Cognitive neuroscience

Educational objectives

This course aims to promote students’ theoretical and practical competences to get knowledge of the main theoretical models in the study of temperament and personality-related characteristics across the life-span, with particular attention to the role of individual differences in those interventions which goal is promoting well-being and preventing maladjustment across the life-span.
Expected learning goals are: competences in critical comprehension of theoretical models in Psychology of temperament and personality across the life-span, competences in the identification and analysis of individual differences in temperament and personality across the life-span, competences in preparation and management of universal intervention promoting well-being and preventing maladjustment.
Frontal lessons will promote students’ knowledge of basic principles that guide them in identifying indicators connected with individual differences’ examination aimed to promote well-being and prevent maladjustment across the life-span. In addition, students will have the opportunity to examine in depth recent studies about temperamental factors and personality development, as well as about the most effective universal evidence-based interventions.
Moreover the laboratory activities offers students the opportunity to acquire advanced practical knowledge that refers to the assessment procedures, as well as to the analysis of individual cases. Consistently with dimensional approach, the students will examine the main tools for assessing personalities and the different types of personality profiles associated with adaptive and maladaptive functioning.
The laboratory therefore guarantees the acquisition of practical and technical skills in the area of ​​personality assessment in health, labor and legal forensic issues. Attendance at workshop classes is mandatory.
Specific aims. Knowledge and comprehension: passing the exam guarantee to be able to comprehend and to handle scientific tools to evaluate temperament and personality dimensions, as well as evidence-based intervention programs. Skills to apply knowledge and comprehension: passing the exam guarantee to be able to identify the indicators to evaluate personality across the life-span, and to be able to plan intervention programs directed to children, adolescents, and adults. Independent judgment: passing the exam imply getting the capacity to critically evaluate theoretical models and evaluation tools, being able to recognize correspondent advantages and disadvantages. In addition, passing the exam promotes capabilities related to planning promotion and prevention intervention programs. Those skills are acquired during the lessons through students’ exposure to scientific reports and case-studies on personality profiles during frontal lessons, during in-class group activities and also during laboratory activities. Communicative skills: passing the exams imply the capacity to effectively use communicative tools to present profiles and scientific reports focusing on temperament and personality factors. Learning skills: passing the exam imply acquisition of transverse learning skills that will allow students to examine theoretical and practical models, and related intervention programs, in depth across the course of their professional and academic career. Such learning skills are acquired during this course, with particular emphasis – especially during frontal lessons – to the discussion on theoretical models and profile analysis, and the presentation of alternative methods to prepare and to write promotion and prevention intervention programs and proposing - in the laboratory - case studies of children, adolescents and adults.

Educational objectives

Foreign students may use part of the available credits (6 CFU) to acquire linguistic knowledge in Italian enabling a B2 level.

Educational objectives

General objectives

The course provides theoretical foundations to understand perceptual and cognitive processes as well as methodological know-how to concretely investigate them. The mechanisms sustaining perception and cog-nition will be interpreted as stages within an information-processing pipeline. In this respect, the course will explain empirical phenomena observed in psychophysics and cognitive sciences research, in the context of computational models of cognition. The course will endow students with analytical tools to interpret be-havioural measures and their limits, as well as reflect upon the inherently probabilistic nature of behaviour and decision-making. These concepts and tools will be presented in the context of healthy younger and older adults. Students will be encouraged throughout to develop critical thinking skills such that they could judge and effectively compare current models of information processing using psychophysical evidence in signal detection, recognition theory and more broadly evidence in the cognitive domains of perception, at-tention, and memory.

Specific objectives

Knowledge and understanding

Students will acquire basic knowledge of classical psychophysical and attention-based paradigms, and ru-diments about signal detection theory as well as understand their implications to threshold models and to control mechanisms of overt and covert attention. They will learn to contextualize these concepts within major modelling frameworks of the human mind. Thus, emphasis will be placed on students' learning to in-terpret how measures of human behaviour can be explained in terms of models.

