BSc Psychology

This course will explore dementia in terms of its behavioural characteristics and brain bases. It will involve research from neuropsychology and neuroscience. The primary forms of dementia will be explored, as will the challenges faced in differential diagnosis and the discrimination between healthy ageing and the onset of dementia. The role of different types of brain scanning in dementia research and clinical management will be discussed, as will issues relating to treatment and prevention.

This course consolidates and extends the neuropsychological and neuroscientific understanding gained from previous course units in Biological and Cognitive Psychology in years 1 and 2 of the BSc (Hons) Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology course. The course is an optional Final Year course unit for the BSc (Hons) Psychology. 

Building on foundational knowledge in Biological and Cognitive Psychology, the unit aims to:

• Introduce students to different types of dementia and current issues in dementia research
• Illustrate the relationships between the neural and cognitive aspects of dementia
• Show how dementia research can increase our understanding of perception and cognition
• Demonstrate how neuroscientific research leads to better treatments for dementia patients
• Enable students' discussion and evaluation of contemporary research, via seminars and reading groups. 

There will be 11 in-person lectures of approximately 2 hours each for this course which will involve guest lecturers with academic and/or clinical expertise on each week’s topic. All lecture slides will be available at least 24 hours before the scheduled lecture.  

The lectures will be recorded and these will be made available after the lecture. The lecture session will include approximately 20 minutes on Patient and Public Engagement and Involvement, which will involve a mixture of live presentations and watching of pre-recorded content in which people with dementia and their carers (personal and professional) will share their lived experience.  

There will be 11 in-person seminars of approximately 1 hour each which will involve an individual or group activity and discussion. The seminar will not be recorded, but the associated materials will be available via Canvas.  

There will be 11 in-person reading groups of approximately 1 hour each in which students will evaluate research papers related to each week’s lecture topic. It is expected that all students will submit a question on each paper to the group lead before the session. 

• Explain the critical challenges faced in the study and treatment of dementia  
• Describe current knowledge in relation to the brain changes accompanying dementia
• Summarise current thinking in relation to cognition and behaviour in dementia
• Synthesise several topics relating brain and behaviour in the context of dementia 

• Evaluate the research designs and methods used to investigate dementia
• Outline how an understanding of cognitive and brain changes can help the development of treatment and promote prevention of dementia
• Critically analyse how neuropsychological data is used to explore differential diagnosis in dementia 

• Evaluate research design and methodology in a research paper
• Discuss empirical findings with others within a small group context 

• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing, to present concise and persuasive arguments  
• Locate and organise primary research evidence from relevant databases  
• Discuss empirical findings with others within a small group context 

See Assessment Methods

There will not be a single recommended text book as the core course material will be recent journal articles. Some examples of references covered in the course:

• Gorno-Tempini, M.L., et al. (2011). Classification of primary progressive aphasia and its variants. Neurology, 76, 1006-1014.
• Hodges, J.R., & Patterson, K. (2007). Semantic dementia: A unique clinicopathological syndrome. Lancet Neurology, 6, 1004-1014.
• Piguet, O., Hornberger, M., Mioshi, E., & Hodges, J.R. (2011). Behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia: Diagnosis, clinical staging, and management. Lancet Neurology, 10, 162-172.
• DeCarli, C. (2003). Mild cognitive impairment: Prevalence, prognosis, aetiology, and treatment. Lancet Neurology, 2, 15–21.
• Collie, A., & Maruff, P. (2000). The neuropsychology of preclinical Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 24(3), 365-74.
• Salmon, D.P., & Bondi, M.W. (2009). Neuropsychological assessment of Dementia. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 257-282.