Postgraduate - UnitDPSY5263 - Neuropsychological assessment

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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0 points, SCA Band 1, 0.000 EFTSL

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Level	Postgraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational Unit	School of Psychology and Psychiatry
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2013 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Rene Stolwyk

Synopsis

Students will be introduced to the scientist-practitioner model of neuropsychology incorporating the hypothesis testing approach to assessment. Students will be exposed to a number of neuropsychological tests and scales, designed to assess aspects of cognitive, behavioural and emotional functioning. They will learn how to select which tests are most appropriate in specific clinical situations and how to administer, score and interpret each measure. The skills required to document the assessment results will be imparted. Issues in assessing people from other cultural and linguistic backgrounds will also be discussed. On a broader level, students will be taught to be critical consumers of the neuropsychological literature.

Outcomes

The primary aim of this unit is theoretical and practical, being to introduce students to an overarching approach to neuropsychological assessment and case formulation, as well as test selection, administration, scoring and interpretation.

At the conclusion of this unit students will:

Be able to critically evaluate a wide range of neuropsychological tests and scales designed to assess numerous aspects of cognitive, behavioural and emotional functioning.
Be able to plan neuropsychological assessments, including both qualitative and quantitative methods, appropriate to specific clinical contexts and referrals (eg; across the lifespan, cross-cultural assessment etc.).
Be able to interpret and integrate information obtained during neuropsychological assessment to formulate a comprehensive analysis of an individual's neuropsychological function.
To be able to disseminate findings of a neuropsychological assessment across a range of formats (reports, verbal feedback) and audiences (other clinicians, clients, family).

Assessment

Take Home excersise 70%
Oral Presentation 30%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Rene Stolwyk

Co-requisites

Must be enrolled in Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Neuropsychology