Neuropsychiatry Course

Lesson 1 • Core Concepts in Brain-Behaviour Relationships

Introduces fundamental principles linking neural circuits to cognition, emotion, and behaviour. Anchors subsequent clinical content in mechanistic understanding.

Lesson 2 • Neuropsychiatric Diagnostic Frameworks

Compares categorical and dimensional diagnostic systems used in neuropsychiatry. Students learn to apply these frameworks to patient presentations.

Lesson 3 • Ethical and Professional Foundations

Addresses ethical obligations unique to neuropsychiatric practice, including capacity and stigma. Establishes professional standards guiding all subsequent clinical work.

Lesson 1 • Neurotransmitter Systems and Receptors

Examines major neurotransmitter pathways and their psychiatric relevance. Provides the pharmacological foundation needed for later treatment chapters.

Lesson 2 • Neurophysiology of Arousal and Sleep

Explains brainstem and hypothalamic mechanisms controlling arousal, sleep, and consciousness. Directly relevant to delirium, sleep disorders, and altered states.

Lesson 3 • Neural Circuits Underlying Psychiatric Symptoms

Identifies specific circuits mediating cognition, emotion, reward, and impulse control. Links circuit dysfunction to recognisable neuropsychiatric presentations.

Lesson 4 • Developmental Neuroanatomy

Describes brain maturation from prenatal stages through adulthood and its psychiatric implications. Prepares students for neurodevelopmental disorder chapters.

Lesson 1 • Mental Status and Cognitive Examination

Teaches bedside cognitive testing including attention, memory, language, and executive function. Integrates findings into a coherent neuropsychiatric formulation.

Lesson 2 • Laboratory and Electrophysiological Investigations

Reviews blood, CSF, genetic, and EEG investigations used in neuropsychiatric workup. Guides rational test ordering and result interpretation.

Lesson 3 • Neuroimaging in Clinical Practice

Explains indications, interpretation principles, and limitations of structural and functional neuroimaging. Students select appropriate imaging modalities for clinical scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Neurological Examination for Psychiatrists

Covers the focused neurological exam relevant to psychiatric settings, including soft signs. Enables detection of neurological comorbidities missed in standard psychiatric evaluations.

Lesson 1 • Specific Learning and Communication Disorders

Describes neural bases of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and language disorders and their educational impact. Prepares clinicians to coordinate with educational and speech-language professionals.

Lesson 2 • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Examines prefrontal-striatal dysfunction underlying ADHD across the lifespan. Addresses diagnosis, stimulant and non-stimulant treatments, and adult presentations.

Lesson 3 • Autism Spectrum Disorder

Covers neurobiological underpinnings, diagnostic criteria, and heterogeneity of autism spectrum disorder. Connects genetic and circuit-level findings to clinical features.

Lesson 1 • Neuropsychiatry of Movement Disorders

Addresses psychiatric features of Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and related conditions. Covers dopaminergic treatment effects on impulse control and psychosis.

Lesson 2 • Neuropsychiatry of Traumatic Brain Injury

Examines behavioural, emotional, and cognitive sequelae of mild to severe TBI. Guides rehabilitation-oriented psychiatric management across injury severity levels.

Lesson 3 • Autoimmune and Infectious Neuropsychiatry

Covers autoimmune encephalitides, CNS infections, and their psychiatric presentations. Emphasises early recognition to prevent diagnostic delay.

Lesson 4 • Stroke and Vascular Neuropsychiatry

Describes post-stroke depression, apathy, emotional lability, and vascular cognitive impairment. Links lesion location to specific behavioural syndromes.

Lesson 1 • Frontotemporal and Lewy Body Dementias

Distinguishes behavioural variant FTD, primary progressive aphasia, and Lewy body dementia. Highlights unique management challenges including neuroleptic sensitivity.

Lesson 2 • Delirium: Recognition and Management

Defines delirium subtypes, risk factors, and pathophysiology relevant to neuropsychiatric practice. Covers prevention protocols and pharmacological management strategies.

Lesson 3 • Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

Covers pathophysiology, clinical staging, and neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's and related dementias. Addresses pharmacological and non-pharmacological management.

Lesson 4 • Mild Cognitive Impairment

Characterises MCI subtypes, biomarker profiles, and conversion risk to dementia. Guides clinicians in monitoring and counselling patients and families.

Lesson 1 • Antipsychotics in Neuropsychiatric Settings

Covers typical and atypical antipsychotic use, movement disorder risks, and metabolic monitoring. Emphasises cautious prescribing in dementia and Parkinson's disease.

Lesson 2 • Antidepressants in Neuropsychiatric Practice

Reviews antidepressant classes, mechanisms, and evidence for use in neurological comorbidities. Addresses tolerability concerns specific to neuropsychiatric populations.

Lesson 3 • Pharmacokinetics in Neurological Populations

Examines how neurological disease, ageing, and polypharmacy alter drug absorption, distribution, and metabolism. Guides dose adjustment and monitoring strategies.

Lesson 4 • Mood Stabilisers and Anticonvulsants

Examines lithium, valproate, lamotrigine, and other agents used for mood and behavioural stabilisation. Covers dual use in epilepsy and psychiatric comorbidity.

Lesson 1 • Long-Term Management and Quality of Life

Addresses chronic disease management, caregiver burden, and quality-of-life optimisation in neuropsychiatric conditions. Prepares students for longitudinal patient relationships.

Lesson 2 • Differential Diagnosis in Complex Presentations

Applies systematic reasoning to distinguish neuropsychiatric from primary psychiatric and medical conditions. Uses probabilistic thinking and Bayesian reasoning in diagnosis.

Lesson 3 • Biopsychosocial Formulation in Neuropsychiatry

Integrates biological, psychological, and social factors into a unified explanatory framework. Demonstrates how formulation drives individualised treatment planning.

Lesson 4 • Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration

Defines roles of neurologists, neuropsychologists, therapists, and allied health in neuropsychiatric care. Develops skills for effective team communication and shared decision-making.