Biotechnology for Neuroscience

Clinical Neurosciences II

Clinical Neurosciences II

Academic year 2025/2026

Sommario del corso

• Course objectives
• Results of learning outcomes
• Program
• Course delivery
• Learning assessment methods
• Support activities
• Teaching Modules
• Teaching tools
• Course card

Course objectives

• To provide students with practically useful advice on epidemiology, signs and symptoms, course, outcome, and treatment of psychiatric disorders;
• To deepen the diagnosis, signs and symptoms of mood disorders, schizophrenia and related disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders;
• To give an overview on etiology of psychiatric disorders and on the stress diathesis model: genetic, biologic psychosocial and environmental;
• To provide knowledge on the clinical psychopharmacology of antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and benzodiazepines and to specify their clinical indications;
• To show the main characteristics of psychotherapeutic techniques and their applications in clinical practice.
• To provide students with practically useful advice on epidemiology, signs and symptoms, course, outcome, and treatment of main chìild neuropsychiatric disorders;
• To deepen the diagnosis, signs and symptoms of mail neurodevelopmental disorders (autism and ADHD), eating disorders and other neuropsychiatric disorders, neuromuscular disorders;
• To give an overview on etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders and on the bio-psycho-social model: biologic, psychological and social;
• To provide knowledge on the clinical psychopharmacology of therapy to these clinical conditions;
• To show the main psychotherapeutic and rehabilitative techniques and their applications in clinical practice.
• Comprehension of the main intrapsychic activities of human behaviour, their assessment and role in individual homeostasis and social interactions
• the anatomical and physiological basis of the endocrine system, the structure and function of the various hormones, their role in regulating the development of the nervous system with particular reference to the neuroendocrine system;
• the consequences of hormonal deficiency or excess on the neuroendocrine system;
• the clinical characteristics of the most common endocrine diseases and their impact on the functions of the nervous system

• Fornire agli studenti consigli pratici e utili su epidemiologia, segni e sintomi, decorso, esito e trattamento dei disturbi psichiatrici;
• Approfondire la diagnosi, i segni e i sintomi dei disturbi dell'umore, della schizofrenia e disturbi correlati, dei disturbi d'ansia e dei disturbi di personalità;
• Offrire una panoramica sull'eziologia dei disturbi psichiatrici e sul modello della diatesi da stress: genetica, biologica, psicosociale e ambientale;
• Fornire conoscenze sulla psicofarmacologia clinica di antidepressivi, antipsicotici, stabilizzatori dell'umore e benzodiazepine e specificarne le indicazioni cliniche;
• Illustrare le principali caratteristiche delle tecniche psicoterapeutiche e le loro applicazioni nella pratica clinica. Fornire agli studenti consigli pratici e utili su epidemiologia, segni e sintomi, decorso, esito e trattamento dei principali disturbi neuropsichiatrici infantili;
• Approfondire la diagnosi, i segni e i sintomi dei principali disturbi del neurosviluppo (autismo e ADHD), dei disturbi alimentari e di altri disturbi neuropsichiatrici, dei disturbi neuromuscolari;
• Fornire una panoramica sull'eziologia dei disturbi neuropsichiatrici e sul modello bio-psico-sociale: biologico, psicologico e sociale;
• Fornire conoscenze sulla psicofarmacologia clinica della terapia di queste condizioni cliniche;
• Illustrare le principali tecniche psicoterapeutiche e riabilitative e le loro applicazioni nella pratica clinica.
• Comprensione delle principali attività intrapsichiche del comportamento umano, della loro valutazione e del loro ruolo nell'omeostasi individuale e nelle interazioni sociali.
• Le basi anatomiche e fisiologiche del sistema endocrino, la struttura e la funzione dei vari ormoni, il loro ruolo nella regolazione dello sviluppo del sistema nervoso con particolare riferimento al sistema neuroendocrino;
• Le conseguenze della carenza o dell'eccesso ormonale sul sistema neuroendocrino;
• Le caratteristiche cliniche delle più comuni malattie endocrine e il loro impatto sulle funzioni del sistema nervoso.
   
   

Results of learning outcomes

• Recognizing signs and symptoms of psychiatric disorders;
• Knowledge of the main treatments in psychiatry: medications and psychosocial interventions;
• Ability to discuss the stress diathesis model in psychiatry and the relationship between psychiatry and neurosciences;
• Recognizing signs and symptoms of described neuropsychiatric disorders;
• Knowledge of the main treatments in neuropsychiatry: medications, psychotherapy and other psychosocial interventions;
• expressions and assessment of the principal components of human behaviour, and their link to the central nervous system;
• knowledge of the anatomical and physiological bases of the endocrine system and in particular of the neuroendocrine system; to know the neuronal modifications induced by the deficiency or by the excess of hormones;
• to be able to suspect the presence of the main endocrine diseases (on the basis of the clinical-anamnestic picture and any medical-specialist examinations);
• knoledge of the advantages and potential risks of hormonal therapies and the effects of certain substances on the neuroendocrine system.

