Course Descriptions

Brief Descriptions of Course Contents:
Full course descriptions and requirements are in the syllabus for each course.

CP505 Introduction to Psychophysiology –Biological Basis of Behavior – 3 credits
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This course provides an overview of what psychophysiology is. Topics include nature vs. nurture & mind vs. body; research techniques in psychophysiology; establishing credibility and recognizing bad science; elements of psychophysiological recording; communication within the body with chemicals and electricity; behavioral genetics; nervous system structure and function; mechanisms and organization of sensation; mechanisms of eating and; hormonal control of behavior; biological rhythms; drug and alcohol addiction; memory; and psychophysiology of stress and pain.

CP507 Anatomy and Physiology for Psychophysiologists – 3 credits
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This is a graduate level course in human anatomy and physiology as applied to behavioral medicine. Each basic structure and organ system is discussed with regard to both anatomical aspects and physiological functions as they change over time and in relation to both the external and internal environment. The nervous system is not emphasized as it is detailed in another course. Interactions between the complex web of hormonal feedback loops and disregulation of behavior, emotions, and drives are discussed in relation to implementation of behavioral interventions. Other areas emphasized are respiratory physiology, behavioral immunology, psychophysiology of pain, interactions between pain, stress, and muscle tension, pathophysiology of headache, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, and basic kinesiological concepts. This course meets the A&P requirements for certification in general biofeedback and neurofeedback set by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of American (BCIA) and was developed in conjunction with their staff.

CP510 Psychophysiological Recording and Intervention / General Biofeedback – 4 credits including a 1-credit laboratory
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This course provides a basic understanding of the physiology and methodology underlying common psychophysiological recording techniques used in behavioral medicine including surface electromyography, electroencephalography, respiration, blood pressure, pulse rate, skin temperature, and electrodermal responses. Sufficient knowledge about how common psychophysiological recording and biofeedback instruments function and are used is provided so students can incorporate psychophysiological aspects of assessment into their normal practices. This course also teaches the principles and applications of biofeedback as used in educational and clinical settings. It does not emphasize electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback as this is covered in a separate course. The strengths and weaknesses of evidence supporting the use of biofeedback for a variety of clinical disorders are reviewed and the techniques for actually doing biofeedback are detailed. Techniques for using biofeedback as a tool for shaping and conditioning responses to stress are emphasized.

The laboratory portion of the courses provides sufficient hands on exposure to typical, clinical grade psychophysiological recording and biofeedback equipment and techniques that students will be able to recognize adequate and inadequate signals and be able to attach sensors to their patients appropriately so that good signals can be recorded. The laboratory gives students an opportunity to use biofeedback techniques with other students. Techniques for using sEMG biofeedback and other psychophysiological techniques to correct problems including movement disorders, pelvic floor disorders, etc. are discussed. This course meets the blueprint requirements for certification in general biofeedback by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (BCIA).

CP512 Research and Statistics in Psychophysiology / Credibility Assessment – 4 credits, including a 1-credit home based analysis practice program
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This course covers the basic steps and time-line of a project, steps in formulating and maturing a question, research ethics, the protocol approval process, background and literature searches, and methods of determining a project’s feasibility and relevance. The logic and progression of study designs used to evaluate the efficacy of behavioral medicine studies is detailed and exemplified. Topics include single subject and single group designs – cohorts, multiple group designs, strengths and weaknesses of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, prospective experimental vs. observational and retrospective designs. The course also covers research protocol design, the consent form, and the protocol review process. This section covers subject selection techniques (sampling, inclusion – exclusion, etc.), kinds of data (dichotomous, nominal, ordinal, continuous, etc.), techniques for hardening subjective data, validity and reliability, survey and questionnaire design, as well as pilot studies and the initial power analysis – feasibility and resources.

The statistics section is designed to teach students how to analyze typical study designs used in behavioral medicine. It includes qualitative and quantitative data reduction and analysis, descriptive statistics in clinical practice, inferential statistics – parametric and non-parametric, power analysis, pattern analysis, and analysis of outcome and quality of life studies. The practical experience is performed at home using data analysis software to analyze practice data sets.

