Unit name | Neurological and Psychiatric disorders |
---|---|
Unit code | PHPH30013 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
Unit director | Professor. Molnar |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience |
Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Students will study critical current topics relevant to key neurological and psychiatric disorders. The unit aims to explore and compare different forms of disorders from the molecular to the system level and to identify aspects of the pathophysiology that could form the basis for new clinical treatments. The unit will provide an overview of a wide range on neurological and psychiatric disorders and where research is now headed in the search for answers and better treatment strategies. The seminars will focus on:
• Neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. motor neuron disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s and other dementias)
• Demyelinating disorders (e.g. multiple sclerosis, periventricular leukomalacia)
• Pathophysiology of epilepsy, stroke, depression and schizophrenia
• Discovering new therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
Seminars
Timed assessment 90%
The unit will be assessed through a timed assessment in May/June, which contributes 90% of the unit mark and consists of two sections. In Section A (50%), students will be expected to answer one essay question from a choice of 3, which will assess their knowledge and critical understanding of the field, and their ability to gather information from the primary scientific literature. In Section B (50%), students will be expected to answer one multi-part compulsory question assessing data handling/data interpretation and experimental design skills.
Coursework 10%
The coursework will be either an essay, data interpretation or experimental design question of a similar format to that used in the timed assessment.
Reviews and key references from the current scientific literature