University of Toronto at Mississauga
PSY295F
Fall 2004
Introduction to Neuropsychology
T3-6
Room 2072
Instructor:
Vedran Lovic, M.A.
Tel. 905-828-5297
vedran@psych.utoronto.ca
Office: 1015
Office Hours: T2-3 or by apptmt.
Assistants:
Pearl Behl
pearl.behl@sw.ca
Office: PUMP room
Office Hours: by apptmt.
Christine Burton
christine@psych.utoronto.ca
Office: CCIT 4027
Office Hours: by apptmt.
Erica Thule
erica@psych.utoronto.ca
Office: CCIT 4027
Office Hours: by apptmt.
About me:
I am a naturalized Canadian, born in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I finished my bachelor of
science and master of arts degrees at the University of Toronto and currently I am a Ph.D.
student working in Dr. Alison Fleming’s behavioural neuroscience laboratory. My research
is concerned with the role of early life environment in the development of behavioral
flexibility and impulsiveness and how alterations of these behaviors are mediated by the
dopamine and serotonin systems.
Synopsis:
In this course we will examine the relationship between brain, behaviour and cognitive
abilities. Initial lectures will be a general introduction to neuroanatomy, cortical
organization and methods used by neuropsychologists. This will be followed by lectures
focusing on specific brain functions, such as memory and language functions. Throughout
the course we will learn about this relationship between brain and behaviour from brain
injury cases (e.g., head injuries, strokes, tumors etc.) as well as from research done on
intact individuals.
Objectives:
At the end of the course you will have an understanding of how the brain is organized and
how it accomplishes some of the behaviors and cognitive functions. As mentioned above,
the course will cover some popular topics such as amnesia and “frontal” syndromes and
therefore the course might be of interest to a wide spectrum of students. However,
students interested in pursuing neuropsychology or neurology studies will find the course
particularly useful. By completing this course you will fulfill the second year “Physiological
Psychology” requirement. This course can be used as one of the prerequisites for third
and fourth year physiological psychology courses (e.g., Hormones and Behavior, Neural
Plasticity, Cognitive Neurology, Motivational Systems, Biological Bases of Abnormal
Behavior, Psychobiology Laboratory etc.).
Course Format: Classes will consist of lectures and videos demonstrating impairments in cognitive
abilities outlined in lectures. Lectures will be based on textbook and extra material, hence
students are strongly encouraged to attend lectures. Lectures will be done using powerpoint slide presentation, which will be available on the course web site after each lecture.
Textbooks:
Kolb, B. & Whishaw, I.Q. (2003). Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology, 5th edition.
New York: W.H. Freeman & Co. (Approximate price: $ 110.00)
Sacks, O. (1998). The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales. New
York: Touchstone. (Approximate price: $ 21.00)
University of Toronto at Mississauga
PSY295F
Fall 2004
Introduction to Neuropsychology
T3-6
Room 2072
Readings:
Students are encouraged to read the assigned readings before each lecture as this will
facilitate and extend their knowledge acquired in class. Kolb & Whishaw textbook has
been around for more than two decades and it is considered to be the best textbook in the
field. Readings from Kolb & Whishaw are detailed and will require you to remember and
integrate information. You should pay close, but not exclusive, attention to the material that
overlaps with lecture material. Readings from Sacks are there to illustrate clinical
conditions relevant to topics covered in lectures and Kolb & Whishaw. Try to extract the
most important information from Sacks readings.
Web Page:
www.erin.utoronto.ca/~w3psy295/psy295.htm
Grading:
Term Tests (2 x 20%)
Term Paper
Final Exam
Tests:
Term tests will be based on the material from the textbook, lectures and videos. The tests
will consist of multiple-choice questions (~50%; based on Kolb & Whishaw), matching
questions (based on Kolb and Whishaw and lectures) shorter and longer questions as well
as a diagram requiring you to label brain parts (based on lectures, videos and textbooks).
The shorter and longer questions will require students to recite information but also
integrate knowledge analytically. Please see question examples on the web.
40%
25%
35%
Prerequisites: PSY 100. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have met all prerequisites listed in the
UTM Calendar for this course. If you lack any prerequisites for this course, the Department
may cancel your registration at anytime. Further information about academic regulations,
course withdrawal dates and credits can be found in the University of Toronto at
Mississauga Calendar. You are encouraged to read this material. If you run into trouble and
need information about studying, preparing for exams, note taking or time management,
free workshops and advice are available from the Academic Skills Centre.
Make-ups:
For this particular course, there will be NO make-up tests. If you miss one of the term tests
without a legitimate excuse, you will receive a mark of zero for that term test. If you do
have a legitimate excuse (e.g., doctor’s note; please see Calendar), your final exam will be
worth 65%. Departmental Policy on Missed Tests and Extensions: All requests for makeup tests must be completed on a special form obtained from the Psychology Office and
submitted to the Undergraduate Assistant within one week (Room 2037B). If you submit
medical documentation make sure it contains the statement "This student was unable to
write the test (or submit term work by the last day of classes, if applicable) on (date) for
medical reasons". You are advised to see your physician within one day of the missed test.
