UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)
College of Education
⋄
ASSESSMENT 02
Neuropsychology, Seizures and Cerebral Palsy – Year Module 2026
⋄
Module Code: PDP4802
Module Name: Cognition and Learning
Assessment No.: Assessment 02
Due Date: 24 July 2026
Semester: Year Module 2026
Unique Number: 613862
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for PDP4802: Cognition and Learning
at the University of South Africa.
,UNISA | PDP4802 Assessment 02 – Cognition and Learning
Question 1: Thandi’s Case – Neuropsychology, Brain Plasticity and Language
1.1 Definition of Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology and neuroscience concerned with understanding
the relationship between brain structure and function, on one hand, and human cognition,
emotion, and behaviour on the other (American Psychological Association [APA], 2025; Wikipedia,
2025). It examines how the physiological processes of the nervous system give rise to both typ-
ical and atypical psychological functioning, using findings from both experimental and clinical
research to build a comprehensive picture of brain-behaviour relationships (EBSCO Research,
2024).
As a scientific discipline, neuropsychology operates within two broad streams. Experimental
neuropsychology uses controlled laboratory methods to study how specific cognitive processes,
such as memory, attention, and executive function, are organised in the brain of healthy indi-
viduals. Clinical neuropsychology, by contrast, focuses on patients who have sustained brain
injury or disease, using standardised assessment tools to identify cognitive deficits and guide
rehabilitation planning (APA, 2025; ScienceDirect, 2014).
The scope of neuropsychology extends across the full lifespan and covers conditions that arise
from stroke, traumatic brain injury, neurodevelopmental disorders, psychiatric illness, and neu-
rodegenerative disease. Critically, neuropsychologists do not merely describe what is lost af-
ter brain damage; they aim to understand the neural architecture that underlies normal func-
tioning so that both assessment and intervention can be targeted precisely. In the educational
context, neuropsychology is particularly relevant because brain injury in a child, such as the
trauma Thandi experienced, disrupts the neural systems that underpin learning, language,
memory, and emotional regulation simultaneously (ScienceDirect, 2014).
Key Distinction
Neuropsychology vs Neurology: Neurology focuses on the medical diagnosis and
treatment of disorders of the nervous system, while neuropsychology focuses on the
cognitive and behavioural consequences of those disorders. A neurologist may confirm
brain injury through imaging; a neuropsychologist assesses what that injury means for
how the person thinks, communicates, and learns (Cleveland Clinic, 2025).
Page 1 of 15
,UNISA | PDP4802 Assessment 02 – Cognition and Learning
1.2 Two Neuro-Physical Disabilities from the Car Accident
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as the physical brain trauma Thandi sustained, can pro-
duce a range of neuro-physical disabilities depending on which brain regions are affected, the
severity of the injury, and the age of the child at the time of injury (Zotey et al., 2023).
Disability 1: Hemiplegia or Motor Weakness. Physical trauma to the motor cortex or
the corticospinal tract can result in hemiplegia, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body.
This is one of the most common neurological sequelae of TBI in children, because the motor
cortex occupies a large portion of the cortical surface and is thus vulnerable to injury from
blunt force (NIDCD, 2024). Thandi may present with weakness on her right side if the left
motor cortex was damaged, given the contralateral organisation of the motor system. In the
classroom, this would affect her ability to write, carry materials, and participate in physical
activities.
Disability 2: Post-Traumatic Epilepsy. A direct physical injury to the brain disrupts nor-
mal electrical activity in neurons. This can trigger recurrent, unprovoked seizures, a condi-
tion known as post-traumatic epilepsy (Epilepsy Foundation, 2024). Research indicates that
children who sustain moderate to severe TBI have a significantly elevated risk of develop-
ing epilepsy within the first two years following the injury (Zotey et al., 2023). Seizures in a
school-age child can be dangerous, unpredictable, and deeply disruptive to learning and social
participation, requiring careful management by both medical professionals and the school com-
munity.
1.3.1 Brain Plasticity Explained
Brain plasticity, also referred to as neuroplasticity, is the brain’s inherent capacity to reorgan-
ise its structure, form new neural connections, and reassign functions in response to learning,
experience, injury, or recovery (Khiron Clinics, 2025). It is the biological mechanism that al-
lows the brain to adapt over time rather than remaining a fixed, static organ.