Applying knowledge and understanding

During the laboratory, students will acquire practical skills mostly pertaining to the application of Signal De-tection Theory; learn to build and interpret graphical visualization of the data and understand how such data needs to be interpreted such that consistent and coherent conclusions are achieved. They will also learn to design experimental protocols to examine perceptual and cognitive processes; formulate hypothesis-drive predictions and select the best model that accounts for the empirical data.

Making judgments

By actively participating in frontal lectures and practical laboratory activities, students will learn to interpret behavioural measures and draw conclusions on the perceptual and cognitive domains involved in the spe-cific tasks examined.

Communication skills

Throughout the course, students will learn written and oral scientific communication skills. To do so, they will be required to write brief reports about papers assigned along the course, and critically discuss them in the class. In such “convince me” class discussions, students will learn to critically present scientific com-munications, i.e., journal papers, such that they will be able to introduce the rationale of a scientific study, present the results therein and draw critical conclusions about them, i.e., show strength and weaknesses. To complete the course students will be required to individually complete a short literature review present-ing conclusions to the class and so, consequently, acquire skills to prepare and communicate scientific in-formation to an audience.

Learning skills

Besides basic manuals about the topics, students will be requested to read key scientific papers. This expe-rience will foster their skills in autonomous reading of scientific literature, developing critical analyses, draw-ing conclusions and, possibly, also future directions about research on human cognition.

Educational objectives

General objectives

The course provides theoretical foundations to understand perceptual and cognitive processes as well as methodological know-how to concretely investigate them. The mechanisms sustaining perception and cog-nition will be interpreted as stages within an information-processing pipeline. In this respect, the course will explain empirical phenomena observed in psychophysics and cognitive sciences research, in the context of computational models of cognition. The course will endow students with analytical tools to interpret be-havioural measures and their limits, as well as reflect upon the inherently probabilistic nature of behaviour and decision-making. These concepts and tools will be presented in the context of healthy younger and older adults. Students will be encouraged throughout to develop critical thinking skills such that they could judge and effectively compare current models of information processing using psychophysical evidence in signal detection, recognition theory and more broadly evidence in the cognitive domains of perception, at-tention, and memory.

Specific objectives

Knowledge and understanding

Students will acquire basic knowledge of classical psychophysical and attention-based paradigms, and ru-diments about signal detection theory as well as understand their implications to threshold models and to control mechanisms of overt and covert attention. They will learn to contextualize these concepts within major modelling frameworks of the human mind. Thus, emphasis will be placed on students' learning to in-terpret how measures of human behaviour can be explained in terms of models.

Applying knowledge and understanding

During the laboratory, students will acquire practical skills mostly pertaining to the application of Signal De-tection Theory; learn to build and interpret graphical visualization of the data and understand how such data needs to be interpreted such that consistent and coherent conclusions are achieved. They will also learn to design experimental protocols to examine perceptual and cognitive processes; formulate hypothesis-drive predictions and select the best model that accounts for the empirical data.

Making judgments

By actively participating in frontal lectures and practical laboratory activities, students will learn to interpret behavioural measures and draw conclusions on the perceptual and cognitive domains involved in the spe-cific tasks examined.

Communication skills

Throughout the course, students will learn written and oral scientific communication skills. To do so, they will be required to write brief reports about papers assigned along the course, and critically discuss them in the class. In such “convince me” class discussions, students will learn to critically present scientific com-munications, i.e., journal papers, such that they will be able to introduce the rationale of a scientific study, present the results therein and draw critical conclusions about them, i.e., show strength and weaknesses. To complete the course students will be required to individually complete a short literature review present-ing conclusions to the class and so, consequently, acquire skills to prepare and communicate scientific in-formation to an audience.

Learning skills

Besides basic manuals about the topics, students will be requested to read key scientific papers. This expe-rience will foster their skills in autonomous reading of scientific literature, developing critical analyses, draw-ing conclusions and, possibly, also future directions about research on human cognition.

