Postgraduate Course: Disorders of language functions (PSYL11029)

Course Outline
School	School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences	College	College of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	10	ECTS Credits	5
Summary	Since the very beginning of the scientific enquiry language disorders have played a crucial role in the study of human cognition and its representation in the brain. The course will begin with an introduction to the different medical, psychological and linguistic traditions and the way in which they have shaped the methods and models of aphasia research. The course will then examine the main types of aphasia and demonstrate how specific neuropathological mechanisms can influence the pattern of language breakdown observed in aphasic patients. It will draw on observation of different neurological conditions, including stroke as well as different forms of neurodegeneration such as progressive aphasia and semantic dementia. The insights won from the study of aphasia will be discussed in the context of current research in other areas of neuroscience. The course will also address the issue of bi- and multilingualism and the question to what extent aphasic symptoms are shaped by specific features of different languages (cross-linguistic research). Formative feedback available: - general feedback is given in the last lecture - individual written feedback to students
Course description	Not entered

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites	Students MUST have passed:	Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	Students should have a background either in neuroanatomy / neuropsychology or in linguistics / psycholinguistics. Due to the interdisciplinary character of the course students are also expected to be prepared to assimilate knowledge from outside their original speciality

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1)		Quota: None
Course Start	Block 2 (Sem 1)
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 100 ( Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 98 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Attendance of the lectures is a pre-requisite for being admitted to the assessment, at least 3 out of 5 lectures to be attended. The course will be assessed by a short powerpoint presentation with a strict time and slide limit in place: 7 minutes talk with 3 minutes discussion, 7 slides The presentation schedule is now available on Learn. Presentation submission deadline: Thursday 13th November 2014, 3pm Return deadline: within 3 working weeks of agreed presentation date.
Feedback	Not entered
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
The students will: - recognise the main theoretical concepts underlying the study of aphasia and the way in which they influence the interpretation of aphasic phenomena - become familiar with the clinical picture of the main aphasic syndromes and their underlying pathology - critically discuss the possible implications of aphasia research for our models of normal language function in the brain