| CODE | MNH1004 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Fundamentals of Neuroscience in Mental Health Care | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Mental Health | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will provide students with information on the structure and function of the central and peripheral nervous system, the role of various neurotransmitters (e.g., glycine, dopamine, serotonin, GABA) and the mechanism and action of drugs from a biological point of view. Neurological illnesses and interpreting the results from a neurological assessment will be discussed, as will the biological basis behind neurological emergencies that may be encountered. An overview of the biological basis of mental health nursing care and its link to behavioural and psychopharmacological studies will also be tackled. Study-Unit Aims: - To develop an understanding of the structure and function of the central and peripheral nervous system; - To expose students to the biological basis of neurological illnesses; and - To explain the mechanism of drug action used in the treatment of dysfunction in the Central Nervous system, within the major psychiatric illnesses and their link to the nursing care offered in response. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain the role of the various components making up both the central and peripheral nervous system; - Describe the influence of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters on memory, learning, mood, speech, emotional and motor functions; - Explain the roles of various neurotransmitters as causal triggers for various mental health conditions; - Distinguish between neurones and glial cells; - Describe the principal of neuronal action and transmission and explain the sequence of events involved in synaptic transmission; - Distinguish between the terms depolarisation, repolarisation and hyperpolarisation; and - Compare various types of neurological assessment techniques and describe their diagnostic purpose. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Interpret findings arising from neurological assessment techniques; - Apply mental health nursing skills on the basis of evidence based literature relating to the nervous system; - Apply the biological knowledge acquired to understand the causes and treatment of neurological diseases such as Huntington's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's amongst others; and - Carry out an examination on a specimen of the human brain in a laboratory setting. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Kalat, J. (2017).Biological Psychology.(13th ed.) Wadsworth: Australia. Supplementary Readings: - Breedlove, S.M., Watson, N.V., & Rosenzweig, M.R. (6th ed.) Biological Psychology: An Introduction to Behavioral, Cognitive, and Clinical Neuroscience. Sinauer: Massuchusetts. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Claude Julien Bajada Josianne Scerri (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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