Course Syllabus

Spring & Summer School 2010

Human Neuropsychology
PSYC 3073 / BIOL 3073

May 10th-14th 2010

8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Instructor: Dr. Michael Paré, B.Sc., M.Sc., M.Ed., M.D.

Office: 200 Sheppard Avenue East, 2nd Floor, North York ON M2N 3A9
Phone: (416) 229-2399 x 120
E-mail: michaelpare@rogers.com
Office Hours: by appointment only

Commuter Hotline: 416-226-6620 ext. 2187. Class cancellations due to inclement weather or
illness will be announced/posted on the commuter hotline.

Mailboxes: Every student is responsible for information communicated through the student
mailboxes. A mailbox directory is posted beside the mailboxes. For more information contact the
Registrar's office.

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Human neuropsychology is the study of the organization of the cognitive, emotional, and social
functions of the brain. We will be covering the functions of various brain regions from a range of
functional capacities. We will especially explore the higher cognitive functions such as, attention,
emotion, memory, and language. The field of Neuropsychology also seeks to understand how brain
damage alters human behavior across the lifespan. We will examine how clinicians diagnose and
rehabilitate persons with brain diseases and disorders. Assignments will emphasize the application
of textbook/lecture-based knowledge, critical thinking, and presentation skills.

Prerequisites
PSYC 1013 Introduction to Psychology I and PSYC 1023 Introduction to Psychology II
Prerequisite: Brain and Behavior PSYC 2053
1
II. LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Master the factual and conceptual knowledge associated with the major facts and theories of
neuropsychological functioning and also associated disorders.
2. Improve one’s critical thinking and scholarly writing skills as applied to the close examination
of the controversies associated with one of the major areas of neuropsychological functioning
and dysfunctions.
3. Improve one’s ability to verbally articulate and support an argument that takes a position on
one side of a controversy associated with an area of neuropsychological functioning or
dysfunction.

III. REQUIRED TEXTS:

Textbook Title: Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology

Author: Kolb, Brain and Whishaw, In
Publisher: Worth Edition / Year: 7th
Additional Information: Chapters 11 to 22 are required reading

IV. COURSE EVALUATION:

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Learning Goals:
The assignments foster independent learning on the topic of human brain and behavior by reading
about and theories in the textbook. Mini Quizzes each day prepare you for class presentations that
describe more recent research on the same topic (i.e., formal knowledge base). Students
presentations will foster critical thinking and the developing of a perspective on how new
knowledge advances the field (i.e., integration of material, and social communication). There is NO
examination in this course.

Student evaluation will be comprised of the following areas:

1. Required Reading and Class Participation

(10% of final grade)
Students are expected to participate in discussions in class lectures following video
demonstrations and following oral presentations.

2. Short Class Presentation

(25% of final grade)
A 10 minute to fifteen minute class presentation (with or without powerpoint slides) on one
of the articles or chapters from the required reading list. The student will present a short
summary and critical analysis of the article or chapter. Following that there will be an
interactive discussion amongst the students in the class.

2
 Length of class presentation depends on the number of students attending the course. I will
seek to help assign topics so as to avoid duplicate presentations. These short presentations
will start the second day of class.

3. Critical Book Review (Due June 25th 2010)

(20% of final grade)
A 4-6 page critical review or analysis paper on one of the listed books. These are popular
books on various neuropsychological disorders or functioning. The student is expected, not
only to summarize the volume, but to produce a creative, and thoughtful discussion paper
concerning the book.

4. Summary and Position Paper (Due July 2nd 2010)

(This assignment is worth 35% of the final grade)
Students will be required to write a 10 page summary and position paper on one of the major
neuropsychological areas of function or areas of dysfunction (disorders) covered in the
course. The paper will (a) describe the disorder as it is understood within the fields of
neuropsychology and neuroscience and/or (b) review the theories of causation, (c)
summarize the usual or recommended treatments for the disorder, and (d) provide a critique
of the current state of our knowledge about the disorder, its causes and treatment.

