Summary

This module is designed for physiotherapists who wish to develop their knowledge and understanding of motor control and the underlying pathophysiology of common neurological conditions; and use that knowledge to inform their advanced clinical practice. This module will encourage detailed understanding of the regions of the central nervous system and the mechanisms of motor control in health and disease. It will also cover the aetiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology and presentation of selected neurological conditions and in particular their relevance for medical and rehabilitative management. You will be encouraged to reflect critically on your own practice and scope of practice and will be expected to actively participate in discussions, debate and workshops.

The aim of this module is to enable you to develop advanced professional knowledge based on current understanding of motor control and neurological pathophysiology and its relevance to physiotherapy practice.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

After taking this module, you should be able to:

Demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge and understanding of motor control through life, health and in disease
 Demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge and understanding of the epidemiology, aetiology and pathophysiology of selected neurological injuries and conditions, and discuss the clinical tests and investigations used in assessment and diagnosis.
 Apply this theoretical knowledge of motor control and pathophysiology using advanced reasoning skills to critically discuss patient presentations and assessment findings and outline broad principles of patient management within the context of an evolving evidence base.
Who is this module for?

You will need to be a qualified physiotherapist, with a degree in physiotherapy at least equivalent to a lower second class Bachelor’s degree.

Teaching and Learning Methods

The module will be delivered via a combination of face-to-face lectures, workshops and seminars.  Teaching sessions will be facilitated by relevant experts in the field. Moodle, the UCL virtual learning platform will be used to facilitate communication both between tutors and students, and between the students themselves, and also to provide learning resources and feedback. Lecture capture technology will be used throughout the module for recording of lectures, so that you can refer back to them during revision periods.



Selected Reading List

Kandel, ER, Schwartz, J, Jessell T et al. 2013. Principles of neural science. McGraw-Hill.

Krakauer, JW and Carmichael ST. 2017. Broken movement: the neurobiology of motor recovery after stroke. MIT Press.

Lennon, S, Ramdharry R and Verheyden G. 2018. Physical management for neurological conditions. Elsevier Health Sciences

Shumway-Cook, A and Woollacott MH. 2016. Motor control: translating research into clinical practice. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.