My scientific interests include anxiety, grief, memory distortions, prospective memory, prediction, and memory consolidation. These areas inform both my therapeutic methodology and my academic supervision, particularly in understanding emotional–cognitive interactions within cognitive dysfunctions and disabilities.

• PhD student at the Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University; retired clinical specialist.

  
  

• Former clinical researcher at Region Uppsala and Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.

In my clinical work, I integrate neuropsychology and psychotherapy to address both emotional and cognitive health needs. Over time, this integrative practice has expanded into supervisory and lecturing roles. I am a senior clinical specialist in neuropsychology with extensive experience in psychiatry, neurorehabilitation, oncology, and cognitive assessment.

Published articles

Dimberg, U., & Karlsson, B. (1997). Facial reactions to different emotionally relevant stimuli. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 38(4), 297–303.

Karlsson, B., Almkvist, O., Annerén, G., et al. (2006). Psykisk ohälsa och tidig demensutveckling vid Downs syndrom. Rapportserien nr 42. Landstinget i Uppsala län. PDF

Karlsson, B. (red.) (2014). Metastudie. Behandlingsinsatser för personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning och problemskapande beteende. Sveriges habiliteringschefer. Evidensbaserad Habilitering EBH. 2011–2014 

Axmon, A., Karlsson, B., & Ahlström, G. (2016). Health care utilisation among older persons with intellectual disability and dementia: a registry study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 60, 12, s. 1165-1177.

Karlsson, Barry & Olsson, Karl (2020). Beteendeskattning av
Intellektuell Funktionsnivå – BIF. FoUU-enheten, Nära vård och
hälsa. Region Uppsala. PDF

Björkstrand, J., Karlsson, B., Rosén, J., Olsson, E., Åhs, F., Fredrikson, M., & Frick, A. (2020). High unconditioned stimulus intensity results in stronger threat conditioning than low intensity. Biological Psychiatry, 87(9, Supplement), S372.

Amiri, D., Karlsson, B., & Briziarelli, L. (2023) Review of Cell Therapy Approaches to Autism: A Review of Clinical Trial. J Vaccines Immunol8: 1103.

Guath, M., Kleberg, J. L., Weis, J., Widegren, E., Frick, M., Möller, S., . . . Frick, A. (2023). Pupil dilation during negative prediction errors is related to brain choline concentration and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Behavioural Brain Research, 436.

Amiri, D., Briziarelli, L., Tempesta, E., Danesh, H. R., Nadoushan, A. H. & Karlsson, B. (2025). Pharmacological interventions for emotional dysregulation in ADHD: a meta-analysis stratified by sex and ADHD subtypes. Middle East Current Psychiatry, 32(1).

Amiri, D., Amiri, S., Briziarelli, L., Madani, N., & Karlsson, B. (2025). 

Trading on Impulse: The Role of ADHD, Impulsivity, and Gender in Financial Risk and Investment Outcomes. Journal of ADHD And Care, Volume No: 1 Issue No: 2.

Amiri, D., Briziarelli, L., Shah, S.J., Amiri, S., Madani, N., & Karlsson, B. (2025). Central Stimulants in a Stressed Brain: Evidence
Synthesis of Benefits, Burnout Risk, and Clinical Safeguards in ADHD. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2026;22:1-10.

Amiri, D., Briziarelli, L., Shah, S. J., Amiri, S., & Karlsson, B. (2026). Premenstrual syndromes, emotional dysregulation and ADHD in women: A systematic review. Journal of Biology and Medical Research, 9(1), 110.

Published books and book chapters

Karlsson, B. (2018). Neuropsykoterapi - sex essäer om neuropsykologi, medvetande, emotion, minne och psykoterapi. OP-konsult AB.

Karlsson, B., & Hirvikoski, T. (2006). ADHD och neuropsykologi, Ur Utredning och diagnostik av ADHD hos vuxna. Psykologiförlaget.

Karlsson, B. (2011 + 2019). Tre kapitel i Nya Omsorgsboken, Liber Förlag:

• Kap 7. Psykisk ohälsa och intellektuell funktionsnedsättning
• Kap 8. Åldrande och demens vid intellektuell funktionsnedsättning
• Kap 20. Psykoterapi och specialpedagogiska program vid intellektuell funktionsnedsättning och autism
• Nytt kapitel i nyutgåva 2019 om Handledning.

Unpublished specialist thesis (or in preparation)

Karlsson, B., & Nyman, H. (2002). The Rey Complex Figure Test as a measure of strategy selection, incidental memory, and psychomotor speed. Stockholm University. (English translation of an article originally published in Swedish in 2002.) English version PDF.

Karlsson B, Lindahl B, & Almkvist O. (2010). Behavioural symptoms in adults with Down’s syndrome suspected for development of dementia.(unpublished)

Karlsson, B. (2025). Grief as a process of cognitive reorientation and disruption of prospective memory. Uppsala University. [Part of an upcoming academic monograph]. Link to the grief site in the blog section.

Karlsson, B. (2026). Memory Reconsolidation Mechanisms in Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Translational Neurobiological Framework. Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden. Manuscript in preparation.

Karlsson, B. (2026). Disrupted Predictive Processing and Prospective Memory in Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Neurocognitive Framework. Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden. Manuscript in preparation.

Karlsson, B. (2026). Neural Systems Underlying Persistence and Recalibration in Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Systems-Level Neurobiological Model. Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden. Manuscript in preparation.

Karlsson, B. (2026). Time and Grief: Multi-Scale Temporal Disruption in Hierarchical Predictive Systems. Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden. Manuscript in preparation.

Supervisor of Specialist Theses

Olsson, K. (2014). Överensstämmelse mellan psykometriska respektive anhörigskattade mått på episodiskt och semantiskt minne hos personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning och bedömd demenssjukdom. Examensuppsats Psykologprogrammet.

Schiessling, M. (2017). Åldersrelaterade förändringar av adaptiva funktioner hos personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning med och utan Downs syndrom. Specialistuppsats, Sveriges Psykologförbund.

Janson, T., & Kuzmicki, Y. (2020). Beteendeskattning av adaptiv funktion hos ungdomar med psykosocial problematik. Specialistuppsats, Sveriges Psykologförbund.

Olsson, K. (2020). Bedömning av kognitiv och adaptiv funktion med Beteendebaserad skattning av Intellektuell Funktionsnivå (BIF): En valideringsstudie av personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. Specialistuppsats, Sveriges Psykologförbund.

Posters