Enrollment year
2022/2023
Academic discipline
M-PSI/02 (PSYCHOBIOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY)
Department
DEPARTMENT OF BRAIN AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Course
PSYCHOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE AND HUMAN SCIENCES
Curriculum
PERCORSO COMUNE
Period
2nd semester (30/01/2023 - 16/06/2023)
Lesson hours
36 lesson hours
Activity type
WRITTEN AND ORAL TEST
Prerequisites
No prerequisites related to legal and forensic knowledge are required.
Instead, a review of the knowledge related to the neurobiological correlates of behavior is recommended. Knowledge of the cognitive and emotional processes that characterize the healthy individual is necessary. Knowledge and understanding of the neural architecture and of the main behavioral disorders and neuropsychological syndromes related to the damage of brain regions and circuits is also required.
Previous knowledge refers to the “Physiological Psychology” and “Neuropsychology and Cognitive Rehabilitation” courses in the Bachelor program.
Learning outcomes
The course is part of the program of cognitive neuroscience and will provide knowledge of the physiology and pathology of the human cognitive-behavioral processes, both in the clinical and the forensic field. Various topics of interest for neuropsychology will be treated, with both theoretical and research implications as well as therapeutic applications. Students will acquire theoretical knowledge related to the legislative and ethical fields mainly focusing on the interaction with neuroscience. The students will be trained to critically consider problematic aspects of this interaction concerning the different semantic codes and the difficult process to produce interdisciplinary documents such as expert reports. The aim is to specify the role of neuropsychology in the civil and penal legal field. The students will also be provided notions concerning diagnostic and rehabilitative techniques in particular settings (for example remotely).
Course contents
Basic Clinical and Forensic Nuroscience
Interaction between the patient and the neuropsychologist
Tests and Scales of Cognitive and Forensic Neuropsychology
The problem of simulation: how to understand this behavior?
Physiological and pathological aspects of emotions: symptoms and diagnostic tools
Legal aspects in Forensic Neuropsychology
Capacity of discernment / free will / decision making
Entitlement to drive: a complex cognitive concept – the problem of dementia
Neuroethics and Neuroscience
Good Clinical Practice
The course will provide theoretical concepts, examples of the principal behavioral and instrumental tools (neuroimaging) and will also include presentation of emblematic cases.
Teaching methods
The course is mainly taught via frontal lectures, partially held by experts in their respective fields. It also contemplates the elaboration and interpretation of scientific papers, and the practice of learnt skills through the discussion of real-life clinical cases.
Reccomended or required readings
Scientific papers relative to the various discussed topics, among which literature reviews, legal cases and research reports
Assessment methods
The exam will be held as an oral examination with a grade between 0-30.
The examination will focus on any of the subjects explained during the lectures and in the course manuals.
The grade will be decided based on the completeness of the students’ answers, on their ability to argue and critically apply the knowledge learned during the course to real and/or realistic cases. The assessment will also take into account the student's exposition and the general degree of clarity in the answer.
Further information
When possible, the course will be held face-to-face. Alternatively, it will be carried out through the Zoom.Us platform, except for the students' end-of-course presentations that will take place in person.
Sustainable development goals - Agenda 2030