Unit information: Applied Clinical Neuropsychology and Principles of Neuropsychological Assessment in 2021/22

Unit name	Applied Clinical Neuropsychology and Principles of Neuropsychological Assessment
Unit code	PSYCM0045
Credit points	30
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Professor. Kit Pleydell-Pearce
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None.
Co-requisites	None.
School/department	School of Psychological Science
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

This unit covers two areas.

Part A: Principles of Neuropsychological Assessment delivers an understanding of psychometric theory and how psychometric principles influence clinical decision making. Students will be introduced to contemporary test instruments; learn how to interpret and ‘understand’ the results of their assessments in relation to brain damage / disease, and develop the ability to communicate these results.

Part B: Applied Clinical Neuropsychology provides a Neuropsychological understanding of a range of conditions commonly encountered in clinical neuropsychology practice, including traumatic brain injury, movement disorders, epilepsy, stroke and dementia. Students therefore learn how knowledge of neuropsychological theory, functional neuroanatomy and technical approaches to studying the brain are employed within a clinical context.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, a student will be able to:

Part A:

1. understand both qualitative and quantitative approaches to patient assessment.
2. understand how results of assessment are employed within a clinical and medical setting, and how cooperation and interaction between different NHS teams is critical for patient treatment and investigation.
3. understand the principles underlying effective assessment and awareness of the limitations of inferences that can be drawn from test results.
4. appreciate the complexities associated with neuropsychological assessment and evaluate the consequences of these problems for reliable and meaningful assessment.
5. synthesise and integrate knowledge and the evidence base in order to demonstrate a holistic, yet detailed, understanding of the principles of assessment.

Part B:

1. understand a range of common neuropsychological disorders frequently encountered in clinical practice.
2. understand causes and consequences of these disorders and integrate this knowledge with theories of brain function and principles of diagnosis and treatment.
3. demonstrate a clear understanding of the evidence-base pertaining to a wide range of common neuropsychological disorders, and a capacity to synthesise and evaluate distinct sources of knowledge (e.g. aetiology, diagnosis and treatment options).

Teaching Information

Part A: A series of lectures delivered in a one-week block by clinical subject matter experts (20 hours).

Part B: Weekly lectures provided by clinical subject matter experts (20 hours). This meets strict accreditation requirements for professional programmes conferring the highest UK award for professional training in clinical neuropsychology.

Assessment Information

Part A: An online open-book assessment worth 44% of the final unit mark and an online 1 hr exam worth 22% of the final unit mark.

Part B: 2000-word coursework essay on a topic covered in Part B which provides 34% of total unit mark.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PSYCM0045).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.