Neuroplasticity operates through several interrelated processes. Structural plasticity refers to
the brain’s ability to physically change the number and strength of synaptic connections be-
tween neurons. When two neurons fire together repeatedly, the synaptic connection between
them is strengthened, a principle often summarised as “neurons that fire together, wire to-
gether” (Keith Miller Counselling, 2025). Functional plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to
Page 2 of 15
,UNISA | PDP4802 Assessment 02 – Cognition and Learning
shift the performance of a function from a damaged region to an intact one, allowing healthy
brain areas to take over the responsibilities of injured tissue through a process known as com-
pensatory reorganisation (Khiron Clinics, 2025). A third mechanism is neurogenesis, the for-
mation of new neurons, which occurs in specific regions of the brain such as the hippocampus
and has been shown to support learning and emotional recovery (Zotey et al., 2023).
Importantly, plasticity is not uniform across the lifespan. The young brain is generally more
plastic than the adult brain, because it contains more synaptic connections and a richer sup-
ply of growth factors that support reorganisation. This is why children like Thandi often show
better functional recovery from brain injury than adults with comparable lesions (NCBI, 2023).
1.3.2 How Brain Plasticity Supports Recovery from PTSR
Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction (PTSR) involves dysregulation of several key brain systems.
Chronic trauma over-activates the amygdala, the brain’s threat-detection centre, which be-
comes hyperresponsive and triggers fear responses even in safe situations. Simultaneously, the
hippocampus, responsible for contextual memory processing, shrinks under chronic stress, im-
pairing the ability to correctly place traumatic memories in their proper temporal and contex-
tual frame. The prefrontal cortex, which regulates emotional responses and executive decision-
making, also becomes less active, reducing the child’s capacity for self-regulation (Animosa
Psychiatry, 2025).
Brain plasticity supports recovery from PTSR precisely because these changes, while real, are
not permanent. The brain retains the capacity to form new neural pathways that can circum-
vent or compensate for trauma-altered circuits. Evidence-based psychological treatments, par-
ticularly Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Re-
processing (EMDR), are effective partly because they harness neuroplasticity: CBT promotes
the formation of new, more adaptive thought patterns by repeatedly activating prefrontal cor-
tical circuits, gradually restoring their regulatory function (Animosa Psychiatry, 2025; Psych-
Central, 2022). In Thandi’s case, the psychotropic medication prescribed by the psychologist
works alongside therapy: medication can reduce amygdala hyperreactivity, lowering the neuro-
chemical barrier to new learning, while psychotherapy builds new neural pathways. Together,
they work with the brain’s plasticity to promote genuine, lasting recovery (Keith Miller Coun-
selling, 2025).
Page 3 of 15
, UNISA | PDP4802 Assessment 02 – Cognition and Learning
Implementation Insight
In a South African school context, teachers play a significant role in supporting a child’s
neuroplastic recovery from trauma. Providing a predictable, calm, and emotionally
safe classroom environment reduces chronic amygdala activation, creating conditions in
which the brain can shift resources from threat-detection back to learning. This is not
merely pastoral care; it is neurologically grounded intervention (Landsberg, Kruger &
Swart, 2019).
1.4 Brain Areas Affected: Receptive and Expressive Language Difficulties
When Thandi returns to school displaying difficulties with both receptive language (under-
standing what is said to her) and expressive language (producing meaningful speech), the
neurological explanation points to damage in two well-established language regions in the left
hemisphere of the brain, which is dominant for language in the vast majority of right-handed
individuals.
Wernicke’s Area (Receptive Language). Wernicke’s area is located in the posterior su-
perior temporal lobe of the left hemisphere. It is the primary centre for language comprehen-
sion. Damage to this area produces Wernicke’s aphasia, also called receptive or fluent aphasia,
in which the person speaks at a normal pace and volume but produces utterances that lack
meaningful content, sometimes described as “word salad” (NIDCD, 2024). The person is typ-
ically unaware that their speech is nonsensical, and they have profound difficulty understand-
ing spoken or written language (Wikipedia, 2025b). If Thandi produces speech that sounds
fluent but is difficult to follow, and she shows poor comprehension of classroom instructions,
Wernicke’s area is most likely implicated.
Broca’s Area (Expressive Language). Broca’s area occupies the left inferior frontal gyrus,
in the frontal lobe. It controls the production and articulation of speech. Damage here causes
Broca’s aphasia, or expressive aphasia, characterised by slow, laboured speech, with short tele-
graphic phrases from which grammatical function words are omitted (Johns Hopkins Medicine,
n.d.; UCSF Memory Centre, n.d.). Individuals with Broca’s aphasia typically understand
speech better than they can produce it, and they are often acutely aware of and frustrated
by their difficulty in forming words. In Thandi’s case, if she speaks haltingly and omits words,
Broca’s area has likely been affected by the accident.
