Certificate in Biopsychology

Core studies cover biopsychology in two parts, along with psychopharmacology and neuropsychology, giving a thorough grounding in the biological basis of thought and behaviour. Electives let you add supporting knowledge in human biology, developmental psychology or ethics. Suitable for those with a strong interest in the science behind psychology.

Biopsychology course studying the interaction between our brain and biology, how our physiology affects the way we think. This distance learning course looks at - Chemicals affect our brain and our bodies, and also affects how we behave. This certificate course looks at the interactions between anatomical structures, physiological processes and behaviour of the brain. The course is recognised by IARC Start Date You can start the course at any time. To suit YOU. Duration 600 hours The course requires the completion of six 100 hour modules. Who is this course suitable for? It will improve your job and career prospects and is suitable for: People working with medications but want to know more such as nursing home staff and carers People working as counsellors but would like to be more informed Anyone interested in the affects of drugs and medication upon the human body and mind. Modules There are six modules in the course. Study three core modules - Biopsychology Neuropsychology Psychopharmacology Elective Modules Then choose three electives from the following list - Human Biology 1A Stress Management Introduction to Psychology Biopsychology II Developmental Psychology Human Biology 1B (Bioenergetics) All of these modules can also be studied as standalone courses if you prefer. More on the Core Modules Biopsychology There are 7 lessons in this course: Introduction Types of external and internal stimuli, mind-body debate, introduction to the nervous system. The senses Sensory input, sensory perception, description of the major senses. The Nervous System Description of the neurons, the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, including the autonomic nervous system. The Endocrine System Effect of hormones on behaviour and physiology, association of endocrine system and nervous system, connection between external and internal stimuli. Stress Types of stressors, physical effects of stress, personality & stress. Emotions Homeostasis, eating disorders, physiological responses to emotions, theories of emotion. Consciousness Degrees of consciousness, awareness & attention, altered states of consciousness. Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading. Neuropsychology There are 10 lessons in this course: Foundations of Neuropsychology What is neuropsychology? The Information Processing Approach Studying the human mind Techniques used Brain scans Animal studies Methods of investigating the brain Psychological tests Stroop test. Neurophysiology Neurons Parts of a neuron Neurotransmitters Effects of neurotransmitters Neurotransmitters and their effects Endorphins Disorders associated with neurotransmitters Glia cells Schwann cells Nerve impulse Synaptic transmission Nerve impulse Neuromuscular transmission. Neuroanatomy The nervous system Parts of the central nervous system The brain The spinal cord Spinal nerves Blood brain barrier Peripheral nervous system Autonomic nervous system Sensory somatic nervous system Spinal nerves Cranial nerves How the nervous system works (a summary) Problems with brain functioning Cerebral palsy Brain tumours Injuries to the head Epilepsy Headaches Mental illness Meningitis and encephalitis. Laterality and Callosal Syndromes Brain lateralisation Left handedness Cognitive neuropsychology Callosal syndrome Complete severance Split brain Complete severance Split brain syndrome Lobotomy Psychosurgery Dual brain theory Cognition, Personality and Emotion Brain damage Emotion and moods Phineas Gage Brain damage and emotion Frontal lobe Higher level functioning The Limbic system Neurotransmitters Neuropsychology Emotions research. Perception Disorders Hemispatial neglect Causes of hemispatial neglect Auditory perceptual disorder Agnosia Visual agnosia Types of visual agnosia Prosopagnosia Simultanagnosia Optic aphasia Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder. Motor Disorders Parkinson’s Disease Motor disorders resulting from traumatic brain injury Non traumatic and/or genetic paediatric movement disorders Cerebral palsy Motor conditions Gerstmann’s Syndrome Apraxia Motor skills disorder Motion dyspraxia Neural transplants and Parkinson’s Disease Gene therapy How does gene therapy work Ethical issues surrounding gene therapy, Language Broca’s area Wernicke’s area Speech Language Speech and language disorders Apraxia Aphasia Stuttering Neurogenic stuttering Troyer syndrome Speech disorders. Dementia Kinds of dementia Alzheimer’s Disease Vascular Dementia Multi-infarct Dementia Parkinson’s Disease Pick’s Disease Dementia with Lewy Bodies Huntingdon’s Disease Pseudo-Dementia Spotting dementia and other conditions, Neurodevelopment Major processes of neurodevelopment Neurogenesis Migration Differentiation Apoptosis Aborisation Synaptogenesis Asperger Syndrome Neuroplasticity and brain damage. Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading. Psychopharmacology There are 11 lessons in this course: Introduction Scope and nature of drugs; legal and illegal Amphetamine Cocaine Crack LSD Ritalin Steroids How heroin is used Medical consequences of chronic heroin abuse Names used for heroin Effects of drugs on the individual and society Community acceptance Terminology Why people use drugs Addiction; how drugs work in the brain Central nervous system Physiological and psychological effects of drugs Alcohol effects Sedative effects Stimulant effects Hallucinogenics Psychological effects of drugs Legally restricted drugs: Stimulants and narcotics Stimulants Symptoms of abuse How cocaine is abused How does cocaine effect the brain What adverse effects does cocaine have on health Added danger; cocaethylene Treatment options Scope of cocaine abuse Narcotics Abuse symptoms Forms and dangers Designer drugs Ecstasy pill Legally restricted drugs: Hallucinogens and marijuana Effects of hallucinogens Symptoms of abuse LSD Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder Marijuana Effects of marijuana on the brain Symptoms of abuse, forms of marijuana and dangers Phencylidine (PCP) Symptoms of abuse, forms of PCP and dangers Legally restricted drugs: Steroids Steroids Symptoms of abuse, forms of steroids and dangers Legal drugs: Alcohol Symptoms of abuse and dangers with alcohol Alcoholism Staying in control with alcohol Alcohol amnestic syndrome (Korsakoff's syndrome) Treating korsakoff's syndrome) Alcohol and the developing brain Legal drugs: Tobacco, caffeine and solvents Nicotine addiction Effects of nicotine on the circulatory system Caffeine Caffeine addiction Solvents (volatile solvent abuse): symptoms and dangers Prescription and over-the-counter drugs Prescription drugs (Over the counter or OTC) Groups of prescription drugs Misuse of OTC drugs Opioids Treatments for opioid addiction CNS depressants Stimulants Stimulant abuse and treatment for stimulant addiction Sedatives and anti-anxiety drugs Anti anxiety drugs Barbiturates Benzodiazepines Depressants Rohypnol Prescription drugs for schizophrenia and affective disorders Schizophrenia Onset of schizophrenia Symptoms of schizophrenia Treatment for schizophrenia Anti psychotic drugs Patient support system Depression Depressive disorders Type of depression Unipolar disorder Bipolar disorder Causes of depression Anti depressants Treatment and preventative education Drug addiction Behavioural and psychosocial treatments for drug addiction Treatments for heroin addiction Behavioural therapies for heroin addiction Detoxification Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading. ELECTIVE MODULES You are required to study THREE modules from the list of electives below - Human Biology IA Introduction to Psychology Stress Management Biopsychology II Developmental Psychology Bioenergetics (Human Biology 1B) MORE INFORMATION ON THE ELECTIVE MODULES Human Biology 1A There are 6 lessons in this course: Cells and Tissues Introduction Cell Components Human Tissues Epithelial tissues Connective tissues Fluid tissues Muscle tissues Nervous tissues Cell Division Cell Processes Osmosis and Diffusion Hydrostatic Pressure Active Transport; Phagocytosis, Pinocytosis Electro Chemical Gradient Nutrient and Waste Exchange in Cells The Skeleton Introduction Bone tissue Cartilage Bone marrow The periosteum Osteology Bone Anatomy Bone Types; long, short, flat, sesamoidirregular, sutral Review of all Bones in a Human Skeleton Bone Joints; Synarthrosis, amphiarthrosis, Diarthroses Types of Bone Movements; gliding, angular, rotation, other Skeletal Functions Fractures Fracture Healing Osteoporosis The Muscular System Parts of the Muscular System Tendons How Muscles Move Muscle Fibre (Filament) Types; thick, thin, elastic Smooth (or involuntary) muscle Striated (or voluntary) muscle Cardiac muscle Types of Skeletal Muscle; slow and fast oxidative fibres, Fast glycolytic fibres The Nervous System Nerve Cells Sensory Neurons Motor Neurons Terminology The Nervous System