Neuropsychology

In compliance with Ministerial Decree no. 50/2019, the educational offer of the School of Specialization in Neuropsychology is divided into the following points:

Learning Profiles

 Theoretical, scientific and professional knowledge of the cognitive and behavioural disorders of the patient with brain damage, both in developmental age and in adult/senile age. Skills in anamnestic investigation, clinical framing and diagnosis. Knowledge of survey tools, with particular reference to psychometric tests, behavioural scales, interviews and questionnaires. Ability to plan and coordinate rehabilitation interventions, also with the support of appropriate technologies, and to monitor evolution.

Orientation of the intervention 

• Classification, detection and quantification of cognitive deficits such as: language disorders (aphasia), including those of reading (alexia/dyslexia) and writing (agraphia/dysgraphia), memory, spatial cognition (eminattention), calculation (acalculia), cognitive components of complex movement (apraxia), perception and recognition (agnosia), executive function, attention and intelligence, body image and insight;
• detection of behavioural disorders with or without cognitive deficits, such as mood disorders, delusions and hallucinations; detection and management of behavioural alterations and social intelligence, emotions and motivation;
• planning and coordination of rehabilitation intervention on the aforementioned cognitive and behavioural deficits;
• analysis and interpretation of diagnostic data and results in rehabilitation through the application of specific descriptive and inferential statistical procedures; ability to use information technology;
• planning and coordination of psychological and psychotherapeutic intervention aimed at promoting the recovery of psychosocial well-being in the pathological conditions described above;
• Classification of neuropsychological problems in the medico-legal field (forensic neuropsychology).

Specific learning objectives

• knowledge of the genetic, neuroanatomical, neurophysiological basis and of the development of cognitive, emotional and motivational functions in developmental and adult/senile age;
• knowledge of the events/pathologies that prevent its complete development and determine its decay;
• knowledge of mediator and receptor systems and psychoneuropharmacological bases, in their therapeutic and toxicological implications;
• knowledge of the tools of neuropsychological investigation (tests, test batteries, scales, questionnaires, interviews), and of psychometric tools for analysis and interpretation;
• knowledge of the mechanisms of neuroplasticity underlying recovery and rehabilitation;
• knowledge of neuroimaging and electrophysiology methods and their applications in neuropsychology;
• knowledge of the legislation and organisation of social and health services;
• knowledge of neurological, neurosurgical and internal medicine events and pathologies related to neuropsychological disorders;
• knowledge of pathologies, not primarily neurological, such as psychiatric syndromes, especially with a view to differential diagnostics with respect to "organic" syndromes, and chronic internal diseases (diabetes, autoimmune diseases, HIV, etc.);
• ability to frame all cognitive syndromes associated with aging, in view of the growing number of neurodegenerative diseases.
• elements of epidemiology and statistics;
• elements of forensic neuropsychology;
• History of neuropsychology.

Other learning objectives

• Developmental and educational psychology: knowledge of the development of cognitive and emotional motivational processes in childhood and adolescence;
• Dynamic and clinical psychology: knowledge of intrapsychic processes, interpersonal relationships relevant for the prevention and treatment of psychopathologies; main therapeutic approaches;  
• Community and organizational social psychology: knowledge of individual and group processes relevant to the cognitive and emotional organization of individuals and groups;
• Elements of sociology and anthropology:
• Elements of logic and philosophy of science; philosophy of language, linguistics and psycholinguistics; languages and translation;
• Elements of health management, statistics, law and computer science.

Compulsory professional activities

All activities are carried out under the supervision of experienced professionals in the field and include the execution of:

• diagnostic protocols of clinical neuropsychology: at least 60 patients personally examined, of which 15 suffering from language and movement programming disorders; 15 suffering from visuospatial disorders; 10 suffering from memory and behavioral programming disorders in the context of extensive cognitive impairment; 10 suffering from behavioural disorders and/or social cognition; 10 suffering from cognitive and emotional-behavioural disorders in developmental age;
• psychodiagnostic and psychotherapeutic protocols: at least 20 patients examined personally (with supervision);
• neuropsychological rehabilitation protocols: at least 30 patients personally examined, of which, 10 suffering from language disorders; 10 affected by movement programming disorders and visuospatial disorders; 10 memory and emotional-behavioural disorders; At least 30 cases discussed with expert staff.

Elective Activities

The elective activities useful for the acquisition of specific and advanced knowledge are mainly in the field of cognitive psychology, psychometrics, neurolinguistics, methodologies for simulating mental activity, behavioral genetics, application of functional neuroimaging and clinical electrophysiological methods to the study of cognitive processes, informatics applied to neuropsychological diagnosis and rehabilitation.