Clinical Neuroscience: Brains, Drugs and Psychiatry
Module title | Clinical Neuroscience: Brains, Drugs and Psychiatry |
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Module code | PSY3451 |
Academic year | 2024/5 |
Credits | 15 |
Module staff | Dr Alex Shaw (Convenor) |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 11 |
Number students taking module (anticipated) | 35 |
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Module description
This module will introduce you to the state-of-the-art research in human neurosciences employed to explore – and treat – psychiatric disorders ranging from schizophrenia to depression, dementia and addiction. Through a combination of lectures, student-led workshops and lab visits, you’ll be introduced to brain anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and brain imaging tools such M/EEG and MRI. Our focus will be on the clinical application of these tools – probing the experimental approaches that are leading to breakthroughs in understanding and treating psychiatric illness.
This module will be highly interdisciplinary in nature, but is especially suited to those students with interests in clinical neurosciences, neuroimaging and pharmacology.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The primary objective of this module is to equip you with an understanding of the key methodologies in clinical neuroscience research – including the promises and pitfalls of each method in aiding our understanding of psychiatric illness.
Topics will cover neurophysiology, brain imaging technologies, pharmacology, clinical trials and novel therapeutics, and models of the brain. Alongside a scientific introduction to crucial methods, sessions will focus on the application of methods to understanding the neurobiology of a variety of psychiatric illnesses.
Through this module, you will:
- Understand key principles in human neuroscience and clinical research
- Develop an interdisciplinary approach to tackling research problems
- Understand crucial methods – from brain imaging biophysics to conducting clinical trials
- Develop your ability to read and evaluate scientific literature
- Work in a group to evaluate relevant literature and present your findings in a coherent narrative
- Explore a corner of (clinical) neuroscience research tailored to your own professional or scientific interests
- Visit an active research lab carrying out neuropharmacology and neuroimaging research (at St Luke’s campus)
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Evaluate and critique papers from neuroscience journals
- 2. Select appropriate and innovative experimental methods and design to address key questions in the field
- 3. Understand the key neurobiological theories of many psychiatric illnesses
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Review and critique published work in the field
- 5. Understand neuroscientific terminology
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Work within groups to understand the literature on a particular topic, create a compelling scientific narrative and present it clearly to an audience
- 7. Manage your own learning, using the resources available (lectures, ELE and suggested reading)
- 8. Engage fully in journal clubs and debates
- 9. Manage time effectively to meet deadlines
Syllabus plan
Indicative topics that will be covered during the sessions include:
(*note - this is not a week-by-week schedule)
- Introduction to the brain (anatomy, physiology, neurobiology)
- Introduction to clinical neurosciences (psychiatry & neurology)
- Introduction to (neuro)pharmacology
- Brain imaging methods - structure vs. function - key applications to clinical questions
- Brain imaging methods - evoked, induced and oscillations - key applications to clinical questions
- Brain imaging methods - model neurons, networks and machine learning - key applications to clinical questions
- Clinical trials and imaging: from depression to dementia
- Psychedelics, plasticity & psychiatry: novel therapeutics?
- Lab visit(s) and hands-on neuroimaging data analysis workshop
- Student led journal clubs, debates and seminars on suitable topics
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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33 | 117 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 33 | Seminars (11 x 3 hours) |
Guided Independent Study | 80 | Reading for weekly seminars, debates, journal clubs and your own project. |
Guided Independent Study | 37 | Further reading and revision as preparation for coursework and exam. |
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Engagement in seminar discussions | 11 seminars | 1-8 | Oral feedback during class |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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40 | 60 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Essay / Project Proposal | 40 | 2000 words | 1-9 | Written |
Examination | 60 | 3 hours | 1-5, 7-9 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
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Essay / Project Proposal | Essay / Project Proposal | 1-9 | August Ref/Def |
Examination | Examination | 1-5, 7-9 | August Ref/Def |
Re-assessment notes
Two assessments are required for this module. Where you have been referred/deferred in the examination you will have the opportunity to take a second examination in the August/September re-assessment period. Where you have been referred/deferred in the essay you will be required to resubmit the essay. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%; deferred marks are not capped.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
- Singh, K. D. (2012). Which ‘neural activity’ do you mean? FMRI, MEG, oscillations and neurotransmitters. NeuroImage, 62(2), 1121–1130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.01.028
- Lambert, D. (2004). Drugs and receptors. Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain, 4(6), 181–184. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjaceaccp/mkh049
- Muthukumaraswamy, S. D. (2014). The use of magnetoencephalography in the study of psychopharmacology (pharmaco-MEG). Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), June. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881114536790
Clinical imaging and neuropharmacology:
- Thakkar, K. N., Rösler, L., Wijnen, J. P., Boer, V. O., Klomp, D. W. J., Cahn, W., Kahn, R. S., & Neggers, S. F. W. (2017). 7T Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Glutamate, and Glutamine Reveals Altered Concentrations in Patients With Schizophrenia and Healthy Siblings. Biological Psychiatry, 81(6), 525–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.04.007
- Sanacora, G., Zarate, C. a, Krystal, J. H., & Manji, H. K. (2008). Targeting the glutamatergic system to develop novel, improved therapeutics for mood disorders. Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery, 7(5), 426–437. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd2462
- Aan Het Rot, M., Zarate, C. a., Charney, D. S., & Mathew, S. J. (2012). Ketamine for depression: Where do we go from here? Biological Psychiatry, 72(7), 537–547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.05.003
- Routley, B., Shaw, A., Muthukumaraswamy, S. D., Singh, K. D., & Hamandi, K. (2020). Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy shows increased posterior theta, and reduced sensorimotor beta resting connectivity. Epilepsy Research, 163, 106324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2020.106324
- Shaw, A. D., Hughes, L. E., Moran, R. J., Coyle-gilchrist, I., Rittman, T., & Rowe, J. B. (2019). In Vivo Assay of Cortical Microcircuitry in Frontotemporal Dementia: A Platform for Experimental Medicine Studies. 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhz024
- Shaw, A. D., Knight, L., Freeman, T. C. A., Williams, G. M., Moran, R. J., Friston, K. J., Walters, J. T. R., & Singh, K. D. (2019). Oscillatory , Computational , and Behavioral Evidence for Impaired GABAergic Inhibition in Schizophrenia. 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbz066
- Shaw, A., Brealy, J., Richardson, H., Muthukumaraswamy, S. D., Edden, R. a., John Evans, C., Puts, N. a J., Singh, K. D., & Keedwell, P. a. (2013). Marked reductions in visual evoked responses but not γ-aminobutyric acid concentrations or γ-band measures in remitted depression. Biological Psychiatry, 73(7), 691–698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.09.032
Credit value | 15 |
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Module ECTS | 7.5 |
Module pre-requisites | None |
Module co-requisites | None |
NQF level (module) | 6 |
Available as distance learning? | No |
Origin date | 03/03/2022 |
Last revision date | 14/12/2023 |