Educational objectives

General objectives

The course provides theoretical foundations to understand perceptual and cognitive processes as well as methodological know-how to concretely investigate them. The mechanisms sustaining perception and cog-nition will be interpreted as stages within an information-processing pipeline. In this respect, the course will explain empirical phenomena observed in psychophysics and cognitive sciences research, in the context of computational models of cognition. The course will endow students with analytical tools to interpret be-havioural measures and their limits, as well as reflect upon the inherently probabilistic nature of behaviour and decision-making. These concepts and tools will be presented in the context of healthy younger and older adults. Students will be encouraged throughout to develop critical thinking skills such that they could judge and effectively compare current models of information processing using psychophysical evidence in signal detection, recognition theory and more broadly evidence in the cognitive domains of perception, at-tention, and memory.

Specific objectives

Knowledge and understanding

Students will acquire basic knowledge of classical psychophysical and attention-based paradigms, and ru-diments about signal detection theory as well as understand their implications to threshold models and to control mechanisms of overt and covert attention. They will learn to contextualize these concepts within major modelling frameworks of the human mind. Thus, emphasis will be placed on students' learning to in-terpret how measures of human behaviour can be explained in terms of models.

Applying knowledge and understanding

During the laboratory, students will acquire practical skills mostly pertaining to the application of Signal De-tection Theory; learn to build and interpret graphical visualization of the data and understand how such data needs to be interpreted such that consistent and coherent conclusions are achieved. They will also learn to design experimental protocols to examine perceptual and cognitive processes; formulate hypothesis-drive predictions and select the best model that accounts for the empirical data.

Making judgments

By actively participating in frontal lectures and practical laboratory activities, students will learn to interpret behavioural measures and draw conclusions on the perceptual and cognitive domains involved in the spe-cific tasks examined.

Communication skills

Throughout the course, students will learn written and oral scientific communication skills. To do so, they will be required to write brief reports about papers assigned along the course, and critically discuss them in the class. In such “convince me” class discussions, students will learn to critically present scientific com-munications, i.e., journal papers, such that they will be able to introduce the rationale of a scientific study, present the results therein and draw critical conclusions about them, i.e., show strength and weaknesses. To complete the course students will be required to individually complete a short literature review present-ing conclusions to the class and so, consequently, acquire skills to prepare and communicate scientific in-formation to an audience.

Learning skills

Besides basic manuals about the topics, students will be requested to read key scientific papers. This expe-rience will foster their skills in autonomous reading of scientific literature, developing critical analyses, draw-ing conclusions and, possibly, also future directions about research on human cognition.

Educational objectives

General aims
This course aims at providing an up-to date overview of the theories and research areas in the field of Social Neuroscience and offering a comprehensive view of the methods used in the field. The course has two main teaching goals. The first one is to promote an understaning of the social, clinical and technological potentiality of studies concerning social functions in neurotypical individuals, along the typical and atypical development as well as in psychiatric patients or patients with brain lesions. The second teaching goal is to strengthen the student ability to search, understand, report, and utilize information offered by scientific papers from the field of social neuroscience. Part of the course aims at presenting and let the students acquire knowledge concerning methods of social psychology (experimental designs, experimental manipulations, statistical approaches) through the study and discussion of scientific papers on social decisions and the influence of social variables, personality traits, emotions on decision processes.

Specific aims
- Understanding the cognitive and neural mechanisms supporting social functions (knowledge and under-standing).
- Understanding the relevance of social functions for the development of higher order cognitive functions, in clinical settings and for technological purposes (applying knowledge and understanding).
- Critically evaluate the methodological approach and theoretical impact of papers from the field of Social Neuroscience (making judgements).
- Ability to report and comment the content of scientific papers from social neuroscience field (communication skills).
- Development of general skills in deepening studies in fields related to social neuroscience such as neuropsychology, psychophysiology, behavioral neuroscience (learning skills).

