Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience

This module will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings of psychopharmacological principles as they relate to neuropsychology and clinical disorders.

You will study topics such as:

•  Issues relating to the use of modern psycho-pharmaceuticals, effects
• The impact of psychotropic medication on healthy individuals,
• Preclinical research in psychopharmacology,
•  Clinical research in psycho-pharmacology,
•  Neuroimaging studies in psychopharmacology,
• Psychotropic drugs and cognitive function,
• Psychopharmacological drugs and the treatment of mental disorders.

This module aims to develop your understanding of underlying mechanisms involved in brain electrical activation, the sources, and possible contributors to the normal and abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded at the surface of the head, as well as to promote independent learning of experimental recordings and laboratory classes and understanding of how to apply theories and methods of the sensory electrophysiological measurement to clinical populations.

You’ll study topics such as:

• Electrophysiological/neuroimaging methods highlighting the pros and cons of each measurement
• Cortical and subcortical neuroanatomical structure and possible contributors to EEG sources• Differences between behavioural measures, such as performance accuracy and reaction times (RT), the latency and magnitude of the electrophysiological response in the brain, e.g., event related potentials (ERP).
• Analysis of the raw EEG data and the main steps in deriving ERPs including processing of the artefacts and averaging of the individual trials within one participant data before deriving group average ERPs.
• Further analysis of the ERP data deriving the group tendencies and statistical results of the analysis that will highlight the main factors contributing to changes in the temporal pattern of EEG/ERP activation.
• The role of neurophysiology in medical practice and how it is used by clinical practitioners.
• Sensory and motor ERPs and clinical applications. This will focus on SSEPs, EMG, VEPs and AERPS.
• Clinical use of EEG. This will focus on epilepsy and sleep disorders.
   

This module seeks to provide you with an understanding of the function and structure of the brain from the neuronal to the functional systems level. The relationship between brain structure and cognitive/behavioural function, and dysfunction, will be explored through large group teaching and seminar activities that aim to illustrate the neural substrates governing processes contributing to behaviour.

You’ll study topics such as:

• Brain anatomy at both the macroscope and microscopic level.
• Neuronal structure and organisation.
• Neurophysiological mechanisms
• Neuroanatomical correlates of cognition and behaviour
• Brain injury and regeneration
• Functional deficits and theories

This module incorporates training in quantitative statistics as well as more advanced analyses. This is a laboratory-based module designed to give you the skills necessary for understanding and utilising research methodologies and analyses. You will learn how to assess whether these patterns in your data are significant and how to determine if they are meaningful. You will also learn to communicate findings from your own research activities in the conventional format of laboratory report – the basic template of journal articles.

You will study topics such as:

• Parametric and non-parametric tests
• Psychometric properties including factor analysis
• Correlation, regression (simple, multiple, hierarchical, and logistic), mediation and moderation
• T-test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and MANOVA.

This module aims to provide an overview of the different methods and techniques used to assess the brain-behaviour relationship in the neurosciences. Whilst theoretical knowledge of the principles underlying these methods of assessment will be presented, more emphasis is given to the hands-on application of these methods in a research setting. Via the practical workshops and sessions, it is envisaged you can appreciate their versatility and their current limitations.

You will study topics such as:

• Methodological approaches for the measurement of 1) attention (cognitive measures; combining with eye-tracking – the measurement of saccades and fixations in determining cognitive processing), 2) emotion – (implicit vs explicit tasks, physiological measures), 3) executive function/executive dysfunction.
• Software for creating experimental cognitive measures (e.g., PsychoPy).

This module explores clinical research and its implications for the development of theory and practice in neuroscience, with an aim to integrate knowledge across a wide range of modules into a single practicum. The module equips you with skills relevant to professional practice which include searching, evaluating, and summarizing research and/or presenting research in an academic and non-academic audience. This module is unique because it offers an opportunity to learn further skills in the cognitive neuroscience area and merges clinical research into practice with a goal to produce concrete outputs that can be used by professionals and clinicals.

You will study topics such as:

• Performing clinical literature search and critical review in a selected area of neuroscience using relevant search engines (e.g., PubMed, EBSCO)
• Understanding and evaluating clinical research reports produced by Cochrane reviews in the field of Neuroscience.
• Evaluating clinical trials in Neuroscience and how these can be used in clinical practice.
• Creating flow charts, performing risk bias assessment, using COVIDENCE to screen and extract data.