CP515 Pain Assessment and Intervention From a Psychophysiological Perspective – 3 credits
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This course describes the underlying psychophysiology of pain and summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of evidence supporting the efficacy of self-regulatory interventions for prevention and reduction of various pain problems. Interactions between pain, stress, and muscle tension are emphasized. Extensive examples of how to perform psychophysiological interventions for various psychophysiologically maintained and magnified pain states are provided. The pathophysiology of migraine, tension, cluster, rebound, medication induced, and other types of headaches is reviewed. Current schema for differential diagnosis of the various types of headache are discussed in relation to interactions between behavioral medicine providers, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and other health care providers. The evidence supporting the efficacy of behavioral interventions for various types of headaches is reviewed. Detailed examples of patient education and training materials are provided along with typical behavioral training regimes and pathways.

CP517 Introduction to Behavioral and Alternative Medicine – 3 credits
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
Complimentary and alternative (C & A) practices are rapidly finding acceptance within the clinical community. Simultaneously, “accepted” practices are falling from favor as they are shown to be ineffective or even counterproductive. Patients now visit as many or more “alternative” providers as traditional providers and are spending billions of dollars on attempts to get care not available from the traditional medical community. This course is intended to provide students with a balanced overview of a selection of complimentary and alternative medicine and behavioral medicine interventions recently and currently practiced in the “West”. It is also intended to help students learn to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the claims made by the proponents of these practices so they can more readily separate the real knowledge from the emotional advertising. The course provides students with practice in and techniques for objectively assessing the validity of claims presented in formats different than usually acceptable to current “Western” science.

CP520 Principles and Theories of Stress Management and Relaxation / Imagery Training – 4-credits, including a 1-credit laboratory
Instructor: Wes Sime, Ph.D., Ph.D.
This course provides the basic information on the principles and theories underlying the application of stress management techniques in a variety of settings including the workplace, schools, and clinical practice. The course provides a historical perspective on development of these practices and a comparative approach to their use among the world’s cultures. Methods for identification of stressors are emphasized. Practices reviewed include meditation, autogenic exercises, humor, progressive muscle relaxation training and many others. Evidence supporting the efficacy of these practices in preventing and correcting stress related problems is detailed. The indications, non-indications and contra-indications of relaxation therapies are discussed. The course then provides detailed instruction in how to perform these techniques including typical multi-session regimes, handout, etc. The laboratory gives students a chance to practice these techniques under supervision
on each other.

CP525 Neuropsychophysiology / Nervous System Functions in Psychophysiology – 3 credits Instructor: Gerald Kozlowski, Ph.D.
The course covers central and peripheral nervous system anatomy and physiology and finishes with an emphasis on nervous system pathophysiology. The brain/spinal cord plexus is discussed from both anatomical and physiological perspectives concentrating on plasticity in response to changes in the external and internal environment as well as viewing the system as an interactive organ with hormonal, nerve based, and blood flow based feedback and control systems. Current theories of memory formation and change with time and emotions are emphasized, as are effects of emotions and the environment on brain function. Psychophysiological recording methodology including EEG and scans such as MEG and PET are examined in relation to their uses in behavioral medicine. Neurological disorders centered on the CNS (such as epilepsy) are discussed in relationship to psychophysiological evaluations and behavioral interventions. The anatomy and physiology of the autonomic and somatic branches of the peripheral nervous system are discussed to provide a basic understanding how the system works in relationship with the whole body’s function and health. Emphasis is on the ever-changing balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic portions of the autonomic nervous system which alters functions of nerves, glands, and muscles which can be trained to achieve a balanced life. The impact of the somatic nervous system on perception and action is also emphasized.

CP527 Recording and Altering the Brain’s Activities Through Neurofeedback and Other Techniques – 4 credits, including a 1 credit laboratory
Instructor: Graham Patrick, ARNP, Ph.D.
This course teaches the principles of recording the brain’s activities through PET scans, blood flow assessment, Functional MRI, EEG, etc. as applied to psychophysiological assessments and interventions. The basic psychophysiology of the EEG signal is reviewed in relationship to educational applications and disorders (such as epilepsy and ADHD) treated with EEG biofeedback. The strengths and weaknesses of evidence supporting the use of EEG biofeedback for a variety of clinical disorders is reviewed and the techniques for actually dong EEG biofeedback are detailed. This course meets the blueprint requirements for certification in neurofeedback by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (BCIA).

