Neuropsychology of Dementia (Writing Intensive)

3 units

The primary goal of this course is to acquaint students with the basic features of common dementia subtypes, such as Alzheimer disease, frontotemporal dementias, vascular dementia, Lewy Body disease, and Parkinson disease. The course will cover the clinical manifestations (cognitive and behavioral symptoms, course, prognosis), neuroanatomical signatures, pathophysiology, intervention and treatment as well as current research directions. Students will gain a detailed understanding of the major dementia subtypes as manifestations of underlying brain pathology and anatomical patterns of brain damage. Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to a) identify and distinguish the most common dementia subtypes based on knowledge of clinical presentation and disease mechanisms; b) understand how underlying brain changes may be linked to clinical manifestations; c) understand how therapeutic strategies are linked to pathophysiology; d) engage in scholarly discussion about the topics; e) think and write critically about empirical research papers. PREREQ: Psych 100B, Psych 326, and EITHER Bio 3411 OR Psych 3401.