Class Neuropsychology of the Life Cycle

This curricular unit, part of the 2nd Cycle of Studies in Clinical Neuropsychology, aims to enhance understanding of neurocognitive trajectories across the lifespan, both normative and pathological. The primary objective is to explore the fundamentals of clinical neuropsychology as applied to different life stages (i.e., childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging), focusing on the assessment and intervention of neurodevelopmental disorders, neuropsychological syndromes, neurodegenerative diseases, and dementias. This course seeks to foster the development of clinical reasoning, differential diagnosis skills, and the practical application of knowledge to clinical cases. Furthermore, it plays a pivotal role in the study plan, complementing courses such as Neuropsychological Assessment and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, by preparing students to work effectively in clinical and research settings.

Not applicable

S1. Fundamentals of clinical neuropsychology throughout the life cycle (child, adolescent, adult and elderly). S2. Neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., learning, autism, hyperactivity, epilepsy) S3. Neuropsychological syndromes and acquired lesions (e.g., brain injury, aphasia, apraxia, executive agnosia). S4. Neurodegenerative illnesses and dementias (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, vascular). S5. Neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders).  

The articulation of the teaching methodologies this CU with the pedagogical model of the study cycle is related to the combination of several pedagogical methods recommended by the main scientific pedagogical references of higher education. Therefore, it is intended to promote a balanced synergy between theoretical and practical teaching methods, by encouraging active and autonomous learning of students.  The oral presentation with the support of audiovisual materials (TM1) will foster the acquisition of relevant theoretical knowledge. This methodology will be articulated with the in-depth analysis of case studies (TM2) that reflect changes that may occur across lifespan (Neurodevelopmental disorders, Acquired brain injury, Neuropsychiatric disorders, Neurodegenerative diseases and dementias). TM2 will be complemented by teaching methodologies such as interactive dialogue (TM3) and small group discussions (TM4).

Donders, J., & Hunter, S.J. (2014). Principles and Practice of Lifespan Developmental Neuropsychology. Cambridge University Press. Glozman, J. (2013). Developmental neuropsychology. Routledge. Lima, C.B. (2015). Perturbac¿o¿es do Neurodesenvolvimento. Manual de orientac¿o¿es diagno¿sticas e estrate¿gias de intervenc¿a¿o. Lidel.  Rahman, S., & Howard, R. (2018). Essentials of Dementia. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.  Ravdin, L. D., & Katzen, H. L. (2013). Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Aging and Dementia. Springer. Goldstein, S., & Reynolds, C. R. (2010). Handbook of neurodevelopmental and genetic disorders in children. Guilford Press. Rubenstein, J., Rakic, P., Chen, B., & Kwan, K. Y. (2020). Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Comprehensive Developmental Neuroscience (1st edition). Academic Press.