Raymond Dean

Raymond S. Dean (September 24, 1946 – July 6, 2015) was an American psychologist who was the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Neuropsychology and Professor of Psychology at Ball State University.^[1]

Early history

He received a B.A. (Magna cum Laude) in Psychology and an M.S. in Psychological Research and Psychometrics from State University of New York at Albany. As a Parachek-Frazier Research Fellow, he was awarded a Ph.D. in school/child clinical psychology in 1978 by Arizona State University. His neuropsychological internship was at the Arizona Neuropsychiatric Hospital and postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Since that time, Professor Dean has been an active scholar in Neuropsychology and has held faculty appointments at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Distinguished Visiting Faculty of the NIMH Staff College, and Ball State University. Early on, Dean(1985a) stressed, the utility of neuropsychological assessment as a tool in the diagnoses and localization of brain damage.^[2] Yet he argued for the need for specificity of functions measured by these tests (e.g. memory).

1980s

Early in the 1980s, Dean argued that without a functional bases to tests the increase in scanning technology would have decreased the efficacy of neuropsychological assessment.^[3] His concerns were realized with both the sophistication and geometric growth of radiological scanning techniques over the past 30 years. These computer driven scanning devices such as the CT scan, and more recently the less invasive MRI,and fMRI have begun offered microscopic views of the soft tissue of the central nervous system that was not possible prior to the early 1970s when skull x-rays were the state of the art.

Dean stressed the importance of neuropsychological examinations which assesses individual functions, rehabilitation approaches as well as the method of defining adaptive behavior remaining following[ brain damage].^[4] Although definitive knowledge concerning the anatomical integrity of the brain may be available, individual differences are such that the specific prediction of behavioral, cognitive and emotional expression of a given lesion is rare. Moreover, Professor Dean portrayed the future of neuropsychological assessment as influenced this continuing need to understand the patient’s behavioral deficits and planning interventions. This was a clear departure from the traditional, atheoretical, accuracy bases seen in many long standing batteries. Dean’s concerns dovetailed with the work of Dr. Woodcock,^[5] Cattell^[6] and Horn^[7] known as (Gf-Gc theory) and later as the Cattell-Horn-Carroll Theory (CHC Theory)^[8] which is an empirically derived theory of multiple cognitive abilities. The Dean-Woodcock Neuropsychological Model integrated the CHC Information Processing Model and the foundations of neuropsychology measures.^[9] Neuropsychological functioning, according to this model represented an interaction of various cognitive,noncognitive,emotional and sensory motor functions. Thus, the Dean-Woodcock Neuropsychological Assessment Battery was adapted from the [Dean-Woodcock Model], integrating information processing features as a foundation for neuropsychology assessment.^[10]

Recent work

During his career, Dean published numerous articles, books and tests in Neuropsychology. Dr. Dean co-authored the Dean-Woodcock Neuropsychological Assessment System (Dean & Woodcock, 2001) and the Dean-Woodcock Neuropsychological Sensory Motor Battery.^[11] During his work Dean was elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association(Divisions: Clinical, Educational, School and Clinical Neuropsychology), the National Academy of Neuropsychology, and the American Psychopathological Association.

Dean remained clinically active, and held a Diploma from the American Board of Professional Psychology and the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology. He served as Director of the Neuropsychology Laboratory at [Ball State University] and Director of Neuropsychology, Indiana Neuroscience Institute, St. Vincent Hospital and Health Care Center. Professor Dean was the founder and editor-in-chief of both the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology and the Bulletin of the National Academy of Neuropsychology. He served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of School Psychology and edits the Journal of Head Injury. Dean was recognized for his accomplishments with the Lightner Witmer Award (A.P.A., Div. 16), an Outstanding Contribution Award from the National Academy of Neuropsychology, and the Richard E. Snow Research Award (APA, Div. 15). His accomplishments were recognized by the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the Journal of School Psychology, the Clinical Neuropsychology Division of APA, the [Lifetime Achievement Award in Neuropsychology] (National Association of School Psychologists), and the National Academy of Neuropsychology’s [President’s Medal of Achievement]. Professor Dean served as President of both the Clinical Neuropsychology Division of the APA and the National Academy of Neuropsychology.

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