Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
From Cognitive Normality to Dementia: Experience in Clinical Practice, Research and Translational Medicine
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Students may ask lecturers questions at the end of each class. For enquiries outside of class time, students must make an appointment by email:
Titular professor: Dra. Mercè Boada Rovira, MD, PhD . Mail: mboada@fundacioace.org / mboada@uic.es
Subject's coordinator and professor: Dra Ester Esteban de Antonio, MD. Mail: eesteban@uic.es
Other professors:
Lc Juan Pablo Tartari: jtartari@uic.es
Dra Marta Marquié: mmarquie@uic.es
Dra Maria Pilar Cañabate: mcanabate@uic.es
Lda. Maitee Rosende-Roca: mrosenderoca@uic.es
Lda. Carla Sonsiree Abdelnour: cabdelnour@uic.es
Dra Maria Montserrat Alegret: malegret@uic.es
MsU Itziar de Rojas: iderojas@uic.es
Lc Rogelio López Cuevas: rlopezc@uic.es
Dr Sergi Valero Ventura: svalero@uic.es
Introduction
Alzheimer's disease is the fourth global health problem, considering the pandemic of the 21st century. Its health, social and economic impact is of the first magnitude. Given the high prevalence of this pathology, all medical professionals will attend people with cognitive impairment in their daily clinical practice. This fact makes it necessary for medical students to receive training in comprehensive care for dementias and to know the main current and future scientific challenges of this medical field.
The ACE Foundation is a specialized and reference monographic entity that serves not only people with cognitive disorders, Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, but also their families. We offer comprehensive and personalized high-quality care in the area of diagnosis, treatment, research, training and awareness. We address the entire cognitive spectrum, from normality, to mild cognitive impairment and dementia. In ACE Foundation we integrate the clinical experience with the scientific rigor of basic, clinical and social research and participate in multiple national and international research projects.
The subject “From cognitive normality to dementias. Practical experience in clinical, research and translational medicine”, aims to:
- Acquire knowledge and clinical skills in the comprehensive care of cognitive pathology: its prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment.
- Know the current challenges, the lines of research and the main advances implemented in a centre of world excellence.
The signature is optional, it consists of a total of 60 hours corresponding to 2 ECTS.
Pre-course requirements
The student should have knowledge about neuroanatomy, medical psychology and neurology.
Objectives
- General: Understanding and acquiring the knowledge and skills of clinical and research practice in the comprehensive care of cognitive disorders and dementias.
- Specific: Acquiring basic knowledge and skills in the following aspects:
- Knowing the most prevalent cognitive disorders of adults. Learning the correct realization of the neurological clinical history and cognitive exploration.
- Knowing the diagnostic procedures and usefulness of the neuropsychological study.
- Identify diagnostic tools for early detection.
- Knowing how to determine the evolutionary stage of cognitive pathology.
- Learning the importance of the comprehensive approach in the diagnosis and management of patients by a multidisciplinary team.
- Knowing the therapeutic options and the evolution of the disease.
- Knowing the healthcare model that integrates clinical practice and research.
- Knowing the main lines of research and acquire knowledge in basic and clinical research.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 01 - Recognise the essential elements of the medical profession, including ethical principles, legal responsibilities and patient-centered professional skills.
- 04 - Develop professional practice with respect for patient autonomy, beliefs and culture.
- 06 - Develop professional practice with other health professionals, acquiring teamwork skills.
- 09 - Understand and recognize the effects, mechanisms and manifestations of disease on the structure and function of the human body.
- 12 - Understanding the foundations for action, the indications and efficacy of therapeutic interventions, based on available scientific evidence.
- 13 - Obtain and develop a clinical history that contains all relevant information.
- 14 - Perform a physical examination and a mental assessment.
- 15 - Ability to formulate an initial diagnosis and establish a rationalised diagnostic strategy.
- 17 - Establish the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment, applying principles based on the best information possible and safe clinical practice..
- 18 - To indicate the most appropriate (pharmacological, surgical, psychological, social or other) treatments that are pertinent to the most prevalent procedures, in terms of rehabilitation and also terminally ill patients, including an evaluation of their effectiveness.
- 20 - Acquire adequate clinical experience in hospitals, health centers and other health institutions under supervision, as well as basic knowledge of clinical management and patient-centered proper use of tests, drugs and other health system resources.
- 21 - Listen carefully, obtain and synthesize relevant information about the problems affecting the patient and understand the contents of this information.