Educational objectives

General aims
This course aims at providing an up-to date overview of the theories and research areas in the field of Social Neuroscience and offering a comprehensive view of the methods used in the field. The course has two main teaching goals. The first one is to promote an understaning of the social, clinical and technological potentiality of studies concerning social functions in neurotypical individuals, along the typical and atypical development as well as in psychiatric patients or patients with brain lesions. The second teaching goal is to strengthen the student ability to search, understand, report, and utilize information offered by scientific papers from the field of social neuroscience. Part of the course aims at presenting and let the students acquire knowledge concerning methods of social psychology (experimental designs, experimental manipulations, statistical approaches) through the study and discussion of scientific papers on social decisions and the influence of social variables, personality traits, emotions on decision processes.

Specific aims
- Understanding the cognitive and neural mechanisms supporting social functions (knowledge and under-standing).
- Understanding the relevance of social functions for the development of higher order cognitive functions, in clinical settings and for technological purposes (applying knowledge and understanding).
- Critically evaluate the methodological approach and theoretical impact of papers from the field of Social Neuroscience (making judgements).
- Ability to report and comment the content of scientific papers from social neuroscience field (communication skills).
- Development of general skills in deepening studies in fields related to social neuroscience such as neuropsychology, psychophysiology, behavioral neuroscience (learning skills).

Educational objectives

General aims
This course aims at providing an up-to date overview of the theories and research areas in the field of Social Neuroscience and offering a comprehensive view of the methods used in the field. The course has two main teaching goals. The first one is to promote an understaning of the social, clinical and technological potentiality of studies concerning social functions in neurotypical individuals, along the typical and atypical development as well as in psychiatric patients or patients with brain lesions. The second teaching goal is to strengthen the student ability to search, understand, report, and utilize information offered by scientific papers from the field of social neuroscience. Part of the course aims at presenting and let the students acquire knowledge concerning methods of social psychology (experimental designs, experimental manipulations, statistical approaches) through the study and discussion of scientific papers on social decisions and the influence of social variables, personality traits, emotions on decision processes.

Specific aims
- Understanding the cognitive and neural mechanisms supporting social functions (knowledge and under-standing).
- Understanding the relevance of social functions for the development of higher order cognitive functions, in clinical settings and for technological purposes (applying knowledge and understanding).
- Critically evaluate the methodological approach and theoretical impact of papers from the field of Social Neuroscience (making judgements).
- Ability to report and comment the content of scientific papers from social neuroscience field (communication skills).
- Development of general skills in deepening studies in fields related to social neuroscience such as neuropsychology, psychophysiology, behavioral neuroscience (learning skills).

Educational objectives

Apply knowledge, understanding, and problem-solving abilities in new or unfamiliar topics within multidisciplinary contexts.
Learning skills to study in a manner largely self-directed or autonomous.

Educational objectives

Students will be provided a solid background on the main techniques used to image the human brain in vivo, and of their application in the cognitive neuroscientific field; a critical view of the validity and the limits of knowledge on the human mind derived by the application of such methods; a set of practical abilities in planning and analyzing cognitive neuroimaging experiments; and a series of conceptual tools to personally and critically evaluate results obtained by research in the field of cognitive neuroimaging.

Knowledge and understanding: Students will understand the historical and conceptual foundations of cognitive neuroscience; will be able to fully appreciate the potentials and the limits of recording brain signals as a tool for understanding the functional architecture of the human mind; will know the basic technical characteristics of the main neuroimaging techniques; will master the main experimental paradigms employed in functional neuroimaging experiments; will understand the statistical foundations of data analysis as applied to neuroimaging data.

Applying knowledge and understanding: Students will become competent in planning and implementing cognitive tasks to be associated with neuroimaging techniques and research protocols for studying neurophysiological mechanisms underlying cognitive functions in clinical and pre-clinical fields and in the interpretation of imaging results, in designing full experiments, including the data analysis strategy, while avoiding common pitfalls and methodological problems.

Making judgements: Students will be able to read and fully understand papers in the cognitive neuroimaging literature and to critically evaluate their methods and conclusions, identifying their potential impact and conceptual and methodological issues.

Communication skills: Students will become competent in writing short project proposals and in presenting their proposals orally in a limited amount of time with the help of slides.

Learning skills: Students will develop instrumental and research skills useful for acquiring further knowledge.