Central Nervous System Peripheral Nervous System The Brain; Cerebellum, Olfactory bulb, Cerebrum, Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Medulla Oblongata Spinal Chord Spinal Chord Injuries Cranial Nerves Spinal Nerves Automatic Nervous System Reflex Actions Digestion and Excretion Digestive System Introduction The Alimentary Canal The Mouth Oesophagus Stomach Small Intestine Large Intestine Accessory Digestive Organs; tongue, teeth, salivary glands, liver, hepatic artery, gall bladder, pancreas. Nutrient and Digestion Disorders Vomiting Peptic Ulcer Jaundice Lactose Intolerance Hemorrhoids Cirrhosis Excretion; The Kidneys, Ureters, Blasser Urinary System Physiological Systems Endocrine System Effects of Hormones; seven types Summary of Endocrine Glands Respiratory System Trachea Bronchial Tree Left and Right Bronchus Lungs Physiology of Respiration Gaseous Exchange Rate and Depth of Breathing Reproductive System; male and female Physiology of Reproductive System Pregnancy and Birth The Circulatory System Blood composition, functions, blood vessels, arteries, veins Heart, physiology of circulatory system, blood pressure, spleen Lymphatic System Introduction to Psychology There are seven lessons in this course, as follows: The nature and scope of Psychology - Different approaches to psychology. It's all common sense isn't it? Key issues in psychology, free will and determinism, applying psychology, developing questionnaires. Neurological basis of behaviour - Structures of the nervous system, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, how nerves transmit messages, the brain and method, methods of investigating the brain, brain damage, the strange case of Phineas Gage, split brain operations, localisation of function. Environmental effects on behaviour - Learning and behaviour, modelling, conditioning, extinction, punishment, learning and memory, memory improvement strategies, Consciousness and perception - Status of consciousness in psychology, nature of consciousness, relationship between consciousness and perception, unconscious and subconscious, altered state of consciousness, day dreams, sleeping and dreaming, chemically altered perception, perception, selective attention, factors affecting perception, perceptual biases. Personality - Theories of personality, personality traits, theoretical approaches to human personality, id, ego and superego, Oedipus Complex, Electra Complex, psychological defence mechanisms, genes and personality, personality disorders, multi-trait theories. Psychological development - Nature vs nurture, environment and development, stages of development, moral development, psychosexual development, psychosocial development, adolescence, adult psychological development, criticisms of stage theories. Needs, drives and motivation - motivation, behaviourist theories of human motivation, drives, Maslow's theory of human motivation, complementary and conflicting motives. Stress Management There are 8 lessons in this course: Body changes caused by stress. Developing an easy going lifestyle. Pills & alcohol abuse. Building self esteem. Career management & achieving work satisfaction. Security & Decision Making. Relaxation - massage, meditation and diet. Evaluating & developing your own personality. Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading. Biopsychology II There are 7 lessons in this course: Evolution, Genetics and Experience What is biopsychology? The organism's genetic endowment, experience and perception. Adaptation Behavioural genetics The nature nurture debate The human genome Benefits of genetic research Critical policy and ethical issues Research Methods in Biopsychology Behavioural genetics Methods of investigating the brain: invasive and non invasive Localisation of function Neuroanatomical techniques Psychophysiological measures Other methods Lesions Brain Damage Causes of brain damage Frontal lobe damage Damage to other areas and effects Types of brain damage Case study : Phineas Gage Case study: diagnosing epilepsy Case study -Alzheimer's disease Recovery from Brain Damage Neuroplasticity Stages of recovery: unresponsiveness, early responses, agitated and confused, higher level responses, Case study: Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis, stages, etc Drug treatments for Parkinson's disease Complimentary and supportive therapies for Parkinson's disease Coping with Parkinson's disease Terminology Drug Dependence and the Brain Drugs Definitions Effects of illegal drugs Other drugs: steroids, barbiturates, etc Physiological and psychological effects of drugs: illicit, stimulants Addiction: