Track: Stroke, Trauma, and Epilepsy

Psychology 2025

Stroke-Induced Brain and Behavioral Changes:
    1. Understanding the cognitive and emotional consequences of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, including issues such as memory loss, attention deficits, and language disorders.
    2. Stroke rehabilitation: The role of neuropsychological assessment and cognitive therapies in recovery.
    3. The psychological effects of stroke, including depression, anxiety, and post-stroke emotional changes such as apathy or frontal lobe personality changes.
    4. The importance of multidisciplinary care (neurologists, psychologists, physiotherapists) in stroke recovery.
Trauma and Its Psychiatric Implications:
    1. Examining how traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects brain function and contributes to long-term psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety disorders.
    2. Cognitive and emotional challenges following head injuries, including memory impairment, executive dysfunction, and impulse control disorders.
    3. Psychological interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), in the treatment of trauma and TBI-related psychiatric symptoms.
Epilepsy and Psychiatric Comorbidities:
    1. The relationship between epilepsy and psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, psychosis, and personality changes.
    2. Cognitive impairments in individuals with epilepsy: Exploring the effects of seizure frequency, medications, and brain changes on memory, learning, and executive functions.
    3. The psychological impact of living with epilepsy, addressing issues like stigma, social isolation, and mental health difficulties.
Diagnostic Approaches for Stroke, Trauma, and Epilepsy:
    1. Overview of neuroimaging and neuropsychological assessments in diagnosing cognitive and psychiatric changes following stroke, trauma, and epilepsy.
    2. The role of functional MRI (fMRI), EEG, and neuropsychological testing in assessing the cognitive and emotional consequences of neurological conditions.
    3. The challenges of distinguishing between neurological symptoms and psychiatric disorders in patients with complex conditions.
Innovative Treatments and Rehabilitation:
    1. Advances in neuropsychological rehabilitation for stroke and trauma patients, including cognitive retraining, speech therapy, and psychosocial support.
    2. Anticonvulsant therapies and their impact on mental health in patients with epilepsy: Balancing seizure control with psychological well-being.
    3. The role of neuromodulation therapies, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS), in improving cognitive and emotional outcomes for patients with epilepsy, trauma, or stroke.
Psychological Support and Interventions:
    1. The role of psychotherapy (e.g., CBT, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)) in treating the psychological impact of stroke, trauma, and epilepsy.
    2. Addressing coping strategies for patients and their families, including stress management and support groups.
    3. The importance of patient education and family counseling to help individuals understand and cope with the long-term effects of stroke, trauma, or epilepsy on mental health.
The Role of Multidisciplinary Care:
    1. Collaboration between neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and rehabilitation therapists in providing comprehensive care for individuals with neurological conditions.
    2. Case studies of multidisciplinary interventions and how they enhance patient outcomes in stroke, trauma, and epilepsy.
    3. Integrated care models: Providing a holistic approach that addresses both the neurological and psychological aspects of recovery.
Long-Term Mental Health Challenges:
    1. Exploring the long-term effects of neurological conditions on mental health, including chronic depression, cognitive decline, and persistent psychiatric disorders.
    2. The role of early intervention in preventing long-term psychiatric problems in patients with stroke, trauma, or epilepsy.
Learning Outcomes:
  1. Understand the neuropsychological effects of stroke, trauma, and epilepsy on cognition and mental health.
  2. Gain insight into innovative diagnostic methods and treatment approaches for managing psychiatric symptoms in patients with neurological conditions.
  3. Explore the importance of multidisciplinary care and how collaboration across specialties improves patient outcomes.
  4. Learn about the psychosocial challenges faced by individuals with neurological disorders and how to support their mental health recovery.
  5. Discover emerging rehabilitation techniques and neurostimulation therapies that improve cognitive and emotional well-being.