Cognitive Neurosciences and Psychological Rehabilitation

General Objectives The course provides students with knowledge on: a) psychological and neuroscientific theories of emotion and the neural circuits involved in threat and reward learning, b) the neural mechanisms underlying emo-tional changes occurring across the lifespan, c) the main psychological and neuroscientific models on Face Processing. The successful completion of the course entails students acquiring knowledge of a) current psy-chological and neuroscientific models on emotion elicitation and regulation, b) the typical and atypical changes in emotion processing occurring across the lifespan, c) psychological and neuroscientific models of Face Processing. The specific objectives are: a) knowing the psychological and neuroscientific models of emotion processes from perception, elicitation, response, and regulation; b) knowing the relation between emotion and atten-tion, emotion and cognition, emotion and memory, emotion and complex cognitive functions; c) knowing the neural and behavioural changes occurring across the lifespan in emotion processing; c) knowing how faces are processed throughout development to old age. Lectures: The objective of the lectures is advanced knowledge acquisition on a) emotion models and the neuroscientific approach to emotion; b) the instruments to measure emotional responses; c) on the emotion perception and elicitation and on the neural circuits involved in processing faces and bodies; d) on the inter-actions between emotion and attention and the neural circuits involved in top-down and bottom-up mecha-nisms; e) on the emotion regulation processes and the neural circuits involved; f) of the neural bases of pro-cessing punishment, acquired fear and LeDoux theory; g) the neural circuits for processing reward; h) the relation between emotion and memory; i) emotion across the lifespan and brain changes. Laboratory: The laboratory activities have the objective to allow students to apply the acquired theoretical knowledge on emotional processes to the different clinical and experimental contexts. Students will have to be able to use the knowledge to examine the application and use of different instruments for emotion elici-tation and measurement, and to assess the involvement of the underlying neural circuits; to critically analyze clinical and experimental evidence. Therefore, the laboratory activities have the specific objective the de-velopment of problem-solving abilities that allow to analyze, manage, and solve specific issues on emotion assessment and measurement in the context of neuropsychological rehabilitation. The correct application of the acquired knowledge is evidence of efficient learning. Knowledge and understanding. The successful course completion entails having the knowledge of the course content, being able to remem-ber and recognize the precise information in response to specific questions. In addition to the theoretical contents, the successful completion of the course requires understanding the course content and reaching the specific objectives, together with being able to transfer, interpret and extrapolate the acquired theorical knowledge to different applied contexts. Specifically, the successful course completion requires a) having acquired the knowledge on emotion perception, elicitation, response and regulation and the neural circuits involved; b) understanding the relation between neural circuits and emotional processes; c) being able to ex-trapolate and make predictions on the effects of brain lesions on emotional processes and on the relation be-tween emotion and attention, emotion and cognition, emotion and memory, emotion and high cognitive functions, decision making and emotion regulation. Applying knowledge and understanding. Through the laboratory activities and laboratory assignments to be carried out individually and in small groups, students will need b) to be able use the learned concepts to solve a problem; c) being able to apply the acquired knowledge to experimental and clinical contexts; d) being able to implement clinical and exper-imental protocols for the behavioural assessment and measurement of emotional responses; e) to demon-strate problem solving abilities in analysing and finding solutions to measuring emotional processes using cognitive and behavioural strategies. The correct application of the acquired knowledge is evidence of effi-cient learning. Independent judgment. The successful completion of the course requires knowledge of the course content and being able to correct-ly apply the acquired knowledge, but also being able to independently assess, judge, and chose the strate-gies and instruments to measure different aspects of emotional processes, from emotion perception and elic-itation to attentional processes, memory processes, and regulation processes, being able to discuss ad-vantages and limitations. Communication skills. Throughout the laboratory activities, students will have to demonstrate a) being able to put together scien-tific information on a topic, present it, communicate it, defend it and explain it to their peers; b) being able to communicate clinical and experimental data to psychologists, psychiatrists, and health professionals to ex-plain the available options to assess different aspects of emotional processes. Learning skills. The successful completion of the course requires that students can learn independently new knowledge and are able to apply it to new problems, can look for new empirical and clinical evidence for continuing profes-sional development, can critically assess empirical and clinical evidence, the methods used, and are able to put together a scientific argument in favor or against a proposal.