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Health Neuroscience

Module description

Why do some people find it easier to maintain a healthy diet or exercise consistently? What is the impact of diet, exercise, sleep, and stress on the brain? Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and student presentations and debates, this module will use the Health Neuroscience framework to evaluate (1) how neural and psychological mechanisms predict (i.e., brain as a predictor) the adherence to health protective behaviours (e.g., reducing junk food, maintaining physical activity patterns, getting enough sleep), (2) how the engagement in health protective (e.g., healthy diet, exercise, sleep) and harmful (e.g., overeating, sedentary behaviour, not getting enough sleep) impact the same neural and psychological mechanisms (i.e., brain as an outcome), and (3) the implications of social environments on these associations. We will also examine how we can use psychological and neuroscience data to develop more effective treatments and interventions. This module includes a lot of collaborative group work, and is suitable for individuals that enjoy working in groups.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to provide you with a broad understanding of the current knowledge regarding how human brain and associated cognitive processes both act as a predictor of our adherence, or lack of, to various healthy behaviours AND how the adherence to healthy behaviours can change the same processes.

You will be introduced to behavioural and neuroimaging research examining a range of topics including:

• Eating Behaviours
• Stress
• Sleep habits
• Physical activity and exercise
• Smoking and vaping

You will develop the following skills, many of which are transferable to future employment:

• Problem solving (linking theory to practice, developing your own ideas with confidence, being able to respond to novel and unfamiliar problems)
• Communicating complex research findings to the general public
• Intervention design, which includes identifying key stakeholders and communicating need effectively to obtain funding
• Managing structure (identifying key demands of the task, setting clearly defined goals, responding flexibly to changing priorities)
• Time management (managing time effectively individually and within a group)
• Collaboration (respecting the views and values of others, taking initiative and leading others, supporting others in their work, maintaining group cohesiveness and purpose), and
• Audience awareness (presenting ideas effectively in multiple formats, persuading others of the importance and relevance of your views, responding positively and effectively to questions).

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of how the brain both acts as a predictor of our adherence to health behaviour and how brain health is impacted by our adherence to health behaviours

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 2. Review and analyse scientific articles at an advanced level, synthesising this literature to present logical, coherent and sustained arguments
• 3. Address systematically complex problems, think critically, creatively and independently, and fully appreciate the complexities of the issues
• 4. Understand and apply essential principles in designing novel research, and critically evaluate and analyse empirical evidence, and assess the reliability of empirical evidence using a range of defined techniques at an advanced level
• 5. Interact effectively and supportively within a learning group and analyse and present material through small group work

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Present complex information in a way that sells your thoughts and ideas to the group.
• 8. Identify key stakeholders and communicate complex ideas and concepts to both them and a lay audience
• 9. Work effectively and supportively in groups and provide critical feedback to your peers
• 10. Identify complex problems and apply appropriate knowledge and methods for their solution with confidence and flexibility
• 11. Communicate your own thoughts and ideas in a succinct and engaging way.
• 12. Translate / apply research findings into implications for public policy and current affairs and articulate these ideas clearly

Syllabus plan

• Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:  Module overview and introduction
• Overview of the health neuroscience framework/theoretical model

Classes will then cover a range of topics related to the brain as a predictor and outcome (particularly brain mechanisms underlying reward, learning and cognitive control) of health behaviours, including:

• Eating behaviours (e.g., overeating) and eating disorders
• Physical activity and exercise
• Stress
• Sleep habits
• Vaping and smoking

Finally, we will bring everything together to understand the role of broader social systems in influencing these associations.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The module mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit further assessments based on the table above. The module mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%.

Please refer to the TQA section on Referral/Deferral: https://as.exeter.ac.uk/academic-policy-standards/tqa-manual/aph/consequenceoffailure/

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading will include a selection of scientific articles to prepare for each seminar, for example:

• Erickson, K. I., Creswell, J. D., Verstynen, T. D., & Gianaros, P. J. (2014). Health neuroscience: defining a new field. Current directions in psychological science, 23(6), 446-453.
• Lowe, C. J., Reichelt, A. C., & Hall, P. A. (2019). The prefrontal cortex and obesity: a health neuroscience perspective. Trends in cognitive sciences, 23(4), 349-361.
• Erickson, K. I., Voss, M. W., Prakash, R. S., Basak, C., Szabo, A., Chaddock, L., ... & Kramer, A. F. (2011). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 108(7), 3017-3022.
• Erickson, K. I., Hillman, C. H., & Kramer, A. F. (2015). Physical activity, brain, and cognition. Current opinion in behavioral sciences, 4, 27-32.
• Fregni, F., Liguori, P., Fecteau, S., Nitsche, M. A., Pascual-Leone, A., & Boggio, P. S. (2008). Cortical stimulation of the prefrontal cortex with transcranial direct current stimulation reduces cue-provoked smoking craving: a randomized, sham-controlled study. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 69(1), 32-40.

 Core readings will be assigned for each week and will be available on the ELE module homepage.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Nil

Key words search

health, neuroscience, psychology, applied psychology, cognitive neuroscience