This module aims to further develop your research skills, competences and reflective practice in order to enhance your employability prospects. This will be achieved by undertaking a research project on a topic related to your course, and reflecting on how this experience has contributed to your academic, personal and professional development. You will work under the supervision of a member of the psychology team to further develop your knowledge and skills of a specific topic within your course area.

You’ll study topics such as:

• How to choose a research topic including use of the learning centre and conducting on-line literature searches.
• Ethical and legal requirements and considerations for carrying out research.
• How to write an ethics application.
• How to choose a research design and methodology.
• How to develop and carry out quantitative or qualitative research.
• How to write a research paper for a peer reviewed journal.
• Presentation skills.
• Career development and employment opportunities in your related area.
• How to be a reflective practitioner.

This module aims to provide an overview of the varying methods and techniques used to assess brain-behaviour relationship in the neurosciences. Whilst theoretical knowledge of the principles underlying these methods of assessment will be presented, more emphasis is given to the hands-on application of these methods in a research setting. Via the practical workshops and sessions, it is envisaged you can appreciate their versatility and their current limitations.

You’ll study topics such as:

•  History of imaging techniques – advantages & disadvantages of each: temporal vs. spatial resolution
•  Structural scans of the brain: X-ray, Computerised Tomography (CT) & Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
•  High spatial resolution imaging of the brain – functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG)
•  Imaging of neurochemical activity: PET, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) & Pharmacological Magnetic Resonance Imaging (phMRI)
•  Designing an experiment for an imaging study – use of stimulus presentation software (MATLAB). Block (epoch) vs. event-related designs.
•  Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) – can we create temporary ‘lesions’ in the brain and study their effects?
•  Eye-tracking – use of saccades and fixations in determining cognitive processing
•  Cognitive and neuropsychological assessment employing a battery of psychometric tasks
•  Malingering & deception – is it possible to detect those who wish to appear worse on these tests?

This module seeks to develop your understanding of fundamental issues in cognitive neuroscience and brain mechanisms involved in normal and abnormal cognitive processes. It will also provide a comprehensive review of latest theories and findings in key topics of cognitive neuroscience including perception, attention, and high-level cognition across the lifespan. Finally you will be able to identify processes underlying normal and abnormal brain and cognitive development across the lifespan.

You will study topics such as:

• The visual pathway: with an emphasis on visual language processing, Neuropathology, and the Visual Word Form Area.
• Multi-model aphasias, conceptual frameworks of language deficit and clinical presentation.
• The olfactory pathway and its complexity/olfactory predictive codes; normal and disordered olfactory performance in humans; olfaction and taste; taste disorders.
• Hardwired motor and sensory perception: The cranial nerves.
• Tactile and somatosensory perception.
•  Ageing and Perception.

(may vary according to staff availability & staff expertise)

This module aims to introduce you to fundamental issues in cognitive neuroscience and brain mechanisms involved in human behaviour, provide a comprehensive review of latest theories and findings in key topics of cognitive neuroscience including visual, auditory and somatosensory perception, as well as reading and its deviations in learning disorders.

You will study topics such as:

• Normal and abnormal visual and auditory processing in the human brain: from low level perception and function to motion perception and stereovision.
• Auditory-visual integration in the brain.
• Reading and the brain. Regions of the cerebral cortex involved in reading processes and deviations in neurobiological mechanisms involved in Dyslexia, including supporting latest theories at cognitive, neural and behavioural levels.
• Cortical mechanisms of stereovision and binocular depth perception.
•  Principles of Spatial Visual Attention and neurobiology of eye movements.

This module aims to acquaint you with ethical issues relating to neuroscience research and to help you explore difference facets of academic misconduct and integrity. You will gain valuable skills on how to prepare an ethics application and how to review ethics for projects in Clinical/Cognitive Neuroscience.

You will study topics such as:

• Choosing a research topic and identifying research gaps using systematic literature searches
• Designing ethical studies using human participants
• Carrying out ethical research and the role on artificial intelligence (AI) in ethics
• Understanding ethical issues associated with privacy, confidentiality, health/safety, and social media
• Critically evaluating research ethics (reviewing ethics)
• Understanding academic misconduct and ethics integrity