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NEUROPSYCHOLOGY BPS306

Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification
Statement of Attainment

Why Study Neuropsychology?

Study neuropsychology to gain a greater understanding of –

  • Brain and behaviour
  • How brain damage affects brain functioning and behaviour.

This course in neuropsychology helps students to discover relationships between the nervous system and the human experience. Understand the human brain and its role in normal functioning and learn how different psychological disorders and types of brain damage can affect a person's behaviour. 

Neuropsychology is a specialist area of psychology. It is relevant to people who seek a more in-depth understanding of the brain and how damage through congenital conditions, injury, disease or disorders can affect its functioning and behaviour.

Who Is This Course Suitable For?

PRE-REQUISITES - A basic understanding of human biology is desirable, though not essential.

This is a useful course for anyone working in or interested in areas related to health, brain/body interaction or psychology. It will mainly appeal to people working in:

  • Psychology
  • Psychotherapy
  • Biological sciences
  • Health sciences
  • Psychiatric nursing
  • Health professions
  • Teaching
  • Research

What Will You Learn in This Course?

The course doesn't cover how to undertake psychological testing of neuropsychological problems, but it does provide students with a solid grounding in brain dysfunctions. 

In the course, you will develop your understanding of brain damage.

  • Learn more about the function and structure of the brain and how it affects people's psychological functioning.
  • Find out about brain lateralisation, brain physiology, and neuroanatomy.
  • See what happens when things go wrong: callosal syndrome, personality change, perception disorders, and motor disorders.

Study in your own home and at your own pace. The course requires approximately 100 hours of study.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

There are ten lessons in this module as follows:

Lesson 1

Foundations of Neuropsychology - What is neuropsychology? The Information Processing Approach.  Studying the human mind, techniques used, brain scans, animal studies, methods of investigating the brain, psychological tests, Stroop test.

Lesson 2

Neurophysiology – Neurons, parts of a neuron, neurotransmitters, effects of neurotransmitters, neurotransmitters and their effects, endorphins, disorders associated with neurotransmitters, glia cells, Schwann cells, nerve impulse, synaptic transmission, nerve impulse, neuromuscular transmission.

Lesson 3

Neuroanatomy – the nervous system, parts of the central nervous system, the brain, the spinal cord, spinal nerves, blood brain barrier, peripheral nervous system, autonomic nervous system, sensory somatic nervous system, spinal nerves, cranial nerves,  how the nervous system works (a summary), problems with brain functioning, cerebral palsy, brain tumours, injuries to the head, epilepsy, headaches, mental illness, meningitis and encephalitis.

Lesson 4

Laterality and Callosal Syndromes – Brain lateralisation, left handedness, cognitive neuropsychology, callosal syndrome, complete severance, split brain, complete severance, split brain syndrome, lobotomy, psychosurgery, Dual brain theory.

Lesson 5

Cognition, Personality and Emotion – Brain damage, emotion and moods, Phineas Gage, brain damage and emotion, frontal lobe, higher level functioning, the Limbic system, neurotransmitters, neuropsychology and emotions research.

Lesson 6

Perception Disorders – Hemispatial neglect, causes of hemispatial neglect, auditory perceptual disorder, agnosia, visual agnosia, types of visual agnosia, prosopagnosia, simultanagnosia, optic aphasia, hallucinogen persisting perception disorder.

Lesson 7

Motor Disorders – Parkinson’s Disease, motor disorders resulting from traumatic brain injury, non-traumatic and/or genetic paediatric movement disorders, cerebral palsy, motor conditions, Gerstmann’s Syndrome, apraxia, motor skills disorder, motion dyspraxia, neural transplants and Parkinson’s Disease, gene therapy, how does gene therapy work, ethical issues surrounding gene therapy,

Lesson 8

Language – Broca’s area, Wernicke’s area, speech, language, speech and language disorders, apraxia, aphasia, stuttering, neurogenic stuttering, Troyer syndrome, speech disorders.