5. Quizzes (10%)
The purpose of taking fact based quizzes each day before the lectures are to prepare for the
class.

Additional information: Students with disabilities are encouraged to register as quickly as possible
for student accessibility services if they wish to receive academic accommodations.

Guidelines on using internet and communication devised in classroom: Computers may be used to
look at or take notes during class. Do not use your computer to communicate (i.e., text messaging,
chat, email, etc), or do non-course related activity. Be courteous. Kindly turn off cell phones during
class time.

VI. COURSE OUTLINE:

Time: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Lunch: 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Day 1: May 10th 2010

• Monday AM – Part 1 – 8:30 to 10:00 AM
Welcome to an introduction to Human Neuropsychology: Overview of Course
Objectives: Students familiarize themselves with the course content, format, assignments,
marking scheme, and the professors’ expectations
Perspectives and Methods in Human Neuropsychology
Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapters 1 to 10 should be reviewed, if you think that your
pre-requisites need refreshing.
Assignments: (1) Read Chapter 11 and 12 before class
(2) Sign up for a presentation
3
 • Monday AM – Part 2 – 10:15 AM to 12:00 PM
Class Topic 1: Cerebral Asymmetry Chapter 11
Readings: Before this class, read Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 11 and 12

• Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM

• Monday PM – 1:00 to 3:00 PM

Class Topic 2: Variations in Cerebral Asymmety Chapter 12
Assignment Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 13 to 15 before tomorrow’s class

• Review: 3:00 to 4:30 PM

Day 2: May 11th 2010

• Tuesday AM – Part 1 – 8:30 to 10:00 AM
Class Topic 3: The Occipital Lobes Chapter 13
Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 13 to 15 before today’s class

• Tuesday AM – Part 2 – 10:15 AM to 12:00 PM

Class Topic 4: The Parietal Lobes Chapter 14

• Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM

• Tuesday PM – 1:00 to 3:00 PM

Class Topic 5: The Temporal Lobes Chapter 15
Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 16 to 18 before tomorrow’s class

• Student Presentations: from 3:00 to 4:30 PM

Day 3: May 12th 2010

• Wednesday AM – Part 1 – 8:30 to 10:00 AM
Class Topic 6: Memory
Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 18

• Wednesday AM – Part 2 – 10:15 AM to 12:00 PM

Class Topic 7: The Frontal Lobes Chapter 16
Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 16

• Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM

• Wednesday PM – 1:00 to 4:30 PM

Class Topic 8: Disconnection Syndromes Chapter 17
Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 19 and 20 for tomorrow’s class

• Student Presentations: from 3:00 to 4:30 PM

4
Day 4: May 13th 2010
• Thursday AM – Part 1 – 8:30 to 10:00 AM
Class Topic 9: The Origins of Language Chapter 19
Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 19

• Thursday AM – Part 2 – 10:15 AM to 12:00 PM

Class Topic 10: Dyslexia
Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 19

• Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM

• Thursday PM – 1:00 to 3:00 PM

Class Topic 11: Emotion Chapter 20
Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 21 and 22 for tomorrow’s class

• Student Presentations: from 3:00 to 4:30 PM

Day 5: May 14th 2010

• Friday AM – Part 1 – 8:30 to 10:00 AM
Class Topic 12: Spatial Behavior Chapter 21

• Friday AM – Part 2 – 10:15 AM to 12:00 PM

Class Topic 13: Attention Chapter 22

• Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM

• Friday PM – 1:00 to 4:30 PM

Course Review and Closure

Possible Books for Book Reveiw

Iconoclat: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently

by Gregory Berns Ph.D.