how drugs work in the brain Central nervous system Memory Models of memory: multistore model, working memory model, levels of processing model Levels of processing model Amnesia and types of amnesia Case study: traumatic amnesia Case study: Korsakoff's syndrome (Alcohol amnesic syndrome) Language The brain and language Paul Broca Carl Wernicke Aphasia and Diphasia Apraxia Developmental Psychology There are 10 lessons in this course: Introduction Theoretical approaches and key concepts Lifelong growth, nature/nurture; theories – psychodynamic, behavioural, social cognitive, cognitive, lifespan; Early childhood cognitive & social development in the first 6 years Genetics, personality, cognition, recognition, memory, social relationships; Middle childhood cognitive, moral & social development in the school years Motor skills, cognitive and language development, relationships with family and peers, moral development; Challenges of middle childhood School and learning, sense of self, achievement, peer pressure, family breakup, grief and trauma Adolescence ... cognitive, moral and social development Cognitive development, moral development, identity, relationships with family and peers; Challenges of adolescence Sexuality, peer groups, identity vs role confusion, trauma, depression, values and meaning; Adulthood - cognitive and psychosocial development in early and middle adulthood Sexuality, parenthood. work and achievement, moral reasoning, gender roles, cultural perspectives, adult thinking; Challenges of adulthood Marriage and divorce, grief, depression, parenting, dealing with change; Late adulthood - cognitive and psychosocial changes in the elderly Intelligence, learning and age, physiological influences, cognitive abilities, personality changes, relationships; Challenges of late adulthood Loss, mourning, depression and elderly suicide, aging brain - dementia etc, integrity vs despair, loss of independence. Bioenergetics (Human Biology 1B) There are 7 lessons in this course: Energy and Work Anaerobic energy supply Phosphate energy Lactic acid energy Adenosine triphosphate Aerobic energy supply Energy requirements for different types of activity Breathing during exercise ATP movement ATP sources ATP-PC system Lactic acid system Oxygen system Aerobic systems Krebs cycle Energy Pathways What is energy The nature of energy Units of measurement Production and storage of energy Carbohydrates in an animal or human body Glycogenesis Glycogenolysis Gluconeogenesis Hyperglycaemia Carbohydrate oxidation Glycolysis Hydrolysis Hydrolysis of metal salts Hydrolysis of an ester link Energy production pathways from different foods: fats, carbohydrates, proteins Respiratory quotient Resting quotient Aerobic capacity What happens during exercise Recovery from exercise: Alactacid and lantacid oxygen debt, Replenishing muscular glycogen Lactic acid Calculations The Acid-Base Balance pH What is acidity The urinary system: Kidneys, ureters, bladder Physiology of the Urinary system The urea cycle Osmosis and Diffusion Diffusion explained and examples given Nature and types of diffusion Movement of molecules through cell membranes Endocytosis Membranes and their structure Osmosis Osmosis and filtration Membrane transport: simple passive, active and facilitated transport Chemical potential Osmotic pressure Reverse osmosis Atmospheric Pressure Altitudes Introduction to atmospheric pressure Partial pressure gradients Effects of change in pressure Equalising when diving Gas solubility Breathing at different atmospheric pressures Calculations Temperature Regulation Introduction Affect of temperature changes on the human body Conduction and convection Lowering temperature: sweating, vasodilation, metabolic reduction, hair, behaviour Raising temperature Vasoconstriction Increased metabolism Behaviour Effect of temperature on enzymes Ecrine glands Apocrine glands Energy production Factors affecting individual BMR: growth, body size, food, thyroid gland Fever: mechanism of fever, shivering, other temperature disorders Grades of fever Signs of fever Ergogenic Aids to Performance Introduction Drugs: steroids, amphetamines Oxygen Vitamins Water Other foods: carbohydrates, protein Creatine Caffeine Antioxidants Learn to Understand People Although psychologists are primarily concerned with behaviour, an understanding of the biology of the brain and central nervous system can help to unravel why people behave the way they do in given instances. In fact, biological psychology holds that all our behaviours, thoughts and experiences are a direct consequence of activity in our brains. Not all causes