• Riconoscere segni e sintomi dei disturbi psichiatrici;
• Conoscenza dei principali trattamenti in psichiatria: farmaci e interventi psicosociali;
• Capacità di discutere il modello della diatesi da stress in psichiatria e il rapporto tra psichiatria e neuroscienze;
• Riconoscere segni e sintomi dei disturbi neuropsichiatrici descritti;
• Conoscenza dei principali trattamenti in neuropsichiatria: farmaci, psicoterapia e altri interventi psicosociali;
• Espressione e valutazione delle principali componenti del comportamento umano e del loro legame con il sistema nervoso centrale;
• Conoscenza delle basi anatomiche e fisiologiche del sistema endocrino e in particolare del sistema neuroendocrino;
• Conoscere le modificazioni neuronali indotte dalla carenza o dall'eccesso di ormoni;
• Saper sospettare la presenza delle principali patologie endocrine (sulla base del quadro clinico-anamnestico e di eventuali visite medico-specialistiche);
• Conoscenza dei vantaggi e dei potenziali rischi delle terapie ormonali e degli effetti di alcune sostanze sul sistema neuroendocrino.
   

Program

Psychiatry

• Mood disorders;
• Schizophrenia and related disorders;
• Anxiety disorders and related disorders;
• Personality disorders;
• Other psychiatric disorders;
• Treatments: Psychopharmacological treatments and psychotherapy;
• Stress diathesis model in psychiatry.

Child and adolescent neuropsychiatry

• Autism spectrum disorders;
• Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder;
• Eating disorders;
• Neuromuscoalar disorders;
• Other neuropsychiatric disorders;
• Treatments: Psychopharmacological treatments, psychotherapy, rehabilitative and family treatments;
• Biopsychosocial model in neuropsychiatry.

Clinical psichology

• Clinical psychology and the biopsychosocial model: an overview;
• Personality;
• Self-consciousness and body-awareness;
• Emotions;
• Empathy;
• Social cognition.

Endocrinology

• Basic principles of the endocrine system and hypothalamic-pituitary-glands axis: anatomy and physiology, hormone synthesis and physiological function, effects on the nervous system; 
• Effects of hormone deficiency and excess on the nervous system;
• Clinical features of main endocrine diseases (acromegaly, hyperprolactinemia, Cushing’s syndrome, hypoadrenalism, hypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus, and thyroid diseases).

• Disturbi dell'umore;
• Schizofrenia e disturbi correlati;
• Disturbi d'ansia e disturbi correlati;
• Disturbi di personalità;
• Altri disturbi psichiatrici;
• Trattamenti: Trattamenti psicofarmacologici e psicoterapia;
• Modello diatesi da stress in psichiatria.

Neuropsichiatria infantile e adolescenziale

• Disturbi dello spettro autistico;
• Disturbo da deficit di attenzione e iperattività;
• Disturbi alimentari;
• Disturbi neuromuscolo-auricolari;
• Altri disturbi neuropsichiatrici;
• Trattamenti: Trattamenti psicofarmacologici, psicoterapia, trattamenti riabilitativi e familiari;
• Modello biopsicosociale in neuropsichiatria;

Psicologia clinica

• Psicologia clinica e modello biopsicosociale: una panoramica;
• Personalità;
• Autocoscienza e consapevolezza corporea;
• Emozioni;
• Empatia;
• Cognizione sociale.

Encocrinologia

• Principi fondamentali del sistema endocrino e dell'asse ipotalamo-ipofisi: anatomia e fisiologia, sintesi ormonale e funzione fisiologica, effetti sul sistema nervoso;
• Effetti della carenza e dell'eccesso di ormoni sul sistema nervoso;
• Caratteristiche cliniche delle principali malattie endocrine (acromegalia, iperprolattinemia, sindrome di Cushing, iposurrenalismo, ipopituitarismo, diabete insipido e patologie della tiroide).

Course delivery

The course will be provided through frontal lessons. Attendance to the formal teaching activities is mandatory. Admission to the final exam of the course will be allowed if attendance at each teaching activity is not less than 75% of the total tuition.

Learning assessment methods

Attendance to the formal teaching activities is mandatory. Admission to the final exam of the course will be allowed if attendance at each teaching activity is not less than 75% of the total tuition.

Each module (psychiatry, child and adolescent neuropsychiatry, clinical psychology, endocrinology) will be evalueted with a written exam (multiple choices). 

The final grade, expressed out of 30, will be computed as the weighted average of scores obtained for each teaching module’s assessment. It should be noticed that for each teaching module’s assessment, the score must be equal to or higher than 18/30.

An oral examination can be considered in addition to the written exam.

Support activities

The teachers will be available through email or individual scheduled appointments provided in virtual modality (webex).

Teaching Modules

• Child neuropsychiatry (NEU0272B)
• Clinical psychology (NEU0272C)
• Endocrinology (NEU0272D)
• Psychiatry (NEU0272A)

• Teaching material
• Exams and finals
• Class schedule
• Go to Moodle
• Register for the course
• Enrolled students
• Invia email agli studenti registrati
• Export table