BCS 242: Syllabus

Spring 2011

Time & Location

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:50 - 6:05 PM, Goergen 101

General Overview

This course will introduce the student to the field of clinical neuropsychology, which bridges the domains of neurology, neuroscience and clinical psychology. It begins with a general overview and history of clinical neuropsychology. Then, principles of neuropsychological assessment and the assessment and interpretation of specific cognitive domains and the neuropsychological tests used to assess these domains will be reviewed. The remainder of the course will be "syndrome" oriented and will feature guest lectures by local clinical neuropsychologists on the specific syndromes and domains in which they specialize: dementia, stroke, epilepsy, head trauma, pediatric neuropsychology, and forensic neuropsychology.

Personnel

John Langfitt (Instructor)
Office: Meliora 418
E-mail:
Phone: 275-9495
Office Hours: Tuesdays at 3:30-4:30 PM or by appointment

Lizz Karuza (TA)
Office: Meliora 418
Email:
Office Hours: Thurdays at 3:30-4:30 PM, or by appointment

Required Readings

There is no required text. Required readings are on the Blackboard site, in the Readings under the Course Materials tab under PDF files. Click on the appropriate icons to access course reserves and other materials. References for texts from which multiple readings are taken are:

Lezak, MD. (1995) Neuropsychological Assessment (3rd ed.), Oxford: New York.
Elias, LJ & Saucier, DM. (2006) Neuropsychology: Clinical and Experimental Foundations, Allyn & Bacon: Boston.
Ricker, JH (ed.). (2004) Differential Diagnosis in Adult Neuropsychological Assessment. Springer: New York.
Rains, GD (2002) Principles of Human Neuropsychology. McGraw-Hill: New York.

Powerpoints

Powerpoints can enhance comprehension and note-taking, but they are not a substitute for attending class. A Powerpoint will be posted the day before the lecture for Professor Langfitt's lectures. Powerpoints of guest lecturers may or may not be posted prior to the lectures, although most will be posted afterward. Material may be discussed and included in the exam that is not included on the Powerpoints.

Exams

There will be four in-class exams, consisting of multiple choice and short-answer questions. The material on the exams will be determined from what we cover in class AND reading assignments. All of the assigned readings are required to gain a depth of appreciation of the subject matter. However, not all of thematerial in the readings will be covered on the exams. Study guides will be made available in the week before the exam to help focus your studying. The TA will hold BYOQ (Bring Your Own Questions) review sessions the week before each examination. Examinations are not cumulative, but you are expected to understand the basic concepts from previous lectures. Examinations are re-scheduled only in the event of illness, emergency or a scheduled University commitment that prevents the student from being present. Schedule conflicts must be discussed with the instructor or TA at least one week prior to the scheduled exam.

***Please note the dates of the second and final exams. Examinations will NOT be re-scheduled to accommodate departures on Spring or Summer break.***

Course Grade

This will be the average of the raw (uncurved) scores of the four in-class exams, using the following cutoffs for letter grades and sub-levels: A ≥ 90, B ≥80, etc.; + ≥ 7, - ≤ 2. Due to the size of the class, there will be no term paper or "extra credit" paper. Upward adjustment (from one grade sub-level to the next - B+ to A-, B to B+, etc.) may be made at the discretion of the instructor for students who participate actively and constructively in class and/or office hours and/or show evidence of steady improvement over the semester.

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