal for neuropsychological rehabilitation based on a systemic and dynamic orientation, developed by A.R. Luria and L.S. Tsvetkova, and supported by the Historical-Cultural Psychology of L.S. Vygotsky, is internationally recognized as having the greatest effectiveness in patients with brain injury. During the 1980s and 1990s, their followers, namely Janna M. Glozman and Tatiana V. Akhutina, developed the application of this methodology to children with specific learning difficulties. Also with excellent effectiveness. Objective. The aim of this article is to explore the possibilities of using neuropsychological rehabilitation methods in treating psychiatric patients and illustrating methodologies in use along with the evolution of clinical cases. Study Participants. The article examines three individual cases of patients with avoidant disorder, panic disorder and bipolar personality disorder. Methods. Analysis of individual cases was applied to assess the effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation methods in psychiatric patients. Results. Over the last two decades, guided by Luria-Tsvetkova’s legacy in neuropsychological rehabilitation, and supported by the guidance of other authors from the same school including P.Y. Galperin, the use of neuropsychological rehabilitation in psychiatric patients has become a reality. Specifically, in cases of anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, and, as illustrated in this article, in personality disorders, including those from clusters A, B and C, there may also be benefits from the same methodology, which was previously either underutilized, or perhaps never attempted. Conclusions. Neuropsychological rehabilitation has demonstrated significant effectiveness in psychiatric patients. Specifically, results greater than 90% (Quintino-Aires, 2022), compared to 20% to 30% with transcranial magnetic stimulation (Steuber, McGuire, 2023) where observed in obsessive compulsive disorder.