Educational objectives

General aims
The curricular internship (TPV) is made of 20 CFU of practical activities contextualized and finalized to learning the abilities typical of the profession of psychologist. The TPV is divided in activities performed in the Institution of the course as well as in structures in convention (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Istituto di Biologia Cellulare e Neurobiologia). As for regulations, the activities will comprise the use of the instruments for intervention and prevention, diagnosis, habilitation and rehabilitation activities, psychological support for single individuals, groups, social bodies and communities, as well as for experimental, research and didactic activities.

Specific aims
Knowledge and understanding
Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of the different contexts in which psychologists work.

Applying knowledge and understanding
Students will develop the ability to autonomously apply professional methods and techniques and to put in practice their comprehension of typical cases and activities handled by professional psychologists in different contexts.

Making judgements
Students will become able to autonomously judge and evaluate the decisions that are taken in different contexts and with different aims put in place by psychologists.

Communication skills
Students will learn to properly communicate with patients, their relatives, and institutions as well as with professionals of different background in order to efficiently cooperate in different work settings.

Learning skills
Students will develop skills to learn in different practical contexts typical of the profession of psychologist ranging from the management of ethical and deontological issues with patients, to the management of research activities.

Educational objectives

Educational Objectives. The general purpose of the course is to provide a thorough understanding of the methods of clinical evaluation, diagnostic classification, and anatomical correlates of cognitive function disorders resulting from localized or degenerative brain injury. The course will guide the student in the study of the clinical, anatomo-functional and theoretical problems addressed by Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology and to illustrate how these problems are now being revisited through methods and paradigms developed more recently in the broader field of Cognitive Neuroscience. The student who has taken the course with profit will have acquired all the knowledge fundamental to understanding neuropsychological issues that arise in both clinical and experimental settings. The knowledge of clinical and experimental neuropsychological issues gained by taking the course will therefore have relevant translational value.

The course consists of a series of lectures (6 credits).

Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following specific learning objectives (Dublin indicators):

- Knowledge and understanding. Through lectures and course study, students are expected to show thorough knowledge and understanding of: a) methods of clinical and experimental investigation of cognitive function in patients with acquired brain injury; b) methods of classification and clinical evaluation of neuropsychological disorders; c) methods and principles of differential clinical diagnosis; d) methods for studying neural correlates of neuropsychological disorders

- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding. Students will be able to contextualize and use the knowledge acquired to: a) understand and assimilate theoretical and empirical developments offered by new studies in the field of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience; b) interpret the results obtained from clinical-neuropsychological assessments and screenings; c) know how to interpret the results of anatomical/radiological investigations and reports

- Autonomy of judgment. The student will be able to use the acquired knowledge for an effective understanding of the neural basis of cognitive functions in brain-injured and healthy subjects. In addition, the student will have developed the ability to identify and make suggestions for improving the assessment and study of cognitive function in neuropsychological patients and healthy subjects

- Communication skills. The student will be able to report in written and oral form the content conveyed by lectures and reading of study and further study texts in Italian and/or English. He/she should also demonstrate ability to communicate in a non-specialized form the course content and ability to summarize the neuropsychological-clinical picture of patients with appropriate language.

- Learning skills. Students should be able to show: a) good educational continuation in clinical and experimental neuropsychology; b) independently acquire and develop new diagnostic or experimental tools.

Educational objectives

Educational Objectives. The general purpose of the course is to provide a thorough understanding of the methods of clinical evaluation, diagnostic classification, and anatomical correlates of cognitive function disorders resulting from localized or degenerative brain injury. The course will guide the student in the study of the clinical, anatomo-functional and theoretical problems addressed by Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology and to illustrate how these problems are now being revisited through methods and paradigms developed more recently in the broader field of Cognitive Neuroscience. The student who has taken the course with profit will have acquired all the knowledge fundamental to understanding neuropsychological issues that arise in both clinical and experimental settings. The knowledge of clinical and experimental neuropsychological issues gained by taking the course will therefore have relevant translational value.

The course consists of a series of lectures (6 credits).

Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following specific learning objectives (Dublin indicators):

- Knowledge and understanding. Through lectures and course study, students are expected to show thorough knowledge and understanding of: a) methods of clinical and experimental investigation of cognitive function in patients with acquired brain injury; b) methods of classification and clinical evaluation of neuropsychological disorders; c) methods and principles of differential clinical diagnosis; d) methods for studying neural correlates of neuropsychological disorders

- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding. Students will be able to contextualize and use the knowledge acquired to: a) understand and assimilate theoretical and empirical developments offered by new studies in the field of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience; b) interpret the results obtained from clinical-neuropsychological assessments and screenings; c) know how to interpret the results of anatomical/radiological investigations and reports

- Autonomy of judgment. The student will be able to use the acquired knowledge for an effective understanding of the neural basis of cognitive functions in brain-injured and healthy subjects. In addition, the student will have developed the ability to identify and make suggestions for improving the assessment and study of cognitive function in neuropsychological patients and healthy subjects

- Communication skills. The student will be able to report in written and oral form the content conveyed by lectures and reading of study and further study texts in Italian and/or English. He/she should also demonstrate ability to communicate in a non-specialized form the course content and ability to summarize the neuropsychological-clinical picture of patients with appropriate language.

- Learning skills. Students should be able to show: a) good educational continuation in clinical and experimental neuropsychology; b) independently acquire and develop new diagnostic or experimental tools.

Educational objectives

Educational Objectives. The general purpose of the course is to provide a thorough understanding of the methods of clinical evaluation, diagnostic classification, and anatomical correlates of cognitive function disorders resulting from localized or degenerative brain injury. The course will guide the student in the study of the clinical, anatomo-functional and theoretical problems addressed by Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology and to illustrate how these problems are now being revisited through methods and paradigms developed more recently in the broader field of Cognitive Neuroscience. The student who has taken the course with profit will have acquired all the knowledge fundamental to understanding neuropsychological issues that arise in both clinical and experimental settings. The knowledge of clinical and experimental neuropsychological issues gained by taking the course will therefore have relevant translational value.

The course consists of a series of lectures (6 credits).

Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following specific learning objectives (Dublin indicators):

- Knowledge and understanding. Through lectures and course study, students are expected to show thorough knowledge and understanding of: a) methods of clinical and experimental investigation of cognitive function in patients with acquired brain injury; b) methods of classification and clinical evaluation of neuropsychological disorders; c) methods and principles of differential clinical diagnosis; d) methods for studying neural correlates of neuropsychological disorders

- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding. Students will be able to contextualize and use the knowledge acquired to: a) understand and assimilate theoretical and empirical developments offered by new studies in the field of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience; b) interpret the results obtained from clinical-neuropsychological assessments and screenings; c) know how to interpret the results of anatomical/radiological investigations and reports

- Autonomy of judgment. The student will be able to use the acquired knowledge for an effective understanding of the neural basis of cognitive functions in brain-injured and healthy subjects. In addition, the student will have developed the ability to identify and make suggestions for improving the assessment and study of cognitive function in neuropsychological patients and healthy subjects

- Communication skills. The student will be able to report in written and oral form the content conveyed by lectures and reading of study and further study texts in Italian and/or English. He/she should also demonstrate ability to communicate in a non-specialized form the course content and ability to summarize the neuropsychological-clinical picture of patients with appropriate language.

- Learning skills. Students should be able to show: a) good educational continuation in clinical and experimental neuropsychology; b) independently acquire and develop new diagnostic or experimental tools.

Educational objectives

General objectives
The course aims to provide basic information on developmental disturbances of oral and written language, on disturbances of reading, writing numerical skills and calculation, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability. Main models of Learning Disorders will be presented and critically discussed. Special attention will be given to issues on the co-morbidity of learning disabilities. Examples of case studies will be provided and models of co-morbidity will be presented.

The Course is divided in two parts:

Part 1 Covers the theoretical models for the learning disorders and their scientific basis and methods, as well as the disturbances comorbidity.

Part 2 Reviews the learning disorders in the assessment practice and rehabilitation recommendations.

