CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Psychopathology
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvances in Clinical Neuropsychology and Interplay with Mental Health in Several Health ConditionsView all 9 articles
Systemic Neuropsychology: Toward a Contemporary Theory of Topological Functional Systems
Provisionally accepted
- EAFIT University, Medellín, Colombia
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This article proposes a formalization of psychological functions as Topological Functional Systems, drawing on the historical–cultural tradition and functional systems theory, and integrating them with tools from contemporary topological dynamics. First, it reviews the theoretical foundations that conceive psychological activity as a systemic, dynamic organization oriented toward adaptive outcomes. It then develops a mathematical formalization that accounts for functional invariance under variable modes of execution and network reorganization. On this basis, the article derives clinical implications for neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation, emphasizing functional reorganization rather than localized deficit. Finally, it discusses the scope and limitations of the model in dialogue with current approaches in neuroscience and neuropsychology.
Keywords: Adaptative systems, anticipatory systems, Systemic Neuropsychology, topological dynamics, Topological Functional Systems
Received: 13 Nov 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Guiral. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Julián Andrés Guiral
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