Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe
Associate Professor
Ph.D. University of Memphis, 1994
Contact Information:
Email: schmitter-e@wsu.edu
Office: Johnson Tower 312
Phone: (509) 335-0170
Websites:
Traumatic Brain Injury Research Laboratory
Classes Taught:
Psychology 198: Honors Introductory Psychology
Psychology 363: Psychology and Aging
Psychology 537: Clinic Assessment Practicum
Psychology 575: Foundation of Neuropsychology
Research Interests:
Clinical and Cognitive Neuropsychology
Automaticity, Implicit Learning and Memory, Working Memory, Skill Learning, Inhibitory Processes and Rehabilitation Issues in Normal and Abnormal (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's dementia) Aging Populations and in Closed-Head Injured Patients
My research focuses on evaluating attention, memory, and executive functioning issues in both neurological normal (i.e., both young and older adults) and clinical populations (e.g., traumatic brain injury, Mild Cognitive Impairment and dementia). The long-term goal of my research program is to bridge basic science research with remediation techniques. My studies are designed to answer questions of both theoretical and practical importance. For example, at a practical level we have been assessing skill learning and evaluating how well standardized neuropsychological tasks predict the home, work, and school reintegration of survivors of severe traumatic brain injuries. We have also been studying the following facets of memory: metamemory, prospective memory, temporal order memory, and memory performance predictions. At a theoretical level, we have been employing a model-based cognitive science approach that goes beyond assessment of the presence or absence of cognitive disabilities, to specify at a more foundational level the nature of the deficits. This approach is important because identifying mechanisms that may underlie the residual performance deficits of persons with neurological disorders could promote better cognitive remediation programs for these patients, as well as assist in the development of models linking brain function and behavior. To this end we have employed cognitive science paradigms to assess implicit and explicit learning and memory, working memory, inhibitory processes, focused and divided attention, semantic priming, and the development of automaticity.
Selected Publications :
Schmitter-Edgecombe, M., & Kayne, M. (in press). Costs of predictable switch between simple cognitive tasks following severe closed-head injury. Neuropsychology.
Pavawalla, S. & Schmitter-Edgecombe, M. (in press). Long-term retention of skilled visual search following severe closed-head injury. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.
Chaytor, N. S., Schmitter-Edgecombe, M., & Burr, R. (2006). Improving the ecological validity of executive functioning tests: Environmental demands and compensatory strategies. Archives of Neuropsychology, 21, 217-227.
Schmitter-Edgecombe, M. (2006). Implications of basic science research for brain injury remediation: A focus on intact learning mechanism. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 21, 131-141.