Specific objectives
Knowledge and understanding
The student will acquire basic knowledge on the characteristics of learning disturbances as well as current knowledge of their underlying brain mechanisms. In particular, the student will acquire information of the differentiation between disturbances and their co-morbidities.

Applying knowledge and understanding
The main diagnostic instruments will be illustrated. The student will learn to administer and score these instruments through cases illustrated during the class. Some rehabilitative trainings for these disturbances will also be presented.

Making judgements
Through the participation to the main course the student will learn to interpret reports of cases with developmental disturbances in learning disabilities.

Communication skills
Through the participation the student will learn to write reports on cases of children with learning disabilities.

Learning skills
Apart from basic reference texts, the student will be requested to read key scientific papers. This experience will foster his/her skills to read the scientific literature autonomously.

Educational objectives

General objectives
The course aims to provide basic information on developmental disturbances of oral and written language, on disturbances of reading, writing numerical skills and calculation, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability. Main models of Learning Disorders will be presented and critically discussed. Special attention will be given to issues on the co-morbidity of learning disabilities. Examples of case studies will be provided and models of co-morbidity will be presented.

The Course is divided in two parts:

Part 1 Covers the theoretical models for the learning disorders and their scientific basis and methods, as well as the disturbances comorbidity.

Part 2 Reviews the learning disorders in the assessment practice and rehabilitation recommendations.

Specific objectives
Knowledge and understanding
The student will acquire basic knowledge on the characteristics of learning disturbances as well as current knowledge of their underlying brain mechanisms. In particular, the student will acquire information of the differentiation between disturbances and their co-morbidities.

Applying knowledge and understanding
The main diagnostic instruments will be illustrated. The student will learn to administer and score these instruments through cases illustrated during the class. Some rehabilitative trainings for these disturbances will also be presented.

Making judgements
Through the participation to the main course the student will learn to interpret reports of cases with developmental disturbances in learning disabilities.

Communication skills
Through the participation the student will learn to write reports on cases of children with learning disabilities.

Learning skills
Apart from basic reference texts, the student will be requested to read key scientific papers. This experience will foster his/her skills to read the scientific literature autonomously.

Educational objectives

General objectives
The course aims to provide basic information on developmental disturbances of oral and written language, on disturbances of reading, writing numerical skills and calculation, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability. Main models of Learning Disorders will be presented and critically discussed. Special attention will be given to issues on the co-morbidity of learning disabilities. Examples of case studies will be provided and models of co-morbidity will be presented.

The Course is divided in two parts:

Part 1 Covers the theoretical models for the learning disorders and their scientific basis and methods, as well as the disturbances comorbidity.

Part 2 Reviews the learning disorders in the assessment practice and rehabilitation recommendations.

Specific objectives
Knowledge and understanding
The student will acquire basic knowledge on the characteristics of learning disturbances as well as current knowledge of their underlying brain mechanisms. In particular, the student will acquire information of the differentiation between disturbances and their co-morbidities.

Applying knowledge and understanding
The main diagnostic instruments will be illustrated. The student will learn to administer and score these instruments through cases illustrated during the class. Some rehabilitative trainings for these disturbances will also be presented.

Making judgements
Through the participation to the main course the student will learn to interpret reports of cases with developmental disturbances in learning disabilities.

Communication skills
Through the participation the student will learn to write reports on cases of children with learning disabilities.

Learning skills
Apart from basic reference texts, the student will be requested to read key scientific papers. This experience will foster his/her skills to read the scientific literature autonomously.

Educational objectives

The overall aim is to provide the theoretical and methodological tools that allow knowing the different ap-proaches that characterize clinical psychophysiology, as well as the salient aspects concerning evidence-based knowledge of psychopathology, favouring the development of critical skills.

The overall aim is to provide the theoretical and methodological tools that allow knowing the different ap-proaches that characterize clinical psychophysiology, as well as the salient aspects concerning psycho-pathology and its diagnosis, favoring the development of critical skills. At the end of the course, the stu-dent will be able to know: a) how mind and body interact in influencing subjective experience, behavior, and psychological health; b) the main etiological models and the most recent neuroscientific paradigms used in the field of clinical psychophysiology; c) the neurobiological basis of the main mental disorders and their symptoms; d) the most innovative psychotherapeutic models; e) the main biomarkers and predictors of efficacy of psychotherapeutic approaches.

