Social and Affective Neuroscience for Social Workers

Catalog description

This mini-course will focus on the relevant and interesting aspects of contemporary neuroscience research for social workers, particularly social and affective neuroscience, epigenetics and the transgenerational transmission of trauma and resilience, developmental traumatology and psychobiology, and psychoneuroimmunology (brain-immune interface), stress circuitry in the brain, etc. We will study the effects of childhood trauma and maltreatment (physical, sexual and emotional abuse; neglect; social isolation; peer verbal abuse and bullying; witnessing domestic violence, etc.) on the central nervous system and person and its implications for social relationships. We will study the neuroscience of primary subcortical emotional systems (e.g., fear, rage, lust, play, care, seeking, separation distress, etc.), attachment, neuroplasticity, memory systems, dreams, the relationship between brain and mind, anxiety, a possible complex neuroscience of the self, empathy/embodied simulation and mirror neuron systems, the effects of psychotherapy on the MindBrain and models of therapeutic action. Brief mention will be made of neuropsychopharmacology and psychopharmacology, somatic psychiatric treatments (e.g., rTMS, ECT, vagal nerve and deep brain stimulation, etc.), and neuroimaging techniques (sMRI, fMRI, DTI, MEG, PET, SPECT, high density EEG, etc.). At the start of the course we will review relevant neuroanatomy and genetic/epigenetic processes. Time permitting we will look at the neuroscience findings in a diversity of DSM disorders, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, addictions, etc.