CP530 Behavioral Assessment and Psychologically Oriented Techniques, including wellness, conditioning, imagery, and meditation – 6 credits, including a 1-credit laboratory and a 1-credit practicum
Instructors: Naras Bhat M.D. and Kusum Bhat, Ph.D.
The course covers four main areas: (a) wellness and community / group psychophysiology, (b) operant and classical conditioning, (c) imagery, and (d) meditation techniques. Wellness programs for maintaining and increasing the health of individuals and of specific communities such as students in a class, older people in an assisted living community, workers in an office or factory are becoming increasingly popular. The evidence supporting the efficacy of these programs is reviewed and ways to optimize such programs, in light of this evidence, for different groups is discussed. Classical operant and instrumental conditionings are powerful tools that can be used to shape the behavior of individuals and groups in the work/school and clinical setting. The history of, supporting evidence for, and basic techniques for each type of conditioning are presented. The standard techniques of self-hypnosis, and imagery training are described and students are taught the elements of their application. Uses of these techniques with specific types of patients and integration of these techniques into other behavioral medicine interventions are discussed. The history, supporting efficacy studies, and basis for the major meditation techniques are described in relation to self-regulation. The research studies demonstrating that use of meditation techniques can result in control of autonomic functioning and in re-regulation of physiological functioning to ameliorate a variety of disorders is reviewed. The laboratory gives students an opportunity to practice behavioral techniques on other students while being supervised. The practicum gives students a chance to practice these techniques using normal volunteers while being supervised via phone or e-mail before and after each session.

CP535 Introduction to Clinical Pharmacology – 3 credits
Instructor: Barbara Peavey, Ph.D.
Students will receive an overview of basic pharmacology and then learn typical pharmacological treatments for common disorders in patients likely to present for behavioral medicine interventions (for example, cardiovascular disorders, respiratory disorders, neurological disorders, toxicology, and pain syndromes) and how to integrate these basic principles into behavioral medicine treatment plans. Medications likely to create symptoms of common psychophysiological disorders will be discussed.

CP540 Psychophysiological Assessment of Sleep – 3 credits, including a 1-credit observational experience
Instructor: Naras Bhat M.D.
This course covers the basic psychophysiology of sleep and sleep disorders as well as psychophysiological and other methods of assessing sleep. Students will arrange to spend a minimum of two days (nights) observing a modern sleep assessment laboratory in action including data acquisition and analysis.

CP545 Psychophysiological Applications in the Community, School, Sports, and Workplace – 4 credits, including a 1-credit educational application
Instructor: Wes Sime, Ph.D., Ph.D.
Effectively working within large organizations to increase work efficiency, decrease accidents, and increase morale while decreasing stress related absences, disorders, and conflicts is a complex task being requested by more and more employers as the impact of stress on the workforce become better recognized. Optimal performance in these environments is difficult but achievable with appropriate training. The research supporting the efficacy of such efforts is reviewed and the typical techniques for interventions with diverse groups are illustrated.

A wide variety of behavioral interventions have been effective in enhancing and optimizing performance in many settings. Effects include increased endurance and accuracy under many circumstances – especially within sports and the military. The evidence supporting this assertion is reviewed and examples are provided of specific interventions shown to be effective in specific circumstances. Effective presentation of behavioral medicine concepts to diverse groups is a daunting task which requires considerable training and experience. Practices are frequently augmented through communicating with peers, other health care professionals and administrators, the public, and potential patients. Effective methods for presenting to each type of group are very different but have been well worked out. Typical presentation methods for workshops, lectures, and public appearances are presented which are likely to optimize understanding of behavioral medicine techniques.
Educational experience: Students need to learn how to present the concepts and value of behavioral medicine techniques to a variety of audiences if they are going to be able to use their new skills in their clinical environments because patients need to be attracted to programs, other clinicians need to understand how behavioral medicine fits into clinical treatment programs, and administrators need to understand the economic and clinical value of the techniques. Once sufficient credits are accrued to have completed four quarters, each student must give at least two talks each to people representative of (1) the public, (2) clinicians, and (3) administrators before they can graduate. Talks are planned with the assistance of the student’s advisor and the advisor must approve a brief outcome report of each talk before credit for the talk can be given.

