Case Studies in Neuropsychology

elective courses

During the course you are going to get a chance to discuss case studies of

patients suffering, among others, from neuropsychological conditions

such as: agnosia, executive dysfunction, mild and severe brain injury;

epilepsy, neurotoxicity and degenerative disorders. Discussing the cases,

some very important issues of neuropsychological assessment and

examination are going to be introduced as well.

During the course you are going to be familiarized with and get a chance

to discuss case studies of patients suffering from a number of conditions:

aphasia, amnesia, agnosia, executive dysfunction, mild and severe brain

injury; hemorrhages; epilepsy, neurotoxicity and degenerative disorders.

Some of the conditions - mentioned above - have already been briefly

discussed during “The basic issues in neuropsychological assessment”

course; this course is a chance to deepen knowledge not only about

assessment methods used in clinical practice, but also to get a much

wider perspective and holistic approach when it comes to working with

neuropsychological patients. While discussing the cases, some very

important issues of neuropsychological examination such as interview,

test selection and interpretation procedures are going to be introduced as

well.

APHASIA:

 Blumennfeld, H. (2010). Higher-Order Cerebral function. In: H.

Blumennfeld: Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases. (2nd

edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers. Sunderland,

Massachusetts. (chapter 19)

 Code, Ch., Wallesch, C. W., Joanette, Y., Lecours, A. R. (Eds)

(2009). Classic cases in Neuropsychology. Hove and New York:

Psychology Press: Talor & Francis Group (chapters: 4, 12, 22)

 Doidge, N. (2007). Midnight resurrections. Stroke Victims Learn to

move and speak again. The brain that changes itself. Stories of

personal triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. Pengiun

Books. (chapter 5)

 Lezak, M.D, Howieson, D. B., Loring D. W., Hannay, H. J., Fischer, J.

S. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. (4th edition). New York

Oxford: Oxford University Press (selected pages)

 Ogden, J. A. (2005). The Breakdown of language: Case Studies of

Aphasia. In: Ogden, J. A. Fractured minds. A case-study approach

to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press

(chapter 5)

 Ramachandran, V. S. (2012). The Power of Babble: The evolution

of language. In: V., S. Ramachandran: The tell-tale brain.

Unlocking the mystery of human nature. Windmill Books

(chapter 6)

 Sacks, O. (2010). Recalled to life. In: S., Oliver: The mind’s eye.

Picador (pages: 32-52)

AMNESIA:

 Blumennfeld, H. (2010). Limbic System: Homeostasis, Olfaction,

Memory, and Emotion . In: H., Blumennfeld :Neuroanatomy

through Clinical Cases. (2nd edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc.

Publishers. Sunderland, Massachusetts (chapter 18)

 Corkin, S. (2014). Permanent present tense. The man with no

memory, and what he taught the world. Pengiun books.

 Ogden, J. A. (2005). Marooned in the Moment: H. M., a Case of

Global Amnesia . In: Ogden, J. A. Fractured minds. A case-study

approach to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford.

University Press (chapter 3)

 Parkin, A., J. (2009). H.M.: The Medial Temporal Lobes and

Memory . In: Ch. Code, C. W. Wallesch, Y. Joanette, A. R. Lecours

(Eds). Classic cases in Neuropsychology. Hove and New York:

Psychology Press: Talor & Francis Group (chapter 23)

AGNOSIA:

 Blumennfeld, H. (2010). Cerebral Hemispheres and Vascular

Supply. In: H., Blumennfeld :Neuroanatomy through Clinical

Cases. (2nd edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers.

Sunderland, Massachusetts (chapter 10)

 Mattingley, B., J. (2009). Paterson and Zangwill’s (1944) Case of

Unilateral Neglect: Insights from 50 years of Experimental Inquiry.

In: Ch. Code, C. W. Wallesch, Y. Joanette, A. R. Lecours (Eds):

Classic cases in Neuropsychology. Hove and New York:

Psychology Press: Talor & Francis Group (chapter 13)

 Lezak, M.D, Howieson, D. B., Loring D. W., Hannay, H. J., Fischer, J.

S. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. (4th edition). New York

Oxford: Oxford University Press (selected pages)

 Ogden, J. A. (2005). Fractured minds. A case-study approach to

Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press

(chapters: 6, 7,8)

 Ramachandran, V. S. (2012). Loud Colors and hot babes:

synaesthesia. The tell-tale brain. Unlocking the mystery of

human nature. Windmill Books (chapter 3)

 Sacks, O. (2010). The mind’s eye. Picador (pages: 3-31, 82-143)

EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTIONS:

 Doidge, N. (2007). Using plasticity to stop worries, obsessions,

compulsions, bad habits. In: N., Doidge: The brain that changes

itself. Stories of personal triumph from the Frontiers of Brain

Science. Pengiun (chapter 6)

 Lezak, M.D, Howieson, D. B., Loring D. W., Hannay, H. J., Fischer, J.

S. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. (4th edition). New York

Oxford: Oxford University Press (selected pages)

 Ogden, J. A. (2005). The Impaired Executive. A case of Frontal

Lobe Dysfunction. In: Ogden, J. A. Fractured minds. A case-study

approach to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford.

University Press (chapter 9)

MILD AND SEVERE BRAIN INJURIES, HEMORRHAGES, EPILEPSY:

 Blumennfeld, H. (2010). Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases.

(2 nd edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers. Sunderland,

Massachusetts. (chapters: 5, 10, 14)

 Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself. Stories of

personal triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. Pengiun

Books (chapters: 5, 7)

 Lezak, M.D, Howieson, D. B., Loring D. W., Hannay, H. J., Fischer, J.

S. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. (4th edition). New York

Oxford: Oxford University Press (selected pages)

 Ogden, J. A. (2005). Fractured minds. A case-study approach to

Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press

(chapters: 4, 10, 11, 12)

NEUROTOXIC CONDITIONS, INFECTIONS OF CNS:

 Doidge, N. (2007). Imagination. How thinking makes it so. In: N,

Doidge: The brain that changes itself. Stories of personal

triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. Pengiun Books

(chapter 9)

 Ogden, J. A. (2005). Twenty Years too Late: Organic Solvent

Neurotoxicity. In: Ogden, J. A. Fractured minds. A case-study

approach to Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford.

University Press (chapter 13)

NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES (Parkinson’s, Huntington’s diseases,

MS) and DEMENTIA (slowly and rapidly progressing types):

 Doidge, N. (2007). Turning our ghost into ancestors.

Psychoanalysis as a Neuroplastic Therapy. In: N, Doidge: The brain

that changes itself. Stories of personal triumph from the

Frontiers of Brain Science. Pengiun Books (chapter 9)

 Lezak, M.D, Howieson, D. B., Loring D. W., Hannay, H. J., Fischer, J.

S. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. (4th edition). New York

Oxford: Oxford University Press (selected pages)

 Ogden, J. A. (2005). Fractured minds. A case-study approach to

Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press

(chapters: 14 - 17)

SPLIT BRAIN OPERATIONS; LIFE WITH HALF OF A BRAIN:

 Ogden, J. A. (2005). Fractured minds. A case-study approach to

Clinical Neuropsychology (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press

(chapters: 18-19)

 Sauerwein, H. C., Lassonde, M. (2009). Akelaits’ Investigations of

the First Split-brain Patients. In: Code, Ch., Wallesch, C. W.,

Joanette, Y., Lecours, A. R. (Eds). Classic cases in

Neuropsychology. Hove and New York: Psychology Press: Taylor

& Francis Group (chapter 21)

 Ramachandran, V. S. (2012). The tell-tale brain. Unlocking the

mystery of human nature. Windmill Books (chapters: 7-9)

After completing the classes students are expected to be able to give

appropriate information when it comes to neuropsychological patient

approach such as: patient’s and family interview; way of selecting the

methods and tests for the assessment; communicating the results of the

assessment.

Student’s are expected as well to be familiarized with the way of

presenting case studies in neuropsychology and reading with

understanding scientific articles concerning the discipline.

Two absences without an excuse are allowed.

In case of additional absence with excuse, student is going to be asked to

complete additional work

 Every week, at home, student/s is/are asked to prepare a short

presentation (e.g. case study summary), based on books’ chapters

and articles pointed by the instructor, later presented in front of the

class (up to 20% of the final mark)

 Students are asked to read selected texts, pointed out by the

instructor, before the classes and then to take active part in classes,

especially during discussions devoted to different methods of

assessment (up to 10% of the final mark)

 Before the end of the classes students will be asked to propose

methods of assessment and their predicted outcome for patients with

particular impairments (20%).

 Every participant is obliged to take a written test which is going to be

carried out during the last class (50% of the final mark).