Course syllabus

Course title Case Studies in Neuropsychology

Instructor’s name Ewa Malinowska, PhD.

Contact details ewa.malinowska@psych.uw.edu.pl

Affiliation Faculty of Psychology, Universit of Warsaw

Course format Class

Number of hours 30h

Number of ECTS credits 3 ECTS

Brief course description During the course you are going to get a chance to discuss case studies of patients suffering, among others, from neuropsychological conditions such as: agnosia, executive dysfunction, mild and severe brain injury; epilepsy, neurotoxicity and degenerative disorders. Discussing the cases, some very important issues of neuropsychological assessment and examination are going to be introduced as well.

Full course description During the course you are going to be familiarized with and get a chance to discuss case studies of patients suffering from a number of conditions: aphasia, amnesia, agnosia, executive dysfunction, mild and severe brain injury; haemorrhages; epilepsy, neurotoxicity and degenerative disorders. Some of the conditions - mentioned above - have already been briefly discussed during “The basic issues in neuropsychological assessment” course; this course is a chance to deepen knowledge not only about assessment methods used in clinical practice, but also to get a much wider perspective and holistic approach when it comes to working with neuropsychological patients. While discussing the cases, some very important issues of neuropsychological examination such as interview, test selection and interpretation procedures are going to be introduced as well.

Learning outcomes After completing the classes students are expected to be able to give appropriate information when it comes to neuropsychological patient approach such as: patient’s and family interview; way of selecting the methods and tests for the assessment; communicating the results of the assessment. Student’s are expected as well to be familiarized with the way of presenting case studies in neuropsychology and reading with understanding scientific articles concerning the discipline.

Learning activities and teaching methods

Students can expect discussions based on lecturer as well as their own case studies presentations (scientific articles readings). Some patients’ impairments will be illustrated with an appropriate video recordings. During the final exam they are expected to propose appropriate patient’s case study evaluation and assessment (written form essay).

List of topics/classes Detailed neuropsychological assessment of the patients suffering from

Aphasia (expressive, receptive, nominal, conduction aphasia etc.) (4h)

Amnesia (4h)

Agnosia (autopagnosia, prosopagnosia, hemineglect syndrome) (4h)

Executive dysfunctions (2h)

Mild and severe brain injuries, hemorrhages, epilepsy (4h)

Neurotoxic conditions, infections of CNS (4h)

Neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s, Huntington’s diseases, MS) and dementia (slowly and rapidly progressing types) (6h)

Split brain operations; life with a half of a brain (2h)

Presentations summarizing the most crucial aspects of the particular case studies and their condition are going to be presented by the lecturer; detailed readings are going to be introduced for each case study during classes

Selected titles: APHASIA:

Blumennfeld, H. (2010). Higher-Order Cerebral function. In: H. Blumennfeld: Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases. (2nd edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers. Sunderland, Massachusetts. (chapter 19)

Code, Ch., Wallesch, C. W., Joanette, Y., Lecours, A. R. (Eds) (2009). Classic cases in Neuropsychology. Hove and New York: Psychology Press: Talor & Francis Group (chapters: 4, 12, 22)

Doidge, N. (2007). Midnight resurrections. Stroke Victims Learn to move and speak again. The brain that changes itself. Stories of personal triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. Pengiun Books. (chapter 5)

Lezak, M.D, Howieson, D. B., Loring D. W., Hannay, H. J., Fischer, J. S. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. (4th edition). New York Oxford: Oxford University Press (selected pages)

Ogden, J. A. (2005). The Breakdown of language: Case Studies of Aphasia. In: Ogden, J. A. Fractured minds. A case-study approach to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press (chapter 5)

Ramachandran, V. S. (2012). The Power of Babble: The evolution of language. In: V., S. Ramachandran: The tell-tale brain. Unlocking the mystery of human nature. Windmill Books (chapter 6)

Sacks, O. (2010). Recalled to life. In: S., Oliver: The mind’s eye. Picador (pages: 32-52)

AMNESIA:

Blumennfeld, H. (2010). Limbic System: Homeostasis, Olfaction, Memory, and Emotion . In: H., Blumennfeld :Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases. (2nd edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers. Sunderland, Massachusetts (chapter 18)

Corkin, S. (2014). Permanent present tense. The man with no memory, and what he taught the world. Pengiun books.