CP550 Clinical Hypnosis, Self Hypnosis, and Imagery Training – 4 credits, including a 1-credit laboratory
Instructor: Eric Willmarth, Ph.D.
The standard techniques of Clinical Hypnosis are described and students are taught the elements of their application. Uses of hypnotic techniques with specific types of patients and integration of these techniques into other behavioral medicine interventions are discussed. The laboratory gives students an opportunity to practice these techniques on other students while being supervised. It is the intent of this course to (1) provide students with a basic background and appreciation of the history of clinical hypnosis and provide and introduction to a variety of current theories of the mechanisms of hypnosis. (2) provide students with fundamental skills needed to induce a hypnotic state and a knowledge base to make clinical use of the hypnotic condition in a variety of situations. (3) provide students with sufficient knowledge to understand pertinent legal and ethical considerations related to the use of clinical hypnosis. (4) provide an overview of the empirically validated uses of hypnosis.

CP555 Applications of Neuromuscular Reeducation in Biofeedback – 4 credits, including a 1-credit laboratory
Instructor: Susan Middaugh, PT, Ph.D.
This course teaches the elements of kinesiological movement science and how control of movement is distorted by different clinical conditions. The course includes the elements of (a) trigger point, (b) posture, and (c) motor control / coordination assessment. Methods for using psychophysiological recording techniques for assessment of movement related disorders and postural problems are illustrated. The impact of poor posture and improper sequencing of muscle motions as well as of improper levels of tension on development and sustainment of various pain problems such as tension headaches and low back pain are discussed. Techniques for using sEMG biofeedback and other psychophysiological techniques to correct these problems are illustrated. Issues of which techniques should be applied by which types of professionals given various training and scopes of practice are discussed. The laboratory gives students an opportunity to learn these assessment and correction techniques.

CP560 Ethical, Legal, and Professional Standards Issues – 3 credits
Instructor: Eric Willmarth, Ph.D.
This course discusses ethical, legal, and professional standards issues in relationship to people from numerous fields adding psychophysiological interventions to their practices. Issues such as changes in scope of practice as well as limitations and guidelines set by governmental and professional organizations are discussed. The ethics of providing care for patients in the psychophysiological arena are discussed with special emphasis on use of unsubstantiated techniques into standard practice. The intent of this course is: to (1) provide students with a basic understanding of both the role and function of ethical principles, legal issues and professional behavior so they can apply that knowledge in their professional activities, (2) provide students with a strategy for resolving ethical dilemmas and for reducing risks for clients/patients and themselves, and (3) provide students with practice in resolving potentially problematic situations via the use of case examples.

CP565 Pelvic Floor Disorders and Sexual Dysfunctions – 3 credits
Instructors: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This course provides a basic understanding of pelvic floor functions and structures along with clinical etiologies of pelvic floor disorders treated by behavioral interventions. Urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and muscle tension related pelvic floor and vaginal pain are emphasized. Sufficient information on research supporting behavioral interventions, clinical protocols for behavioral interventions, and sufficient simulated demonstrations are presented to bring health care providers to the point where they have the knowledge base needed to provide these interventions to their clients, within their scopes of practice and expertise, after the providers gain hands-on experience by working with experienced practitioners. The pathophysiology and psychopathology underlying common sexual dysfunctions is detailed. Evidence supporting the efficacy of behavioral interventions for specific sexual dysfunctions is presented and their methodology is exemplified.

CP570 Clinical Practicum and Field Experience – 4 credits
Instructor: Staff
No amount of course-work can replace properly supervised hands-on experience when it comes to learning how to actually apply new skills. Students are required to accrue a minimum of 90 hours in actual practice of psychophysiology. These hours can be obtained in any clinical setting that the student and advisor agree upon. Students are responsible for making financial and administrative arrangements with the director of each clinical setting. The staff of the setting is entirely responsible for supervising the student’s clinical work at that setting and must agree to send the college a detailed report of the student’s experience and progress. Specific learning objectives for each site are developed conjointly with the student, the student’s advisor, and whoever is responsible for the student at the clinical site. Each site must be approved in writing by the student’s advisor before work can begin at that site. No credit is given for hours worked until a report of successful completion of the agreed-upon learning experience is received from the site.

