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Alzheimer's Disease and other Dementias: Clinical, Psychosocial, and Societal
Perspectives
Co-Instructors: A. Lynn Snow, PhD (lsnow@as.ua.edu), Jessica Y. Allen, PhD
(NO UA EMAIL YET)
Two sections of this course are offered during the fall semester, you may
only register for one section of this course:
PY 491-05: Mon/Wed 1:00pm-2:15pm
PY 491-01: Tue/Thur 11:00am-12:15pm
In this seminar we will examine dementia from multiple perspectives. From the
clinical perspective we will examine the signs and symptoms of different types
of dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy Body
dementia, dementia associated with Parkinson's disease), what is known about
its causes, and medical treatments for dementia.
From the psychosocial perspective we will examine the personal and life effects
of dementia on the person who has the disease and on their loved ones, and we
will look at psychosocial interventions to improve life for persons with dementia
and their caregivers.
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From the societal perspective we will examine dementia's costs to society,
including different models of providing care for persons with dementia (e.g.,
nursing homes, home health care, relatives providing care) and their costs.
A major focus of this seminar is on learning to apply critical thinking and critical
writing processes to evaluate the scientific literature. Students will a topic in the
area of dementia and write a literature review on the topic. Skills developed will
include: ability to conduct targeted searches of the scientific literature, ability to
use reference manager software, ability to critically evaluate scientific literature,
ability to write an annotated bibliography using APA style, and ability to write a
critical literature review in formal scientific APA style.
This seminar is a "W" course, therefore writing proficiency within this
discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.
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PY 491-03: Human Brain Imaging in Psychology
Dr. Andrea Glenn
Fall 2013
Tuesday and Thursday, 2:00-3:15
One of the most exciting advances in the study of the brain is the development of brain imaging methods
that allow us to study living brains in action as an individual engages in psychological activity of interest.
Hardly a week goes by without the results of brain imaging studies making the news. How do brain
imaging techniques work? What does brain imaging research tell us about how the brain works, how it
develops, and how it is affected by environmental experience? This course will primarily focus on these
questions. The course will provide a basic overview of human brain imaging, concentrating primarily on
functional magnetic resonance imaging (tMRI), and will explore some of the seminal works in functional
imaging related to developmental, social, and clinical psychology. The goal of the course is to provide
students with a basic understanding of brain imaging research, its strengths and limitations, and its
contributions to the field of psychology.
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PY491-04, The Creative Mind
Fall 2013
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30-10:45 A.M.
Instructor: Thomas Ward
This course will focus on creativity from a theoretical as well as an applied perspective.
We will examine how creativity has been conceptualized, measured, and studied, and we
will try out many of the techniques that have been proposed for helping people to think
more creatively. The course includes "hands-on" projects designed to give students
practical experience with creative thinking techniques. At the conclusion of the class,
students will have acquired a basic understanding of the theoretical and empirical
approaches to the study of creativity. They also will have gained perspective on how
creativity may be relevant in their own lives, and they will have had an opportunity to
examine (and possibly extend) their own approaches to creative thinking.
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Alzheimer's Disease and other Dementias: Clinical, Psychosocial, and Societal
Perspectives
Co-Instructors: A. Lynn Snow, PhD (lsnow@as.ua.edu), Jessica Y. Allen, PhD
(NO UA EMAIL YET)
Two sections of this course are offered during the fall semester, you may
only register for one section of this course:
PY 491-05: Mon/Wed 1:OOpm-2:15pm
PY 491-01: Tue/Thur 11:00am-12:15pm
In this seminar we will examine dementia from multiple perspectives. From the
clinical perspective we will examine the signs and symptoms of different types
of dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy Body
dementia, dementia associated with Parkinson's disease), what is known about
its causes, and medical treatments for dementia.
From the psychosocial perspective we will examine the personal and life effects
of dementia on the person who has the disease and on their loved ones, and we
will look at psychosocial interventions to improve life for persons with dementia
and their caregivers.
)
From the societal perspective we will examine dementia's costs to society,
including different models of providing care for persons with dementia (e.g.,
nursing homes, home health care, relatives providing care) and their costs.