Additional areas. The arcuate fasciculus, a white matter tract connecting Broca’s and Wer-
Page 4 of 15
College of Education
⋄
ASSESSMENT 02
Neuropsychology, Seizures and Cerebral Palsy – Year Module 2026
⋄
Module Code: PDP4802
Module Name: Cognition and Learning
Assessment No.: Assessment 02
Due Date: 24 July 2026
Semester: Year Module 2026
Unique Number: 613862
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for PDP4802: Cognition and Learning
at the University of South Africa.
,UNISA | PDP4802 Assessment 02 – Cognition and Learning
Question 1: Thandi’s Case – Neuropsychology, Brain Plasticity and Language
1.1 Definition of Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology and neuroscience concerned with understanding
the relationship between brain structure and function, on one hand, and human cognition,
emotion, and behaviour on the other (American Psychological Association [APA], 2025; Wikipedia,
2025). It examines how the physiological processes of the nervous system give rise to both typ-
ical and atypical psychological functioning, using findings from both experimental and clinical
research to build a comprehensive picture of brain-behaviour relationships (EBSCO Research,
2024).
As a scientific discipline, neuropsychology operates within two broad streams. Experimental
neuropsychology uses controlled laboratory methods to study how specific cognitive processes,
such as memory, attention, and executive function, are organised in the brain of healthy indi-
viduals. Clinical neuropsychology, by contrast, focuses on patients who have sustained brain
injury or disease, using standardised assessment tools to identify cognitive deficits and guide
rehabilitation planning (APA, 2025; ScienceDirect, 2014).
The scope of neuropsychology extends across the full lifespan and covers conditions that arise
from stroke, traumatic brain injury, neurodevelopmental disorders, psychiatric illness, and neu-
rodegenerative disease. Critically, neuropsychologists do not merely describe what is lost af-
ter brain damage; they aim to understand the neural architecture that underlies normal func-
tioning so that both assessment and intervention can be targeted precisely. In the educational
context, neuropsychology is particularly relevant because brain injury in a child, such as the
trauma Thandi experienced, disrupts the neural systems that underpin learning, language,
memory, and emotional regulation simultaneously (ScienceDirect, 2014).
Key Distinction
Neuropsychology vs Neurology: Neurology focuses on the medical diagnosis and
treatment of disorders of the nervous system, while neuropsychology focuses on the
cognitive and behavioural consequences of those disorders. A neurologist may confirm
brain injury through imaging; a neuropsychologist assesses what that injury means for
how the person thinks, communicates, and learns (Cleveland Clinic, 2025).
Page 1 of 15
,UNISA | PDP4802 Assessment 02 – Cognition and Learning
1.2 Two Neuro-Physical Disabilities from the Car Accident
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as the physical brain trauma Thandi sustained, can pro-
duce a range of neuro-physical disabilities depending on which brain regions are affected, the
severity of the injury, and the age of the child at the time of injury (Zotey et al., 2023).
Disability 1: Hemiplegia or Motor Weakness. Physical trauma to the motor cortex or
the corticospinal tract can result in hemiplegia, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body.
This is one of the most common neurological sequelae of TBI in children, because the motor
cortex occupies a large portion of the cortical surface and is thus vulnerable to injury from
blunt force (NIDCD, 2024). Thandi may present with weakness on her right side if the left
motor cortex was damaged, given the contralateral organisation of the motor system. In the
classroom, this would affect her ability to write, carry materials, and participate in physical
activities.
Disability 2: Post-Traumatic Epilepsy. A direct physical injury to the brain disrupts nor-
mal electrical activity in neurons. This can trigger recurrent, unprovoked seizures, a condi-
tion known as post-traumatic epilepsy (Epilepsy Foundation, 2024). Research indicates that
children who sustain moderate to severe TBI have a significantly elevated risk of develop-
ing epilepsy within the first two years following the injury (Zotey et al., 2023). Seizures in a
school-age child can be dangerous, unpredictable, and deeply disruptive to learning and social
participation, requiring careful management by both medical professionals and the school com-
munity.
1.3.1 Brain Plasticity Explained
Brain plasticity, also referred to as neuroplasticity, is the brain’s inherent capacity to reorgan-
ise its structure, form new neural connections, and reassign functions in response to learning,
experience, injury, or recovery (Khiron Clinics, 2025). It is the biological mechanism that al-
lows the brain to adapt over time rather than remaining a fixed, static organ.
