| Unit name | Development and Rehabilitation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PSYCM0027 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Professor. Bunnage |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Psychological Science |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the effects of brain damage / disease across the life span. Students will develop an understanding of the principles of biological recovery from brain damage and will experience critical analysis of evidence concerning methods of rehabilitation for acquired neuropsychological disabilities caused by neurological disease / brain damage. Students will be exposed to a variety of perspectives on rehabilitation following brain damage across the different phases following injury, including, acute medical, acute rehabilitation, post-acute rehabilitation and social and work integration. Students will gain an understanding of the role of medical input in rehabilitation including pharmacological approaches to symptom management. Students will develop an understanding of contemporary approaches to cognitive rehabilitation, problematic behaviour management and the management of adjustment and emotional symptoms in rehabilitation. Students will develop an understanding of the need for, but complexities associated with, meaningfully evaluating outcome from rehabilitation intervention. Throughout the course moral, ethical and legal aspects of clinical practice will be considered.
Aims:
The unit aims to fulfil part of the syllabus requirements for the British Psychological Society diploma in clinical neuropsychology and to provide students with a contemporary understanding of the impact of neurological disease / brain damage across the lifespan and the methods and approaches used in contemporary rehabilitation. Specifically this course aims to:
1. To teach students about the impact of brain damage / disease across the lifespan and the implications of this for biological recovery and functional rehabilitation.
2. To teach students about contemporary clinical approaches to rehabilitation following brain damage / disease including the multi-disciplinary nature of such efforts.
3. To guide students in how to deliver clinical neuropsychological rehabilitation (assessment and intervention) for cognitive, emotional and behavioural problems following brain damage / disease and how to evaluate its effectiveness.
4. To help student to translate research findings in to evidence based clinical interventions.
5. To help students develop an awareness of the moral, ethical and legal considerations relevant to clinical practice in relation to rehabilitation.
The learning outcomes are mainly expressed within the statement of aims described in section C7 above. This convergence is a natural consequence of a clinically oriented course. The principal learning outcome is to develop competence in clinical practice pertaining to rehabilitation, and, an understanding of the changing risk factors for various forms of neurological disorder across the human lifespan.
The course materials will be delivered through a series of lectures by practicing clinicians and by clinical case conferences attended by practicing clinicians.
Students will attend:
This course will be assessed through a variety of methods:
1. One 3000 word essay
2. Attendance at all lectures and case conferences / seminars
3. 2 Hour examination 50% short answers and 50% long answers (may be extended to two and a half hours)
4. Two assessed case conference presentations (20 minutes)
