Current methodology and innovative research in diagnosis, prevention and therapy of disease

Course annotation

Current methodology and innovative research in diagnosis, prevention and therapy of disease (6 European Credits)

Taught by: Prof. Valentina Alifirova, assoc. prof. Irina Zhukova

The purpose of the module is to help students acquire deep and systematised knowledge in basic principls of neurvous system and neurological diseases. There are the most important issues will be discussed in this course: the latest scientific insights concerning pathogenesis of diseases, the main principals of examination and therapy. More attention will be paid to cerebrovascular, demyelinating diseases and extrapyramidal disordes.

This module will allow to get a knowledge about basic neurological examination, practical and theoretical diagnostic methods and their interpretation. The course concerns the main achievements at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries in the field of diagnosis of neurological diseases and their role will be discussed. It will help students to evaluate all information and to make analysis of it. Particular attention is paid to therapy of different neurological diseases.

The module covers the following topics:

• Principles of the structure and functioning of the nervous system.
• Basic syndromes of neurological disorders.
• Fundamental part of examination of nervous system.
• The main principles of diagnosis and therapy of cerebrovascular diseases.
• The main principles of diagnosis and therapy of demyelinating diseases.
• The main principles of diagnosis and therapy of extrapyramidal disordes.
• Achievements at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries in the field of diagnosis in neurology.

Learning objectives

As a result of the course, a student must:

• know: most important areas of neurology, fundamental and applied principles of diagnosis and therapy.
• be able to: form a system of concepts and terms that make up the conceptual framework and the working vocabulary of modern neurology
• master: skills of meaningful descriptions of diagnosis of neurological disorders and their interpretation and basic principles of treatment. Critical evaluation of scientific publications (hypothesis, problem definition, research approach, interpretation of results, conclusions, limitations).

Content of the module

This module provides an overview of the latest achievements in examination of nervous system, including: study of epidemiology, gene polymorphism, features of the course, biochemical, clinical and epidemiological aspects and factors of neurological diseases.

Overview of tasks and lectures

The module is scheduled for the first semester. The sections of the module are given 10 weeks (7 two-hour lectures of topical diagnosis of neurologic disease, 8  two-hour lectures of clinical symptom of neurologic disease, 5 four-hour seminars and project work totaling 10 hours). Students are given 156 hours for individual studying of material.

Topics of lectures:

Part 1: Topical diagnosis of Neurologic Disease (7 lectures)

1. Elements of the Nervous System (neurons, synapses, neurotransmitters and receptors, functional groups of neurons, glial cells, development of the nervous system).
2. Somatosensory System.
3. Motor System. Brainstem.
4. Cerebellum. Basal Ganglia. Extrapyramidal system.
5. Diencephalon and Autonomic Nervous System. Limbic System.
6. Cerebrum.
7. Blood Supply of the Central Nervous System.

Part 2: Clinical symptom of Neurologic Disease (8 lectures)   

8. The Peripheral Nervous System. Pain (nociceptive, neuropathic).
9. Vascular Disorders of the Central Nervous System.
10. Neurodegenerative Disorders.
11. Demyelinating Diseases.
12. Neuromuscular diseases. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
13. Infectious diseases of the Nervous System.
14. Brain injury and brain tumor.
15. Paroxysmal disorders of consciousness. Epilepsy. Syncope.

Topics of seminars:

1.   The Clinical Method of Neurology : practical skills in the study of the nervous system, fundamental part of neurological examination.

2.   Cardinal Manifestations of Neurologic Disease and topical diagnosis of Neurologic Disease.

3.   Laboratory analysis and special techniques for neurologic diagnosis: general blood test, biochemical analysis of blood, lumbar puncture and examination of cerebrospinal fluid.

4.   Neurovisualisation and neuroimaging: imaging techniques of the skull, brain, and spine with using computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion weighted imaging, positron emission tomography, angiography, ultrasonography.

5.   Electrophysiological examination: the electroencephalography, evoked potentials and electroneuromyography.

Approximate topics of project and abstract works.

• Achievements in diagnosis and therapy of cerebrovascular diseases.
• Achievements in diagnosis and therapy of demyelinating diseases.
• Achievements in diagnosis and therapy therapy of extrapyramidal disordes.

Teaching format

Structure

The module is scheduled for the first semester. The total complexity of the course is 6 credits / 216 hours, including 60 class hours. There are 10 weeks (15 lectures, 5 seminar and project work) for the course units. Lectures and seminars are conducted in multimedia classroom, equipped with technical means for video conferencing, as well as presentation and interactive equipment.

Grading

The form of final assessment is an exam. The exam is taken in the form of a written test on the theoretical material and students are required to correctly answer at least 80% of the questions.

Main literature

1. Baehr M., Frotscher M. Duus' Topical Diagnosis in Neurology, 2005.

2. Mumenthaler M., Mattle H., Taub E. Fundamentals of Neurology, 2006.