Lesson 9

Dementia – Kinds of dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Multi-infarct Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, Pick’s Disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Huntingdon’s Disease, Pseudo-Dementia, spotting dementia and other conditions,

Lesson 10

Neurodevelopment - Major processes of neurodevelopment, neurogenesis, migration, differentiation, apoptosis, aborisation, synaptogenesis, Asperger Syndrome, neuroplasticity and brain damage.

Aims

  • To describe the relevance of neuropsychology to managing psychological disorders.
  • To explain the physiology of the nervous system.
  • To describe the anatomy of the nervous system.
  • To describe how conditions within the brain affect the way in which a person is physically capable or incapable of performing a variety of different tasks.
  • To explain how various aspects of a person’s thought processes may vary according to that person’s neurobiology.
  • To describe a variety of perceptual disorders.
  • To explain a variety of motor disorders.
  • To explain the neuropsychology of language.
  • To differentiate between different dementias.
  • To explain aspects of development in neuropsychological terms.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MAY DO IN THIS COURSE

  • Learn about the development of Neuropsychology and techniques used in human neuropsychological studies.
  • Describe the Neuroanatomy of - 
     -Brain stem
     -Cerebellum and cerebral cortex
     -Organisation of the cerebral cortex
     -Cranial nerves, brain covering, ventricular system, arteries
     -Brain malfunction
     -Visual system
     -Other systems.
  • Determine why there is laterality. 
  • Discuss callosal syndrome.
  • Discuss and compare theories of frontal lobe function.
  • Contrast normal aspects and abnormal aspects of emotion from a neuropsychological perspective.
  • Develop a diagnostic table of perceptual disorders.
  • Determine how the brain perceives faces.
  • Discuss language formation.
  • Describe language disorders.
  • Develop a table of kind of dementia. 
  • Learn how recovery of function is affected across age spans.

  

Student Comment

 " The online courses are very easy to use and follow. Prompt friendly replies from tutor to any queries. Course structure flows freely. Very satisfied with course and results..."
- Diana (completed ACS Online course in Intro to Psych and Psych & Counselling)

 

What Next?

The study of neuropsychology provides us with a greater understanding of how the brain and body interact, affecting our behaviour. This course is therefore useful for anyone involved in health, fitness, psychology etc.  Improve your understanding of the functions of the brain.

 

You can enrol today by clicking the “Enrol Now” button above.

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Courses can be started anytime from anywhere in the world!

Meet some of our academics

Tracey Jones (psychology)B.Sc. (Hons) (Psychology), M.Soc.Sc (social work), DipSW (social work), PGCE (Education), PGD (Learning Disability Studies) Tracey began studying psychology in 1990. She has a wide range of experience within the psychology and social work field, particularly working with people with learning disabilities. She is also qualified as a teacher and now teaches psychology and social work related subjects. She has been a book reviewer for the British Journal of Social Work and has also written many textbooks, blogs, articles and ebooks on psychology, writing, sociology, child development and more. She has had also several short stories published.
Jacinda Cole B.Sc.,M.Psych.Psychologist, Educator, Author, Psychotherapist. B.Sc., Psych.Cert., M. Psych. Cert.Garden Design, MACA. Jacinda has over 25 years of experience in psychology, in both Australia and England. She has co-authored several psychology text books and many courses including diploma and degree level courses in psychology and counselling. Jacinda joined ACS in 2001.
Jade SciasciaBiologist, Business Coordinator, Government Environmental Dept, Secondary School teacher (Biology); Recruitment Consultant, Senior Supervisor in Youth Welfare, Horse Riding Instructor (part-completed) and Boarding Kennel Manager. Jade has a B.Sc.Biol, Dip.Professional Education, Cert IV TESOL, Cert Food Hygiene.


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The Brain and BehaviourThe Brain and Behaviour ebook provides a fascinating insight into the functions of the human brain. From understanding the human brain, human anatomy & behaviour, chemistry, brain damage and memory, this ebook is an interesting read and also a great reference for students of biology, biopsychology or psychology.
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