Psychology of typical and atypical development

STEFANO LASAPONARA
GASPARE GALATI

Knowledge and understanding:
The course will provide students with a solid knowledge base on the fundamental and historical principles
of neuropsychology, i.e., the study of the cognitive effects of brain injury to understand the functional
structure of the mind, as well as its specific diagnostic and rehabilitation purposes. Students will learn in-
depth about the main cognitive and emotional-motivational deficits caused by brain injuries or
dysfunctions, including their clinical features, diagnostic modalities and the main interpretative models
adopted. In addition, they will have the opportunity to learn about research methodologies and assessment
and intervention tools.
Applied knowledge and understanding
Students will acquire the necessary skills to extrapolate relevant information from anamnestic information
and observation of the behaviour of patients with cognitive disorders caused by brain injury. They will also
be able to describe and interpret patient behaviour using appropriate specialist terminology, identify
proper diagnostic tools and write brief neuropsychological assessment reports.
Autonomy of judgement
Students will learn how to judge patient behaviour and make diagnostic choices based on limited
information. They will be able to justify their decisions and discuss their limitations critically.
Communication skills
Students should be able to clearly and specifically summarise the results of behavioural observations and
diagnostic tools. Furthermore, they will be able to communicate the results of an evaluation in oral and
written form, adapting the communication to the interlocutor's knowledge and the evaluation process's
aims.
Learning skills
Students will develop instrumental and research skills to acquire further knowledge in neuropsychology.
They can use targeted literature searches to further the topics covered in the classroom.

Knowledge and understanding: The course will provide students with a solid knowledge base on the fundamental and historical principles of neuropsychology, i.e., the study of the cognitive effects of brain injury to understand the functional structure of the mind, as well as its specific diagnostic and rehabilitation purposes. Students will learn in-depth about the main cognitive and emotional-motivational deficits caused by brain injuries or dysfunctions, including their clinical features, diagnostic modalities and the main interpretative models adopted. In addition, they will have the opportunity to learn about research methodologies and assessment and intervention tools.

Applied knowledge and understanding: Students will acquire the necessary skills to extrapolate relevant information from anamnestic information and observation of the behaviour of patients with cognitive disorders caused by brain injury. They will also be able to describe and interpret patient behaviour using appropriate specialist terminology, identify proper diagnostic tools and write brief neuropsychological assessment reports.

Autonomy of judgement: Students will learn how to judge patient behaviour and make diagnostic choices based on limited information. They will be able to justify their decisions and discuss their limitations critically.

Communication skills: Students should be able to clearly and specifically summarise the results of behavioural observations and diagnostic tools. Furthermore, they will be able to communicate the results of an evaluation in oral and written form, adapting the communication to the interlocutor's knowledge and the evaluation process's aims.

Learning skills: Students will develop instrumental and research skills to acquire further knowledge in neuropsychology. They can use targeted literature searches to further the topics covered in the classroom.

The course assumes students to be familiar with an approach to psychology as a scientific discipline based on empirical measurements, experiments, and the discussion of theories and models, and to hold a solid background on fundamental themes of general psychology and behavioral science methodology. Elementary notions about macroscopical neuroanatomy, basic neurophysiology, and neurotransmission, are absolutely necessary. These prerequisites will be assessed during the lectures at the beginning of the course. Students who do not hold these requisites may integrate their background using the materials suggested on the course site on the Sapienza e-learning platform.

The first part of the course will introduce the theoretical and methodological bases of neuropsychology, its historical evolution, the place of neuropsychology as a research field within neurosciences, and its clinical applications. In particular: birth and history of neuropsychology; cerebral localization of psychical functions; theoretical and methodological foundations of neuropsychology; research methods in neuropsychology; neuropsychological assessment and diagnosis; recovery and rehabilitation of neuropsychological deficits.
The second part of the course will cover the main neuropsychological deficits from the clinical point of view, and their explicative models, both in a historical perspective and relative to the most recent advances of cognitive neuroscientific research. In particular: deficits of oral and written language; deficits of motor planning; perceptual, attentional, and spatial and body representation deficits; deficits of memory and executive functions; dementia.

Gianfranco Denes, Luigi Pizzamiglio, Cecilia Guariglia, Stefano Cappa, Dario Grossi, Claudio Giuseppe Luzzatti;
Manuale di neuropsicologia: Normalità e patologia dei processi cognitivi. Zanichelli - Terza edizione (2019). ISBN: 9788808220967

Or: Giuseppe Vallar, Costanza Papagno; Manuale di neuropsicologia. Il Mulino (2018). ISBN: 9788815278708

Reference bibliography is available on the course e-learning page.

Lectures will be regularly alternated during the course with active discussions: we will present and discuss clinical cases and we will practice on observing and assessing behavioral deficits of brain damaged patients.

Regularly attending lectures is strongly recommended.

Oral exam about all the topics covered during the course

Aphasia, apraxia, attentional disturbances, neglect, dyslexia, acalculia, amnesia, dysexecutive syndrome, dementia