Ogden, J. A. (2005). Marooned in the Moment: H. M., a Case of Global Amnesia . In: Ogden, J. A. Fractured minds. A case-study approach to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press (chapter 3)

Parkin, A., J. (2009). H.M.: The Medial Temporal Lobes and Memory . In: Ch. Code, C. W. Wallesch, Y. Joanette, A. R. Lecours (Eds). Classic cases in Neuropsychology. Hove and New York: Psychology Press: Talor & Francis Group (chapter 23)

AGNOSIA:

Blumennfeld, H. (2010). Cerebral Hemispheres and Vascular Supply. In: H., Blumennfeld :Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases. (2nd edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers. Sunderland, Massachusetts (chapter 10)

Mattingley, B., J. (2009). Paterson and Zangwill’s (1944) Case of Unilateral Neglect: Insights from 50 years of Experimental Inquiry. In: Ch. Code, C. W. Wallesch, Y. Joanette, A. R. Lecours (Eds): Classic cases in Neuropsychology. Hove and New York: Psychology Press: Talor & Francis Group (chapter 13)

Lezak, M.D, Howieson, D. B., Loring D. W., Hannay, H. J., Fischer, J. S. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. (4th edition). New York Oxford: Oxford University Press (selected pages)

Ogden, J. A. (2005). Fractured minds. A case-study approach to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press (chapters: 6, 7,8)

Ramachandran, V. S. (2012). Loud Colors and hot babes: synaesthesia. The tell-tale brain. Unlocking the mystery of human nature. Windmill Books (chapter 3)

Sacks, O. (2010). The mind’s eye. Picador (pages: 3-31, 82-143) EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTIONS:

Doidge, N. (2007). Using plasticity to stop worries, obsessions, compulsions, bad habits. In: N., Doidge: The brain that changes itself. Stories of personal triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science.

Pengiun (chapter 6)

Lezak, M.D, Howieson, D. B., Loring D. W., Hannay, H. J., Fischer, J. S. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. (4th edition). New York Oxford: Oxford University Press (selected pages)

Ogden, J. A. (2005). The Impaired Executive. A case of Frontal Lobe Dysfunction. In: Ogden, J. A. Fractured minds. A case-study approach to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press (chapter 9)

MILD AND SEVERE BRAIN INJURIES, HEMORRHAGES, EPILEPSY:

Blumennfeld, H. (2010). Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases. (2 nd edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers. Sunderland, Massachusetts. (chapters: 5, 10, 14)

Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself. Stories of personal triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. Pengiun Books (chapters: 5, 7)

Lezak, M.D, Howieson, D. B., Loring D. W., Hannay, H. J., Fischer, J. S. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. (4th edition). New York Oxford: Oxford University Press (selected pages)

Ogden, J. A. (2005). Fractured minds. A case-study approach to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press (chapters: 4, 10, 11, 12)

NEUROTOXIC CONDITIONS, INFECTIONS OF CNS:

Doidge, N. (2007). Imagination. How thinking makes it so. In: N, Doidge: The brain that changes itself. Stories of personal triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. Pengiun Books (chapter 9)

Ogden, J. A. (2005). Twenty Years too Late: Organic Solvent Neurotoxicity. In: Ogden, J. A. Fractured minds. A case-study approach to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press (chapter 13)

NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES (Parkinson’s, Huntington’s diseases, MS) and DEMENTIA (slowly and rapidly progressing types):

Doidge, N. (2007). Turning our ghost into ancestors. Psychoanalysis as a Neuroplastic Therapy. In: N, Doidge: The brain that changes itself. Stories of personal triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. Pengiun Books (chapter 9)

Lezak, M.D, Howieson, D. B., Loring D. W., Hannay, H. J., Fischer, J. S. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. (4th edition). New York Oxford: Oxford University Press (selected pages)

Ogden, J. A. (2005). Fractured minds. A case-study approach to

Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press (chapters: 14 - 17)

SPLIT BRAIN OPERATIONS; LIFE WITH HALF OF A BRAIN:

Ogden, J. A. (2005). Fractured minds. A case-study approach to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press (chapters: 18-19)

Sauerwein, H. C., Lassonde, M. (2009). Akelaits’ Investigations of the First Split-brain Patients. In: Code, Ch., Wallesch, C. W., Joanette, Y., Lecours, A. R. (Eds). Classic cases in Neuropsychology. Hove and New York: Psychology Press: Taylor & Francis Group (chapter 21)

Ramachandran, V. S. (2012). The tell-tale brain. Unlocking the mystery of human nature. Windmill Books (chapters: 7-9)

Assessment methods and criteria

Every week, at home, student/s is/are asked to prepare a short presentation (e.g. case study summary), based on books’ chapters and articles pointed by the instructor, later presented in front of the class (up to 20% of the final mark)

Students are asked to read selected texts, pointed out by the instructor, before the classes and then to take active part in classes, especially during discussions devoted to different methods of assessment (up to 10% of the final mark)

Before the end of the classes students will be asked to propose methods of assessment and their predicted outcome for patients with particular impairments (20%).

Every participant is obliged to take a written test which is going to be carried out during the last class (50% of the final mark).

Attendance rules Four absences without an excuse are allowed. In case of additional absence with excuse, student is going to be asked to complete additional work

Prerequisites Introduction to Clinical Neuropsychology and Basic Issues in Neuropsychological assessment are required . This course is only for 5th years students.

Academic honesty Students must respect the principles of academic integrity. Cheating and plagiarism (including copying work from other students, internet or other sources) are serious violations that are punishable and instructors are required to report all cases to the administration.

Basket NA, course is part of the clinical psychology specialization, track neuropsychology

Remarks