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2020/21 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PSYC3531 Biopsychosocial Approach to Understanding Human Pain

15 creditsClass Size: 70

Module manager: Dr Donna Lloyd
Email: d.m.lloyd@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2020/21

Pre-requisite qualifications

Successful completion of Year 2 of:
BSc Psychology or MPsyc, BSc Advanced Psychology (and its International and Industrial variants)

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

In this course we will explore the biological, psychological and social factors that determine the human pain experience based on the latest scientific research and its application to the understanding and treatment of clinical pain conditions such as phantom limb pain and chronic low back pain.

Objectives

- To introduce the biological, psychological and social factors involved in modulating the human pain experience and the methods by which this can be studied
- To critique and discuss evidence from contemporary research on the key components of human pain
- To appreciate the biopsychosocial approach to the study of pain and the development of pain management techniques

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students should have an in depth critical understanding of:
- the physiology of the pain response and which areas of the brain are involved
- the three key components of the pain experience (sensation, emotion and cognition) and how they have been investigated using experimental methods (including human brain imaging)
- some of the more common clinical pain conditions (e.g., chronic low back pain, phantom limb pain) and how they have been investigated
- the main psychological variables (i.e., fear, depression and anxiety) associated with the pain experience and how they are measured
- the advantages and disadvantages of different pain management techniques (from brain surgery to CBT)
In addition to the taught topics, an understanding of a self-researched topic is expected.

Skills outcomes
-Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in the selection, evaluation and application of published research relating to human pain from both the experimental and clinical literature
-Students will gain practice in the application of basic research to practical real world issues and the critical appraisal of published reports
-Students will have the opportunity to develop communication skills by way of engaging in group work and written and oral argumentation


Syllabus

Lecture list:
1. Introduction
2. Biological aspects of human pain
3. Psychosocial factors affecting pain
4. Methods of pain assessment for acute vs. chronic pain
5. Common clinical pain conditions: phantom limb pain
6. Common clinical pain conditions: chronic low back pain
7. Pain management
8. Pain empathy and communication
9. Placebo response and functional pain syndromes
10. Case studies
11. The biopsychosocial model of pain: a review and critique

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture111.5016.50
Seminar13.503.50
Private study hours130.00
Total Contact hours20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)150.00

Private study

Reading for each lecture - 11 x 3 hours - 33 hours
Peer group work - 7 hours
Exam preparation - 40 hours
Independent reading and research - 50 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

To monitor progress, in week 6, students will be asked to research a particular human pain condition. The students will need to work with their peers (in groups of no more than five depending on class size) in order to give a short PowerPoint presentation on this condition. The verbal presentation will take the form of a peer group teaching exercise with other members of the class providing anonymous formative feedback to the presenters regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the presentation by means of a standardised form. Thus, the exercise is based around peer group teaching, where students in groups will present an evaluation of a pain condition by identifying, summarising and applying relevant evidence from the psychological literature on the treatment of a disorder. Materials from these presentations will form a peer learning resource that can feed into exam revision.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Oral Presentation5 mins0.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)0.00

The verbal presentation will take the form of a peer group teaching exercise. In week 6, students will be asked to research a particular human pain condition.


Exams
Exam typeExam duration% of formal assessment
Online Time-Limited assessment2 hr 00 mins100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)100.00

The exam will consist of 2 sections: Section 1 will be a seen essay question provided at the beginning of the module. This compulsory question relates to a hot topic in pain research but one not necessarily taught in the module. Students are required to use their library skills to independently locate and assess literature relevant to the question, and to produce a well-structured, argued and supported essay under examination conditions. Section 2 (unseen) will contain questions on specific topics taught on the module.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 10/08/2020 08:44:50

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