Neuroplasticity operates through several interrelated processes. Structural plasticity refers to
the brain’s ability to physically change the number and strength of synaptic connections be-
tween neurons. When two neurons fire together repeatedly, the synaptic connection between
them is strengthened, a principle often summarised as “neurons that fire together, wire to-
gether” (Keith Miller Counselling, 2025). Functional plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to
Page 2 of 15
,UNISA | PDP4802 Assessment 02 – Cognition and Learning
shift the performance of a function from a damaged region to an intact one, allowing healthy
brain areas to take over the responsibilities of injured tissue through a process known as com-
pensatory reorganisation (Khiron Clinics, 2025). A third mechanism is neurogenesis, the for-
mation of new neurons, which occurs in specific regions of the brain such as the hippocampus
and has been shown to support learning and emotional recovery (Zotey et al., 2023).
Importantly, plasticity is not uniform across the lifespan. The young brain is generally more
plastic than the adult brain, because it contains more synaptic connections and a richer sup-
ply of growth factors that support reorganisation. This is why children like Thandi often show
better functional recovery from brain injury than adults with comparable lesions (NCBI, 2023).
1.3.2 How Brain Plasticity Supports Recovery from PTSR
Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction (PTSR) involves dysregulation of several key brain systems.
Chronic trauma over-activates the amygdala, the brain’s threat-detection centre, which be-
comes hyperresponsive and triggers fear responses even in safe situations. Simultaneously, the
hippocampus, responsible for contextual memory processing, shrinks under chronic stress, im-
pairing the ability to correctly place traumatic memories in their proper temporal and contex-
tual frame. The prefrontal cortex, which regulates emotional responses and executive decision-
making, also becomes less active, reducing the child’s capacity for self-regulation (Animosa
Psychiatry, 2025).
Brain plasticity supports recovery from PTSR precisely because these changes, while real, are
not permanent. The brain retains the capacity to form new neural pathways that can circum-
vent or compensate for trauma-altered circuits. Evidence-based psychological treatments, par-
ticularly Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Re-
processing (EMDR), are effective partly because they harness neuroplasticity: CBT promotes
the formation of new, more adaptive thought patterns by repeatedly activating prefrontal cor-
tical circuits, gradually restoring their regulatory function (Animosa Psychiatry, 2025; Psych-
Central, 2022). In Thandi’s case, the psychotropic medication prescribed by the psychologist
works alongside therapy: medication can reduce amygdala hyperreactivity, lowering the neuro-
chemical barrier to new learning, while psychotherapy builds new neural pathways. Together,
they work with the brain’s plasticity to promote genuine, lasting recovery (Keith Miller Coun-
selling, 2025).
Page 3 of 15
, UNISA | PDP4802 Assessment 02 – Cognition and Learning
Implementation Insight
In a South African school context, teachers play a significant role in supporting a child’s
neuroplastic recovery from trauma. Providing a predictable, calm, and emotionally
safe classroom environment reduces chronic amygdala activation, creating conditions in
which the brain can shift resources from threat-detection back to learning. This is not
merely pastoral care; it is neurologically grounded intervention (Landsberg, Kruger &
Swart, 2019).
1.4 Brain Areas Affected: Receptive and Expressive Language Difficulties
When Thandi returns to school displaying difficulties with both receptive language (under-
standing what is said to her) and expressive language (producing meaningful speech), the
neurological explanation points to damage in two well-established language regions in the left
hemisphere of the brain, which is dominant for language in the vast majority of right-handed
individuals.
Wernicke’s Area (Receptive Language). Wernicke’s area is located in the posterior su-
perior temporal lobe of the left hemisphere. It is the primary centre for language comprehen-
sion. Damage to this area produces Wernicke’s aphasia, also called receptive or fluent aphasia,
in which the person speaks at a normal pace and volume but produces utterances that lack
meaningful content, sometimes described as “word salad” (NIDCD, 2024). The person is typ-
ically unaware that their speech is nonsensical, and they have profound difficulty understand-
ing spoken or written language (Wikipedia, 2025b). If Thandi produces speech that sounds
fluent but is difficult to follow, and she shows poor comprehension of classroom instructions,
Wernicke’s area is most likely implicated.
Broca’s Area (Expressive Language). Broca’s area occupies the left inferior frontal gyrus,
in the frontal lobe. It controls the production and articulation of speech. Damage here causes
Broca’s aphasia, or expressive aphasia, characterised by slow, laboured speech, with short tele-
graphic phrases from which grammatical function words are omitted (Johns Hopkins Medicine,
n.d.; UCSF Memory Centre, n.d.). Individuals with Broca’s aphasia typically understand
speech better than they can produce it, and they are often acutely aware of and frustrated
by their difficulty in forming words. In Thandi’s case, if she speaks haltingly and omits words,
Broca’s area has likely been affected by the accident.
Additional areas. The arcuate fasciculus, a white matter tract connecting Broca’s and Wer-
Page 4 of 15
