71992 - Clinical Psychophysiology II .

Learning outcomes

The aim of this course is to give students a basic knowledge on neurobiological and neurophysiological mechanisms of mental health, as well as mental disorders and their treatments. Students will learn how psychoactive drugs works within the brain. Moreover, students will learn the physiological basis on how the main psychophysiological parameter work.

Course contents

The main topics of this course are:

Basic anatomy and physiology of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Basic physiology of chemical neurotransmission and neuromodulation, synaptic plasticity. The action potential. Neurobiological mechanisms of learning and memory. Synaptic transmission, receptors and intracellular signal transduction pathways as pharmacological targets. Biochemical properties of receptors and basic mechanisms of how agonists and antagonists drugs work, as well as how the allosteric modulations may work. Basic epigenetic mechanisms. The physiological mechanisms on which the main psychophysiological parameters are based, such as: electroencephalography, electrocardiography, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, electrodermal conductivity. Neurobiology of emotions, of imagination and of meditation. General basis of the neurobiology of consciousness. Neurobiology of the placebo effect. Neurobiological mechanisms of sleep and wakefulness and of the main sleep disorders. Neurobiological mechanisms of dementias and how generally are treated.

Lectures will be in Italian language only and will take place during the 1st semester (from October to December) at the Cesena Campus of the School of Psychology and Education (address: Piazza Aldo Moro, 90 - Cesena).

Readings/Bibliography

Stahl S.M., Psicofarmacologia essenziale: basi neuroscientifiche e applicazioni pratiche, terza edizione italiana (5th original edition), Milano: Edi-Ermes, 2022 (2021 for the original edition). Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 10 and 12.

Power point presentations used during live classes will be available to students. These presentations will sufficiently integrate the suggested book to sustain the examination.

However, for those who think mandatory to refer to a textbook, please consider the following:

Pinel J.P.J. e Barnes S.J., Psicobiologia, undicesima edizione, Milano: Edra S.p.A., 2022. Based on the original 11th edition (Pearson Education editor)

This book MUST BE considered as FACULTATIVE.

Teaching methods

Class lectures oriented to the program of the course.

Attending classes in not mandatory, but is highly suggested to better understand all the topics. The direct interaction with the Professor is highly encouraged, both during classes and in the following period when preparing the examination test.

Assessment methods

The aim of the examination is to verify the knowledge level of the topics this teaching course is based on, as indicated in the previously defined section "Course contents".

Attending classes is not mandatory and does not represent a parameter considered for the final evaluation.

The final evaluation will consist in a interview, with two open ended questions asked from the Professor, obviously based on the course's program. Maximum score of the examination (30/30) will be gained answering clearly and concisely to the questions given. When answers are complete and simple at the same time, the score of 30 Cum Laude will be suggested for the final evaluation (i.e., including the other module the whole course). Incomplete answers, as well as answers denoting poor precision, will be evaluated with a proportionally lower score in respect to the maximum. The score given is totally under the judgment of the Professor.

In case of some emergency condition (i.e., pandemics, floods, etc.), the examination will be carried out online or, if possible, in a mixed form in which students may choose whether sustain the test personally or online. The characteristics of the exam and the evaluation rules are exactly the same as those already mentioned.

This test will always be concomitant with the one of Clinical Psychophysiology I, with no exceptions. The final score is a single one and will be obtained averaging every single scores given to the four questions included in the whole examination session: 2 questions from Clinical Psychophysiology I part of the course, 2 questions from the present part.

During the examination any auxiliary material is forbidden (with the exclusion of specific and subjective cases, previously approved). It is also forbidden using notes and any kind of books. In case of online examinations, also navigating the internet (i.e., obviously excluding the web platform used to communicate) is forbidden.

To sustain the examination is mandatory for the candidate to subscribe online, the subscription is in common with Clinical Psychophysiology I. Please, pay maximum attention to when the subscription list will be closed.

The Professor is available to explain and to motivate the scores given to the student, only relatively to this specific part of the examination.

Teaching tools

Lessons are based on Power-point slide presentations, also uploaded on the specific academic web-sites platform. To prepare for the examination is mandatory to refer to the book(s) previously specified in the above section "Readings/Bibliography". Undoubtedly is of great help also the use of a PC, in order to better see the slide presentations used by the Professor.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Luppi