72599 - Cognitive Disorders and Psychological Distress

Academic Year 2014/2015

  • Docente: Gianni Brighetti
  • Credits: 8
  • SSD: M-PSI/01
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Cesena
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Applied cognitive psychology (cod. 0991)

Learning outcomes

At the end of course the student:

-knows a model of the mind which refers to the affective neuroscience

- knows the normal and pathological behaviors including the neural substrates and cognitive processes

- knows the ways of functioning of the mind useful in developing research and clinical applications in the “neuropsychotherapy” using measurement techniques of cognitive behavioral expressions and emotional

- is able to collect and analyze data on cognitive function and behavioral aspects.

Course contents

The course, starting with recent evidence on the role of epigenetics  in producing normal and pathological behaviors, develop the theme of the effects of neural network named  "Default Mode" and neuroendocrine hormonal mechanisms on cognitive and emotional functioning. We will describe applications of research in olfactory perception related to neuroendocrine functioning. We'll discuss the relationship between the neural network "default mode" and thought processes with special reference to the physical  phenomenon of entanglement.
Each of the themes will refer to areas of research currently underway.

Readings/Bibliography

Gottfried , J.A. (2010), Central mechanisms of odour object perception. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2010 Sep;11(9):628-41. doi: 10.1038/nrn2883. Epub 2010 Aug 11.

 

Carpenter LL, Tyrka AR, Ross NS, Khoury L, Anderson GM, Price LH. (2009), Effect of childhood emotional abuse and age on cortisol responsivity in adulthood. Biol Psychiatry . 2009 Jul 1;66(1):69-75. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.02.030. Epub 2009 Apr 17.

Wingenfeld K, Driessen M, Terfehr K, Schlosser N, Fernando SC, Otte C, Beblo T, Spitzer C, Löwe B, Wolf OT. (2013), Effects of cortisol on memory in women with borderline personality disorder: role of co-morbid post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression.Psychol Med. 2013 Mar;43(3):495-505. doi: 10.1017/S0033291712001961. Epub 2012 Sep 19.

Bohacek J, Mansuy IM. (2013), Epigenetic inheritance of disease and disease risk.Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013 Jan;38(1):220-36. doi: 10.1038/npp.2012.110. Epub 2012 Jul 11. Review.

Zovkic IB, Sweatt JD. (2013), Epigenetic mechanisms in learned fear: implications for PTSD, Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013 Jan;38(1):77-93. doi: 10.1038/npp.2012.79. Epub 2012 Jun 13. Review.

Smallwood J, Tipper C, Brown K, Baird B, Engen H, Michaels JR, Grafton S, Schooler JW(2013), Escaping the here and now: evidence for a role of the default mode network in perceptually decoupled thought. Neuroimage. 2013 Apr 1;69:120-5. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.12.012. Epub 2012 Dec 20.

Schooler JW, Smallwood J, Christoff K, Handy TC, Reichle ED, Sayette MA. (2011), Meta-awareness, perceptual decoupling and the wandering mind. Trends Cogn Sci. 2011 Jul;15(7):319-26. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2011.05.006. Epub 2011 Jun 20.

Wyart C, Webster WW, Chen JH, Wilson SR, McClary A, Khan RM, Sobel N. (2007), Smelling a single component of male sweat alters levels of cortisol in women. J Neurosci. 2007 Feb 7;27(6):1261-5.

Mason MF, Norton MI, Van Horn JD, Wegner DM, Grafton ST, Macrae CN. (2007), Wandering minds: the default network and stimulus-independent thought. Science. 2007 Jan 19;315(5810):393-5.

 

 

Teaching methods

Lectures and lab sessions

Assessment methods

Oral examination and papers on specific issues

Teaching tools

Slides projector and some instruments for psychophysiologial measurement

Office hours

See the website of Gianni Brighetti