Postgraduate Course: Introduction to Neurodegenerative Diseases and Models (STEM11002)
Course Outline
| School | Deanery of Clinical Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This core course will provide students with a critical understanding of dementias and neurodegenerative diseases and how these diseases impact the affected individuals and carers. |
| Course description |
This core course will cover:
- Alzheimers Disease
- Motor neurone disease
- Parkinsons
- Frontotemporal and related dementias
Likely assessments will be:
a) Group debate that will be based on the individual students proposing opinions with 2 groups being formed to decide on a single positive or negative argument. Students will be offered formative feedback on an outline/plan prior to the actual assessment, which will also incorporate peer assessment
b) Laymans Guide/Information sheet designed to highlight use/role of animal models specific to a neurodegenerative disease designed for use in the clinic
c) A written piece (1500-2000 words) based around real life scientific data. Students would be presented with raw data obtained from a series of behavioural tests from an in vivo experiment and then have to propose their own piece of work on the data (brief summary can be submitted for pre-approval). Example proposals may range from a critique of in vivo work/relevance/ethics of animals in research to a mini scientific paper/presentation based on the data
Students will learn about: symptoms of these neurodegenerative disease, real patient case-studies, what cells and regions are affected and potential mechanisms of disease progression. Importantly how these diseases can be modelled in both cell cultures and animals will be covered with an emphasis on the pros and cons of various model techniques (with respect to patients and the clinical setting), as well as ethics and with a view to developing students' critical understanding of these cutting edge technologies.
Students will be taught by lectures that will be made available online as the course progresses, introducing students to the new topics in order. Furthermore discussion boards and other online activities such as quizzes and puzzles will be used to keep students engaged and to reiterate the key learning outcomes for specific material. Therefore students would have a weekly block of material consisting of 1-2 hours of lectures (block material dependent) alongside ongoing discussion boards and reading students should be studying and researching independently and continuously.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
16/01/2023 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% coursework |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of multiple neurodegenerative diseases and various models with respect to the scientific and clinical settings
- Understand and compare the impact/consequences of these diseases on patients and in the clinical setting
- Critically compare the various models and cells of the CNS with an ability to appraise and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses
- Evaluate, criticise and appraise the literature around this topic
- Communicate and engage with the course¿s concepts and principles with others outwith their own field
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. Via group and peer assessment students will evaluate and improve their communication abilities
2. Students will also learn to critically assess their own and others work as well as their roles and responsibilities via the group and peer assessments
3. Critically review their own and others work via discussion boards and other assessments
4. Critically review and demonstrate their expanding knowledge using actual, imperfect raw scientific data (final 50% assessment)
5. Due to being an online course students must show autonomy, individual drive and determination to engage with the course content and develop their skills |
| Keywords | Neurodegeneration,in vivo,in vitro,ethics |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr David Hampton
Tel: (0131) 242 9421
Email: David.Hampton@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Ana-Maria Lungu
Tel: 0131 242 7355
Email: alungu@ed.ac.uk |
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