- 24 - Establish good interpersonal communication skills that enables efficient and empathetic communication with patients, relatives, media and other professionals.
- 26 - Assume role in the prevention and protection from diseases, injuries or accidents and maintenance and promotion of health, both individual and at the community level.
- 33 - Maintain and use records with patient data for later analysis, preserving the confidentiality of the data.
- 34 - Ability for critical thinking, creativity and constructive skeptisim with a focus on research within professional practice.
- 37 - Acquire basic training for research.
Syllabus
The contents of the course are based on basic knowledge and clinical and research practice of attention to cognitive impairment, applied in daily practice in a specialized unit.
- To perform a complete history of cognitive pathology.
- To recognize the existence of cognitive impairment through physical examination and history.
- To know the natural history of dementias.
- To indicate and interpret the complementary tests to establish an adequate diagnosis, evolutionary stage and prognosis of the disease.
- To know the different procedures used in early detection and the criteria for referral to a specialized integral care unit.
- Pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of symptoms associated with cognitive pathology.
- To participate in the daily discussion of clinical cases of patients treated in the diagnostic unit.
- To know the operation of a clinical trial unit: selection process for candidates, information, informed consent, inclusion, follow-up and usual procedures.
- To participate in the daily work of the multidisciplinary team that integrates clinical practice and basic research: translational medicine.
- To know how a researcher designs, requests, executes and communicates the results of a research project.
- To raise awareness with the ethical problem raised by cognitive pathology at the health, family and social levels.
Teaching and learning activities
In blended
The subject will be taught in the Attention Units of ACE Foundation. The mandatory attendance will be from 8 to 14 hours and students will be tutored by a neurologist. Besides, part of the program will be perform online, as it is specified below.
Different teaching methodologies will be implemented:
- Attendance at clinical sessions in the Diagnostic Unit, Barcelona Alzheimer Treatment & Research Centre: 1 hour a day. Attendance to these clinical sessions could be online, by Teams platform.
- Theoretical-practical seminars according to calendar; 10 Seminars (9 hours). Online virtual synchronous sessions, by Collaborate platform (Moodle-UIC).
- Internships in the different units of ACE Foundation: 5 hours a day; 9 days (45 hours).
• Clinical practices:
- Diagnosis Unit: Neurology, neuropsychology and social work consultations. Open House Initiative.
In-person internships will be prioritised, but it depends on the Covid-19 pandemia evolution, face-to-face clinical visits and number of students. Telemedicine has evolved as an added and valid option at Fundació ACE and, as a result, some aspects will be taken into account:
Clinical practices in Neurology consultations will be preferentially in-person. Neuropsychology consultations could be attended virtually, 2 students per neuropsychologist (disconnecting webcam and microphone, to avoid patient distraction), provided that the patient consent it. Afterwards, students can discuss the clinic case with the neuropsychologist, during the following 15 minutes. Social work consultations could be attended virtually, with the same dynamic described for Neuropsychology.
• Research practices:
- Applied research: Clinical trials. Students could attend Neurology and Neuropsychology consultations.
The program of the subject in the 10 theoretical-practical sessions is as follows:
1- Current status and main challenges in cognitive pathology. History of Alzheimer's disease. Why, how and what?
2- Cognitive disorders: Classification, etiopathogenesis and differential diagnosis. Practical cases.
3- Diagnostic process of cognitive pathology: Neurological evaluation and administration of brief cognitive tests.
4- Diagnostic process of cognitive pathology: Neuropsychological evaluation.
5- Social diagnostic process and socio-family evaluation.
6- Treatment and prognosis of cognitive pathology: Prevention, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment.
7- Research projects: Design and implementation.
8- Translational research: Precision Medicine.
9- Applied research: Future treatments and clinical trials.
10- Cognitive disorders in MIR.
- Course evaluation
Evaluation systems and criteria
In blended
- Continuous evaluation during practices (attendance, interest, knowledge, proactivity, etc.) will be assessed. Value of 40% on the final grade.
- Oral presentation of the resolution of a clinic case previously provided to the students (groups of 3-4 students): syndromic and aetiologic diagnosis, neuropsychological diagnosis and social evaluation, arriving to a consensus diagnosis in group. Oral presentation (15-20 minutes). Value of 40% on the final grade (last day of practice).
- Final test. Value of 20% on the final grade (last day of practice). There is the possibility of performing this final test online, by Moodle.