CP572 Dissertation Planning Seminars – 4 credits
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
Performing research is a crucial part of the learning experience at the doctoral level. A research based, clinical dissertation must be completed before graduation. The program is designed so that work on the dissertation blends with other training received during the program’s academic years. The dissertation project is designed to make an original contribution to the clinical literature in psychophysiology and to be directly and practically related to the student’s intended clinical practice. Four credits of dissertation work are completed each year. Students participate in regularly scheduled Dissertation Seminars twice for each credit. At each seminar, a small group of students (not more than six) gather via voice based internet chat room to discuss their ideas, progress, and problems with their own dissertations under the leadership of an experienced faculty member. Potentiation takes place as students from a variety of fields positively support each other with ideas and suggestions for strengthening their projects. The seminars progress through all phases of designing, performing, analyzing, and writing the dissertation.

CP573 Dissertation Preparation – 4 credits
Instructor: Dissertation Advisor / Committee Chair
The student and his / her dissertation advisor, who serves as chair of the student’s dissertation committee, work closely together planning the dissertation and gathering the other members of the committee. The advisor guides the student through all of the parts of the dissertation process from planning, writing the protocol, performing the study, analyzing the data, and writing the results. This is normally a very close relationship with frequent interactions via e-mail and phone.

CP575 Professional Development Planning Seminars – 3 credits
Instructor: Eric Willmarth, Ph.D.
Taking the time to plan how to integrate newly acquired psychophysiological skills into one’s professional life is critical to insuring that the program is worth pursuing. Students participate in Professional Development Seminars given four times spread across the program’s first year to aid in preparing a plan which will be ready to be put into effect by the time the program has been completed. The plan is intended to be a guideline for application of psychophysiological skills in each student’s unique setting, be it private practice, an institutional setting or any other system or combination.

CP577 Clinical Case Seminars – 4 credits
Instructor: Staff
Students meet in a voice based internet chat room to discuss psychophysiologically oriented cases they have worked with. The discussion is led by an instructor who also presents appropriate teaching material. These discussions are intended to guide students toward an understanding of how to incorporate psychophysiological assessment and interventional techniques into their usual approaches to patient care and to provide a bridge between the theoretical materials presented during the lecture courses and the realities of modern clinical applications.

CP580 Dissertation – 10 credits
Instructor: Dissertation Advisor / Committee Chair
The dissertation project is designed to make an original contribution to the clinical literature in psychophysiology and to be directly and practically related to the student’s intended clinical practice. Students perform work on their dissertations in sequence with the dissertation planning seminars. A research committee must be selected by the end of the program’s first six months and fully written research protocol must be ready by the end of the first year. The dissertation is performed under the guidance of the committee’s chair that is normally also the student’s program advisor. The completed (25,000 word minimum) dissertation should be handed in when sufficient credits have been accrued to graduate.

Basic Clinical Skills Courses
These Courses are for people entering the doctoral program without a clinical degree.

CP590 Patient / Therapist Interactions – 5 credits, including a 1-credit laboratory and a
1-credit clinical experience
Instructor: Russ Hicks, M.D.
Students will learn how to set an appropriate environment, how to establish appropriate rapport with patients, and how to make appropriate records of all patient contacts. They will practice their skills on each other and then follow a practitioner through the medical records production and review process for at least two days.

CP592 Introduction to Patient Assessment – 5 credits, including a 1-credit laboratory and a 1-credit clinical experience
Instructor: Russ Hicks, M.D.
Participants must have completed their basic life support certification before taking this course. Students will learn to take a good clinical history and perform a basic physical screening examination. The presenting symptoms and underlying pathophysiology of disorders likely to be encountered – especially diseases producing psychophysiological symptoms – will be emphasized. The exams will include proper techniques for (a) taking blood pressure, (b) neurological screen, (c) mental status screen, (d) posture and motor control assessment, and (e) trigger point exam. Students will practice their assessment interview and examination techniques during the laboratory and will follow a clinician for at least two days as the clinician performs intake physical exams and takes patient histories.

CP595 Introduction to Coordination with Other Health Care Providers – 5 credits, including a 2-credit clinical experience
Instructor: Russ Hicks, M.D.
Students will learn what other providers do when assessing and treating patients with psychophysiological disorders and will spend a minimum of four days following practitioners from at least four different specialties as they assess and treat patients with disorders of the type they are likely to encounter