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 disorders and their treatments. Moreover, students will learn how psychoactive drugs works within the brain.

Course contents

The main topics of this course are:

Basic anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system. 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: agonists and antagonists, allosteric interactions and modulations. Basic epigenetic mechanisms. Neurobiology of emotions, of imagination and of meditation. Neurobiology of consciousness and of the placebo effect. Neurobiological mechanisms of sleep and wakefulness and sleep disorders. Neurobiological mechanisms of dementias and their general treatments.

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

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.

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 lessons 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. 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. Incomplete answers, as well as imprecise answers, 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 a new pandemic emergency condition, the examination will be carried out online or, if possible, in a mixed form in which students may choose whether sustain the examination personally or via web. 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 from 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 web examinations, also navigating the internet is forbidden.

To sustain the examination is mandatory for the candidate to subscribe online, the subscription is in common with Clinical Psychophysiology I.

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 the book previously specified in the above section "Readings/Bibliography". Undoubtedly is greatly helpful also  the use of a PC, in order to see the slide presentations used by the Professor, as is best for the student.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Luppi