Entry requirements
Only open to master’s students Psychology with specialisation Clinical Neuropsychology.
Description
This course consists of a theoretical and a practical part, which will be offered simultaneously. The theoretical aspect comprises lectures and online sessions covering general concepts of neurological deficits and specific interventions for various etiologies and conditions. Students will analyzse intervention strategies, their underlying principles, and their practical applicability, culminating in critical evaluations of pertinent topics. The practical segment involves small-group sessions running parallel to the lectures. Here, students will acquire fundamental skills such as providing psychoeducation, imparting restorative techniques, and teaching compensatory mechanisms. Theoretical and practical aspects of treatment planning and implementation will be thoroughly explored. Additionally, students will work in subgroups to devise and implement intervention strategies for specific cases, all the while reflecting on their experiences and refining their communication skills, including building rapport with patients and self-reflection on their own behaviors
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course students can:
1. describe current evidence-based interventions in clinical neuropsychology and their application.
2. select and apply evidence-based neuropsychological interventions at a basic level.
3. reflect on their therapeutic attitude and their treatment skills.
4. conduct a mini-therapy as a scientist-practitioner.
5. engage in a therapeutic relationship at a basic level.
6. provide and receive clear and constructive verbal and written feedback to adn from fellow students
Timetable
For the timetable of this course please refer to MyTimetable
Registration
Education
Students must register themselves for all course components (lectures, tutorials and practicals) they wish to follow. You can register up to 5 days prior to the start of the course.
Exams
You must register for each exam in My Studymap at least 10 days before the exam date. You cannot take an exam without a valid registration in My Studymap. Carefully read all information about the procedures and deadlines for registering for courses and exams.
Exchange students and external guest students will be informed by the education administration about the current registration procedure.
Mode of instruction
-4 2-hour review-type lectures (course objective 1, 2 & 4)
-7 2-hour supervised mandatory seminars/work group sessions (course objectives 2, 3, 4 and 5)
The lectures will be given in English. As the workgroups are primarily focused on teaching and practicing treatment skills, these are either given in Dutch or in English.
In the lectures a review of the theoretical background and the current state of evidence-based practices of interventions will be given. Students will work independently to perform Critical Appraisals of Topics (CAT) to gain more knowledge of and skills in selecting neuropsychological interventions (Course objectives 1 & 2). In the seminars students will learn treatment and reflective skills (course objective 3). Outside of class, again in triads students practice their treatment skills themselves by giving a mini-therapy, observing the other triad members and giving and receiving constructive feedback from them (course objective 6). In the seminars students will receive feedback on the process, their communication goals and reflective skills, and are also taught the principles of being a scientist practitioner: on how to select, measure and evaluate their treatments and adjust the treatment accordingly (course objectives 3 and 4). Students will write a treatment plan in the triad-subgroups and will independently write a reflection and feedback report on the mini-therapy they have conducted (course objective 3, 4, 5 and 6).
Attendance at the seminar meetings is mandatory. See Brightspace for more information.
Assessment method
The final grade is based on:
A treatment plan – group assignment (30%; course objectives 1 & 2)
A CAT - individual assignment (40%; course objectives 1 & 2)
A reflection and feedback report - individual report reflecting on their treatment, therapeutic skills, and attitude, as well as the constructive feedback to triad group members regarding their therapeutic process and skills (30%; course objectives 3, 4, 5 and 6)
Students must have a grade of 5.0 or higher for each assignment. If the treatment plan, CAT or the reflection and feedback report is insufficient, students can -in the retake – only achieve a grade of maximally 6 on that assignment, because the amount of feedback they have received on the first version that has been examined. The CAT-assignment needs to be written in English. The treatment plan and reflection and feedback report can be written in either English or Dutch.
The Institute of Psychology follows the policy of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences to systematically check student papers for plagiarism with the help of software. All students are required to take and pass the Scientific Integrity Test with a score of 100% in order to learn about the practice of integrity in scientific writing. Students are given access to the quiz via a module on Brightspace. Disciplinary measures will be taken when fraud is detected. Students are expected to be familiar with and understand the implications of this fraud policy.
Reading list
Book:
- Wilson, B. A., Winegardner, J., van Heugten, C. M., & Ownsworth, T. (Eds.). (2017). Neuropsychological rehabilitation: The international handbook. Psychology Press.
Articles: the specific relevant articles need to be sought ought by students, examples thereof are
• Small, R., Wilson, P. H., Wong, D., & Rogers, J. M. (2022). Who, what, when, where, why, and how: A systematic review of the quality of post-stroke cognitive rehabilitation protocols. Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, 65(5), 101623.
• Nowell, C., Downing, M., Bragge, P., & Ponsford, J. (2020). Current practice of cognitive rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury: An international survey. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 30(10), 1976–1995. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2019.1623823
• Ali, A., Morfin, J., Mills, J., Pasipanodya, E. C., Maas, Y. J., Huang, E., ... & Zedlitz, A. (2022). Fatigue after traumatic brain injury: a systematic review. The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 37(4), E249-E257.
• Withiel, T. D., Sharp, V. L., Wong, D., Ponsford, J. L., Warren, N., & Stolwyk, R. J. (2018). Understanding the experience of compensatory and restorative memory rehabilitation: A qualitative study of stroke survivors. Neuropsychological rehabilitation.
• van der Kuil, M., Visser-Meily, A., Evers, A. W., & van der Ham, I. (2023, April 17). Navigation training for ABI patients: compensatory strategy training through blended care. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/5kuxc
Contact information
Dr. Aglaia Zedlitz a.m.e.e.zedlitz@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Dr. Karin van der Hiele hiele@fsw.leidenuniv.nl