The
Neurobiology and Neuropsychology of Learning
Disabilities and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder:
Childhood
and Adulthood Diagnosis and Treatment
Marios Constantinou,
Intercollege
Course
Prerequisites:
Attendants of this course should have good
knowledge of the following:
1.
Biopsychology
(Physiological Psychology or Brain and Behavior)
2.
Diagnostic
Entities (Disorders found in DSM / ICD), especially
disorders first appearing in childhood.
3.
The
scope of Neuropsychological Assessment
4.
Differential Diagnosis
Course
Description:
This is an in
depth survey of the biological and psychological theories explaining
the
presence of ADHD and Learning Disabilities (verbal and non-verbal). Are
these
acquired or congenital disorders? How do they appear and how are they
diagnosed
in childhood vs. adulthood? Past and current research will be discussed
and
conventional and non-conventional models explaining these disorders
will be presented.
The areas of the brain thought to be involved will be explored with a
special
survey of frontal lobe functioning, working memory, and attentional
neuro-circuits. In addition, the
neuropsychological
assessment and diagnosis of these entities will be discussed in great
extent in
order to help attendants with differential diagnosis. The
available
treatments of the symptoms (via behavioral approaches and
pharmacotherapy) will
be finally presented with extensive discussion of neuropsychological
recommendations
and report writing for these diagnostic entities.
Reading List
Yeates, K. O., Ris, M.
D., &
Taylor, H. G. (2000).
Pediatric
Neuropsychology: Research, Theory, and Practice. The
Barkley, R. A., & Murphy,
K. R. (1998). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (2nd
Edition or newer). The
Baron,
Article