Introduction To The Neuropsychology Of Women

It is becoming increasingly understood in the fields of medicine and neuropsy chology that health and illness are sex and gender specific in causation, response, and systems. The historical focus on sex- and gender-“neutral” research and care has contributed to current disparities among outcomes for women. Currently, contemporary models of professional training are increasingly inclusive of cultural competencies and also interdisciplinary in nature, with assessment of competency based upon observable outcomes (WHEO, 2008). The Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Women’s Health Care Competencies Project (APGO, 2008) is an example of a new systemic understanding that “by identifying and addressing gender inequalities throughout medical school curricula today, we will substantively improve women’s health in the future” (WHEO, 2008, p. 1). As the field of medicine moves toward the understanding of gender and sex differences in the prevention, diagnosis, management, and treatment of health disorders in an organized fashion, so should the field of neuropsychology. This volume of work, The Neuropsychology of Women, serves as an introduction for professionals to the issues surrounding differential diagnosis, assessment, research, and treatment of women with conditions that require neuropsychological inquiry.