A major focus of this seminar is on learning to apply critical thinking and critical
writing processes to evaluate the scientific literature. Students will a topic in the
area of dementia and write a literature review on the topic. Skills developed will
include: ability to conduct targeted searches of the scientific literature, ability to
use reference manager software, ability to critically evaluate scientific literature,
ability to write an annotated bibliography using APA style, and ability to write a
critical literature review in formal scientific APA style.
This seminar is a "W" course, therefore writing proficiency within this
discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.
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Seminar Description
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Fall2013
PY491-06 Senior Seminar in Health Disparities
Instructor:
Dr. Giyeon Kim
Class Days/Times:
Monday, 3:00pm-5:30pm
Classroom:
Course Description:
In this seminar we will examine racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes and healthcare.
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Despite medical advances and the establishment of public problems such as Medicaid and
Medicare over the past decades, racial and ethnic disparities in health care and outcomes persist;
racial and ethnic minorities in the United States bear an unequal burden of health problems.
With people of color comprising a rapidly increasing percentage of American population as
projected by the US Census, disparate health outcomes are an increasingly consequential
problem, which threatens the economic vitality of our nation. This is true in terms of the direct
cost of illness as well as for the indirect or societal costs. Health disparities are a problem that
the United States cannot afford.
As the United States continues to diversify, it will become progressively more important that we,
as a nation, begin to address racial and ethnic disparities in health. In order to do so, we must
first increase our understanding of the multiple pathways by which race and ethnicity have an
impact on the mind and body to produce disparate health outcomes.
During the course of the semester, we will examine the following topics relating to health
disparities: (I) What are health disparities?; (2) theoretical and empirical frameworks; (3) factors
contributing to disparities; (4) health literacy; (5) measurement equivalence issues; (6) ways to
improve access to care; and (7) special populations (i.e., African Americans, Latino/Hispanic
Americans, Asian Americans, and other vulnerable populations). While racial/ethnic disparities in
health and healthcare will be an important focus of this seminar, disparities among other
subgroups (e.g., the poor, women, uninsured, disabled, and non-English speaking populations)
may also be discussed.
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PY- 491-07 Psychopathy (Callous-Unemotional Traits) In Children and Adolescents
MW9-10:15
Randy Salekin, Ph.D.
The past two decades have witnessed an exciting and remarkable increase in the scientific interest and
research activity on child and adolescent psychopathy or what has also been referred to as callousunemotional traits in youth. This course reviews cutting-edge research on the early manifestation ofthe
psychopathy in children. We ask questions, like how early can this personality disorder start?
Specifically, the course delves into the nature of child and adolescent psychopathy, its' causes,
correlates, and course, at the same time addressing the critical Issue of whether the disorder can be
prevented, treated or curtailed, an especially important topic given its costly toll on the children
themselves and broader society. The course will be grounded in the latest scientific evidence and will
cover important theoretical and methodological advances that are continuing to influence our
understanding of the causes of psychopathy across development. However, the course will also look at
the popular media's perception of the disorder and films on the disorder. In the class, we will also
discuss core issues such as relations to antisocial behavior and personality theory, weigh in on key
controversies such as the models for development of psychopathy and we will talk about compelling
directions for future research.
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PY 491-08
Dr. Matt Jarrett
TR 3:30-4:45
Psychological Disorders in Children
This course is designed to provide students with a general understanding of psychological
disorders in children from a developmental perspective. Students will become familiar with
developmental psychopathology principles and theories of the causes of specific disorders.
Students will also become familiar with assessment tools and treatment approaches used for
children with these disorders. Assignments will focus on critical thinking about research
findings, learning to recognize symptoms of disorders, and applying knowledge in writing
assignments.
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Seminar Description
PY 491-009
Time: Mondays, 5:00 pm - 7:50 pm
Instructor: Sheila Black
Course Description-- This course will focus on adult development from an interdisciplinary perspective
and will cover issues such as caregiving, age-related changes in cognitive processes, and
institutionalization. Because this class is a seminar, there will be considerable class discussion of major
issues related to adult development. Because this course has a "W" designation, students must
demonstrate proficiency in writing in order to receive a passing grade in this course.
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Sleep Science
PY 491, section 10, MW 2-3:15
Kenneth Lichstein, lichstein@ua.edu
We will study normal and disordered sleep from the psychological perspective of behavioral
sleep medicine. We will learn how sleep is measured, how sleep changes across the lifespan,
and how sleep varies between men and women. We will explore numerous sleep disorders
including insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy.
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