Proust Was a Neuroscientist

by Jonah Lehrer

Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life
by Steven Johnson

Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World
by Chris Frith

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat: And Other Clinical Tales
by Oliver Sacks

An anthropologist On Mars: Seven paradoxical Tales

by Oliver Sacks

5
The Emerging Mind: The BBC Reith Lectures 2003
by V. S. Ramachandran

Awakenings by Oliver Sacks

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey

by Ph.D., Jill Bolte Taylor

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain
Science
by Norman Doidge

Brain rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
by John Medina

The Female Brain

by Louann Brizendine

The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being

by Daniel J. Siegel

Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary
Potential to Transform Ourselves
by Sharon Begley

In Search of Memory: The emergence of a New Science of Mind

by Eric R. Kandel

The Balance Within: The Science Connecting Health and Emotions

by Esther M. Sternberg MD

Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine

by Candace B. Pert

A Symphony in the Brain: The Evolution of the New Brain Wave Biofeedback
by Jim Robbins

The Other Brain: From Dementia to Schizophrenia, How new Discoveries about the Brain
Are Revolutionizing Medicine and Science
by R. Douglas Fields

The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment And the Developing Social Brain
(Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)
by Louis cozolino

Embracing the Wide Sky

by Daniel Tammel

Born on a BlueDay
by Daniel Tammel

6
 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
May 10th 2010 May 11th 2010 May 12th 2010 May 13th 2010 May 14th 2010
Monday AM – Part 1 – Tuesday AM – Part 1 – Wednesday AM – Part 1 – Thursday AM – Part 1 – Friday AM – Part 1 – 8:30
8:30 to 10:00 AM 8:30 to 10:00 AM 8:30 to 10:00 AM 8:30 to 10:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Welcome to Introduction to Class Topic 3: The Class Topic 6: Memory Class Topic 9: The Origins Class Topic 12: Spatial
Human Neuropsychology: Occipital Lobes Chapter 13 Readings: Kolb and of Language Chapter 19 Behavior Chapter 21
Overview of Course Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 18 Readings: Kolb and
Objectives: Students Whishaw Chapter 13 to 15 Whishaw Chapter 19 Friday AM – Part 2 – 10:15
before today’s class Wednesday AM – Part 2 – AM to 12:00 PM
Monday AM – Part 2 – 10:15 AM to 12:00 PM Thursday AM – Part 2 – Class Topic 13: Attention
10:15 AM to 12:00 Tuesday AM – Part 2 – Class Topic 7: The Frontal 10:15 AM to 12:00 PM Chapter 22
PMClass Topic 1: Cerebral 10:15 AM to 12:00 PM Lobes Chapter 16 Class Topic 10: Dyslexia
Asymmetry Chapter Class Topic 4: The Parietal Readings: Kolb and Readings: Kolb and Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM
11Readings: Before this Lobes Chapter 14 Whishaw Chapter 16 Whishaw Chapter 19
class, read Kolb and Friday PM – 1:00 to 4:30
Whishaw Chapter 11 and Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM PM
12 before this class
Tuesday PM – 1:00 to 3:00 Wednesday PM – 1:00 to Thursday PM – 1:00 to Course Review and
Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM PM 3:00 PM 3:00 PM Closure
Class Topic 5: The Class Topic 8: Class Topic 11: Emotion
Monday PM – 1:00 to 3:00 Temporal Lobes Chapter Disconnection Syndromes Chapter 20
PM 15 Chapter 17 Readings: Kolb and
Readings: Kolb and Readings: Kolb and Whishaw Chapter 21 and
Class Topic 2: Variations Whishaw Chapter 16 to 18 Whishaw Chapter 19 and 22 for tomorrow’s class
in Cerebral Asymmety before tomorrow’s class 20 for tomorrow’s class
Chapter 12 Student Presentations: from
Assignment Readings: Student Presentations: from Student Presentations: from 3:00 to 4:30 PM
Kolb and Whishaw 3:00 to 4:30 PM 3:00 to 4:30 PM
Chapter 13 to 15 before
tomorrow’s class

Review: 3:00 to 4:30 PM