In line with Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), at the end of the course the student will be able to use the acquired knowledge in understanding mental disorders as an aggregate of fundamental disturbances at neuropsychophysiological, affective, cognitive and behavioural levels and how those impairments are pre-sent in varying levels across disorders rather than being syndrome-specific.
Making judgements.
At the end of the course, the student will be able to use the acquired knowledge on the pros and cons of categorical versus dimensional approaches to psychopathology in the critical reading of results of studies conducted in the field of psychophysiology (e.g., unfounded therapeutic claims).
Communication skills.
Critical and communication skills will be developed through practical exercises, such as reading and critical analysis of scientific articles; planning and participation in a clinical psychophysiology study, and commen-tary of patients' videos shown during the lessons.
Learning skills.
During the course there will be two intermediate tests, designed to test and improve the student's learning skills and the ability to communicate what they have learned.

Educational objectives

General aims
This course is aimed at providing knowledge of the relationship between neurodevelopment and development of cognitive and affective functions, together with mechanisms of typical and atypical neuroplasticity involved in early development and their role in normal and pathological behavior, with particular relevance to the Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Second aim of the course is to provide students the ability to interpret the information offered by preclinical scientific papers from the field of behavioral neurosciences, and to translate this information to the clinical aspects of mind development. This will be achieved by presenting animal models for the investigation of a) the maturational processes of the Central Nervous System, b) neural mechanism of critical periods in neurodevelopmental and c) dysfunctional neuroplasticity after early adverse experience

Specific aims
More specifically, a student that successfully passes final examination in Developmental Psychobiology has:

1. advanced knowledge of the processes and mechanisms of brain maturation from embryonal state to early adulthood [Knowledge and understanding];
2. the ability to read up on and master current scientific research developments and have knowledge of current scientific developments within the field of Developmental Psychobiology [Knowledge and understanding].
3. advanced knowledge of the translational value of specific findings from basic and preclinical research on dysfunctional brain plasticity and psychopathology as basis or opportunity for originality in developing and/or applying ideas in the clinical and research contexts [Knowledge and understanding; applying of knowledge and understanding];
4. the skills to analyze and interpret psychobiological patterns and processes in both a qualitative and quantitative sense [Applying of knowledge and understanding];
5. the analyzing, problem-solving and synthesizing abilities in order to deal with current scientific knowledge on how the interplay between brain maturation and experience shape cognitive and affective development during early postnatal years, adolescence and early adulthood, and apply this knowledge in new and continuously changing practical situations, also in broader, multidisciplinary contexts [Applying knowledge and understanding];

Educational objectives

General aims
The curricular internship (TPV) is made of 20 CFU of practical activities contextualized and finalized to learning the abilities typical of the profession of psychologist. The TPV is divided in activities performed in the Institution of the course as well as in structures in convention (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Istituto di Biologia Cellulare e Neurobiologia). As for regulations, the activities will comprise the use of the instruments for intervention and prevention, diagnosis, habilitation and rehabilitation activities, psychological support for single individuals, groups, social bodies and communities, as well as for experimental, research and didactic activities.

Specific aims
Knowledge and understanding
Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of the different contexts in which psychologists work.

Applying knowledge and understanding
Students will develop the ability to autonomously apply professional methods and techniques and to put in practice their comprehension of typical cases and activities handled by professional psychologists in different contexts.

Making judgements
Students will become able to autonomously judge and evaluate the decisions that are taken in different contexts and with different aims put in place by psychologists.

Communication skills
Students will learn to properly communicate with patients, their relatives, and institutions as well as with professionals of different background in order to efficiently cooperate in different work settings.

Learning skills
Students will develop skills to learn in different practical contexts typical of the profession of psychologist ranging from the management of ethical and deontological issues with patients, to the management of research activities.