10935 Cognitive Neuropsychology 1
Credits: 6 advanced credits in Psychology or in Learning Disabilities
Prerequisites: 36 credits, including Physiology of Behavior, Cognitive Psychology, Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Statistics for Students of Social Sciences I, Introduction to Statistics for Students of Social Sciences II, Research Methods in Social Sciences: Guiding Principles and Research Styles, and Research Experience, Regression Analysis and Analysis of Variance. Students must also fulfill all English requirements and take bibliographic instruction in the Library.
The course is based on a reader edited by Gitit Kavé.
Neuropsychology examines the relationship between the brain and cognitive processes: how we think, speak, remember, or perceive our environment. There are many ways to study these relationships and this course focuses primarily on research with individuals who have cognitive disorders following brain damage. Alongside cognitive models, the course presents detailed case studies of individuals who suffer from specific disorders.
Objectives: To understand the nature of cognitive disorders caused by various types of brain damage; to provide knowledge about the study of individuals with brain damage; to expand theoretical knowledge about accepted cognitive models in studying healthy individuals.
Topics: Introduction and basic background on cognitive neuropsychology and research methods in the field (imaging techniques, basic assumptions in cognitive psychology, research on individuals with brain damage); brain asymmetry and the difference between the right and left hemispheres; visual processing and agnosia; face processing and prosopagnosia; spatial processing and unilateral neglect; spoken language and aphasia; written language and dyslexia; memory and amnesia; executive functions; integrative discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of research based on case studies.
1Students may write a seminar paper in this course, although it is not required.