Neuropsychology involves the study of specific psychological functions that can be directly linked to brain processes. Alexander Luria (1902–1977), one of the fathers of neuropsychology, studied brain-injured soldiers in World War II to determine how different kinds of brain damage impacted intellectual functioning. Modern neuropsychological research helps identify the specific psychological functions that are associated with specific patterns of brain activity. For example the encoding of information into long term memory is mediated by a brain area called the hippocampus.