Many physicians will not provide documentation retroactively.
www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3psy/index_files/MissedTest.htm
University of Toronto at Mississauga
PSY295F
Fall 2004
Introduction to Neuropsychology
T3-6
Room 2072
Schedule of Lectures and Readings
Date
Topic
Kolb & Whishaw
Sacks
Sep 14
The Development of Neuropsychology
1
Sep 21
Neuroanatomy and Cortical Organization
3 & 10
3&6
Sep 28
Methods in Neuropsychology
7 & 26
17
Oct 5
Test 1
Oct 12
Vision and Agnosias
13
1
Oct 19
Attention and Neglect
14
4, 5 & 8
Oct 26
Language and Aphasias
19
9
Nov 2
Memory and Amnesias
18
2 & 19
Nov 9
Test 2
Nov 16
Executive Functions and Emotion
16 & 20
11 & 13
Nov 23
Hemispheric Specialization (Paper Due)
11 & 12
Nov 30
Psychiatric Disorders
27
10 & 14
Dec 7
Developmental Disorders and Review
24
24
University of Toronto at Mississauga
PSY295F
Fall 2004
Introduction to Neuropsychology
T3-6
Room 2072
Term Paper
The purpose of the term paper is to develop your writing skills by organizing, synthesizing and
evaluating a body of research, while gaining an in-depth knowledge about a particular topic in the field of
neuropsychology. The paper should include a review of the literature, critical evaluation of the evidence
presented, as well as a set of conclusions. The paper will be graded based on its content as well as style
(organization, grammar, spelling and following APA guidelines).
Select a topic from the list of topics that is of interest to you. Your paper should be written in the
APA format and should include the following sections: abstract (summary of your paper, approximately 150
words), the text (with an introduction, body and a conclusion, 1000-1250 words; Times New Roman, 12pt
font – 4-5 pages), and the references (you should have at least 5 primary references – research studies, not
review papers). The paper is due on Nov. 23, 2004, at the beginning of class – any papers received
after 3:15 will be considered late. For each day the paper is late (including weekends) 4 marks will be
deducted.
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The paper should be generally organized in the following manner:
Title page
Abstract (summary of your paper)
Introduction with an overview and description of a syndrome/cognitive domain (3/4 page)
Literature review (including a minimum of 5 primary references)(3-4pages)
Summary of main points, conclusions and future research (3/4 page)
References in APA format
After selecting a topic you should do some preliminary research on the topic. Use Psych Lit,
PsychInfo, or Pub Med (http://www4.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/) to find primary references (data-based
journal articles that describe the collection and analyses of data). In addition to these primary references,
you may include additional primary references, book chapters or review articles summarizing primary
research. Do not use textbooks or popular magazines (e.g., Psychology Today, Times etc.). Below is a list
of some of the journals that you are likely to encounter in your search:
 Brain
 Brain and Cognition
 Brain Injury
 Epilepsy & Behavior
 Hippocampus
 Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
 Journal of Neurosurgery
 Neurology
 Neuropsychologia
 Neuropsychology
Plagiarism:
Make sure you understand the University’s guidelines on plagiarism. See the 1998 revision
of “How Not to Plagiarize” at www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.html.
Writing:
For information on writing a paper in APA style consult:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). (2001). Washington,
DC: American Psychological Association. (BF76.7 A46 2001)
Also see: http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/
University of Toronto at Mississauga
PSY295F
Fall 2004
Introduction to Neuropsychology
T3-6
Room 2072
Topics
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Multiple memory systems in the brain
Hippocampus and memory
Contralateral neglect
Prosopagnosia and object agnosia – brain mechanisms for face and object perception
Blindsight
Implicit memory in amnesia
Cortical and subcortical mechanisms of attention
Broca’s aphasia
Wernicke’s aphasia
Cognitive differences between males and females and mechanisms of these differences
Reading disorders resulting from brain damage
Communication deficits resulting from right brain injury
Brain mechanisms of cognitive and behavioural flexibility
Executive function deficits following frontal lobe damage
Korsakoff’s Syndrome
Balint’s Syndrome
Emotional changes following brain injury
Theory of mind in the brain
Brain mechanisms of humor
Brain mechanisms of self-awareness
Consciousness and the cortex
Cognitive deficits in Parkinson’s Disease
Memory deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease
Long-term effects of mild brain injury
Antisocial behavior following brain injury
Memory deficits associated with epilepsy
Utilization behavior following brain injury
Brain mechanisms of working memory
Frontotemporal lobar dementia
Memory deficits in schizophrenia
Attentional deficits in schizophrenia
Neuropsychology of normal aging
Synesthesia
Asterognosis
Right frontal lobe and self-awarenes
NOTE: PLEASE SUBMIT PAPER COPIES OF YOUR TERM PAPER. DO NOT E-MAIL YOUR TERM PAPER TO
US.
Make sure you keep a copy of your term paper on file. Also, keep all the journal articles that you
use for your paper as you might be asked to hand those in.