The course provides knowledge on the fundamentals of neuropsychology, the theoretical principles as well as research methodology applied on the neuropsychology field, with particular emphasis on the neuroimaging techniques and the role of modifications of large-scale brain networks in the main neuropsychological syndromes.
The course provides skills and tools suitable for being part of multidisciplinary research teams in the field of neuropsychology.
The course comprises two parts.
The first part deals with the theoretical and methodological foundations of neuropsychology. In particular, the framework of connectomal diaschisis is presented, with a focus on the changes of the brain systems following structural damage. Furthermore, knowledge about the applications of structural and functional imaging techniques in the neuropsychological field is provided.
The second part of the course is focused on the clinical profiles and theoretical bases of the main neuropsychological disorders as well as their neurofunctional correlates. Finally, the recent findings of ‘network neuropsychology’, i.e., the study of impairments of cognitive functions after brain damage within the framework of graph theory, are discussed.