of behaviour are quite so easy to explain. There are other underlying determinants of behaviour - genetics being one. In fact, we have long known that genetics is a key determinant of how we behave and this can most obviously be seen through studying our nervous systems. Closely linked to genetics is human development. Development is governed by our genes and their interactions with the environment. The study of biopsychology is a big part of understanding people. Through a better understanding of how people think, we can better understand how and why people act as they do. This knowledge allows a marketing professional to target their marketing more effectively, and a manager to control their staff better; just as much as it helps a health care professional better care for their clients or patients. We are Learning More about the Brain all the Time Study of brain function, development, injury and damage can help in different fields such as education, research and development of treatments. The more we can learn, the better the treatment options will be. It can take many years to gather data, perhaps because it is taken form case studies or perhaps because of the rarity of some conditions, nevertheless we have come a long way since studies of the brain began. From a clinical perspective, neuropsychology has two main areas of application, namely assessment and rehabilitation. Assessment - as we have already seen, assessment involves collecting patient-specific data and then using a test battery to help shed further light on the individual's particular deficits and disorders. Rehabilitation - this involves implementing patient-specific strategies to help improve particular cognitive domains or specific cognitive deficits. Aside from these obvious applications, study of the brain and behaviour stretches far and wide into our daily lives, perhaps more broadly than many people realise. Brain Studies and Children By studying the brain and how it develops, we can learn more about children and how they learn. We have already discussed how changes in the brain affect what a child is ready and able to learn. If a child is ready to learn to read developmentally, but is not stimulated to learn to read, this can affect their development. If a child is not ready to read, and is forced to start learning to read, then again, this can affect their development. So it is important that teachers are aware of how the child is developing, what is expected of a child of a certain age, but also recognising that all children are different. Children develop in different ways and what they are capable of and ready for, will vary from child to child. Beyond this, we can also use the study of neuropsychology to look at different ways to help children learn and improve their memories. Neuropsychological assessments are tools that have traditionally been used in hospitals by psychiatrists and psychologists, but teachers have come to realise that they can also be used in assessing children educationally. For example, school psychologists or educational psychologists can use them to assess children with special needs. Neuropsychology helps us to study the function of the brain and how the nervous system affects the way that people think and behave. It is also now helping in determining why some children have difficulties acquiring language skills, reading, learning arithmetic and so on. So neurological assessments can be used to determine how much of the child’s school performance is due to the function of their brain and nervous system. It can also help the school to determine the child’s skills and the best learning environment for them. In practice, this will involve gathering information about the child’s development physically, psychologically, educationally and socially. This can include observations by parents, formal observations, standardised assessment methods and other tests. Professional Development or a Foundation for Something Else This course will allow you to extend your knowledge and broaden your understanding of biopsychology. Some will choose this course to build on scientific knowledge or behavioural studies which they already have behind them; while for others, this may be a starting point for exploring human biology and behavioural science. Whatever your reason; this course will build both your understanding of people around you, and of the anatomical and physiological wonders of the human body. Do you have any questions? Our biopsychology tutors are more than happy to help with any questions about the course. Contact a biopsychology course by clicking - Biopsychology Tutor