PYC4813 Assignment
3 PORTFOLIO
(COMPLETE
ANSWERS) 2025 -
DUE 24 October 2025
NO
PLAGIARISIM
[School]
[Course title]
, Exam (elaborations)
PYC4813 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (COMPLETE ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE 24 October
2025
Institution
University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Course
Cognitive NeuroScience (PYC4813)
PYC4813 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (COMPLETE ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE 24 October 2025;
100% TRUSTED Complete, trusted solutions and explanations.
ASSIGNMENT 03 (PORTFOLIO) MODULE CODE: PYC4813 MODULE NAME:
COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE ASSIGNMENT UNIQUE NUMBER: 851527 DUE DATE: 24
OCTOBER 2025 Instructions: • Font: size 12 • Font type: Times New Roman • Spacing: 1.5 •
DO NOT use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to answer the questions, as this constitutes
academic dishonesty and you will be referred for disciplinary hearing • NB! There should be
evidence that you consulted multiple sources for this assignment and there should not be over-
reliance on one source, failure to do so you will be penalised • Please ensure that all your work is
properly referenced and DO NOT use other people's words as if they are yours. Please follow the
APA 7th edition referencing guidelines. • Your paragraphs should not be aligned on the right, and
the first line of each paragraph must be indented on the left at 0.5 cm. Failure to do this, you will
be penalized. • Do not use/avoid unreliable sources such as Wikipedia • Ensure that you do not
cut and paste, instead use your own words or paraphrase and do not substitute words with
synonyms as this is still considered plagiarism. • Your assignment should be submitted in PDF
format • Please name your file in the following format i.e., PYC4813 Assignment 3_Name &
Surname_ Student number
Mr Mazibuko is a 25-year-old male who was brought to the local hospital by his aunt as both his
parents are deceased. The aunt reported that for the past year, he told her that he believes people
were out to get him, even though he has no enemies that she knows of. Reportedly, he says that
he also occasionally hears the voice of God. When she enquired, he told his aunt that the voice
told him that he is special. Mr Mazibuko also believes that he has a special channel of
communicating with world leaders and he would use this channel to have conversations with
them regarding how to bring about world peace. Additionally, he believes that he is in love with
a local celebrity even though the celebrity does not know him. He states that he would do
anything to protect the celebrity if anyone dared to say something bad about her. Sometimes, he
,says that he feels like his brain is rotting. Since he started having these beliefs, Mr Mazibuko’s
personal hygiene has deteriorated significantly, and he has started withdrawing. He lost his job
and has found interacting with people difficult. During the intake session, the aunt reported that
at some point in his teenage years he briefly used cocaine, but he quickly stopped without having
to go to rehab and he no longer took any substances. He has no history of brain damage, hearing,
visual or nutritional deficits. However, his uncle on his paternal side is reported to have been
admitted in hospital once as he had a strong belief that when he was watching television the
people on television were talking about him. The aunt added that Mr Mazibuko was born
prematurely at 7 months and, as a result, his birth weight was low. The aunt added that Mr
Mazibuko was born in winter, and his mother was sickly during the pregnancy, as well as
experiencing significant complications during his delivery. Mr Mazibuko was also referred for
neuroimaging and the report indicated that he had low grey matter volume in both the
hippocampus and frontal cortex, as well as his white matter volume being reduced, and his
ventricles were distended. However, among all these abnormalities, of significant concern was
the dysfunction of his prefrontal cortex. Following his reported concerns, Mr Mazibuko was also
referred for neuropsychological assessment. He was administered the Weschler Adult
Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition -South African Version (WAIS-IVSA), the Tower of London,
the Comprehensive Trail Making Test, the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) and the Bender
Visuo-Motor Gestalt Test Second Edition (Bender-II). The results revealed the following:
difficulty sustaining focus, slowed mental tracking and shifting, reaction time and task
completion, difficulty holding and manipulating information temporarily and poor reasoning,
planning and conversational flow. Mr Mazibuko also struggled with cognitive flexibility,
decision-making and problem-solving. Additionally, he displayed impairment in initiating tasks,
shifting strategies and inhibiting inappropriate responses. He further struggled with encoding,
storing, and retrieving verbal, visual information and learned material.
Question 1: Cognitive Neuroscience Foundations (10 marks) 1.1 Define the term cognitive
neuroscience and explain how it applies to the assessment of Mr Mazibuko. 1.2 Discuss why a
biopsychosocial approach is useful when working with a case like Mr Mazibuko’s.
Define cognitive neuroscience and its application to Mr Mazibuko (10 marks)
Definition:
Cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study of the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive
processes, such as perception, attention, memory, language, reasoning, decision-making, and
problem-solving. It integrates psychology, neuroscience, and neuroimaging techniques to
understand how brain structures and networks support cognition and behaviour.
Application to Mr Mazibuko:
, 1. Neuroimaging findings: His low grey matter in the hippocampus and frontal cortex,
reduced white matter, and enlarged ventricles indicate structural brain
abnormalities that correlate with his cognitive and behavioural symptoms.
2. Prefrontal cortex dysfunction: Explains poor planning, reasoning, decision-making,
cognitive flexibility, and inhibition of inappropriate responses, all observed in his
neuropsychological tests.
3. Neuropsychological assessments: Tools like WAIS-IVSA, Tower of London, Trail
Making, RCFT, and Bender-II assess his executive functioning, memory, attention,
and visuospatial skills, linking specific cognitive deficits to underlying neural
dysfunction.
4. Understanding behaviour: Cognitive neuroscience helps interpret why he experiences
delusions, hallucinations, social withdrawal, and impaired problem-solving,
providing a biological basis for his symptoms.
Conclusion: Cognitive neuroscience provides a framework to understand the relationship
between Mr Mazibuko’s brain abnormalities and his cognitive, emotional, and behavioural
challenges, guiding both assessment and intervention.
Question 1.2: Why a biopsychosocial approach is relevant (10 marks)
Definition:
The biopsychosocial approach considers that biological, psychological, and social factors
interact to influence health, cognition, and behaviour.
Application to Mr Mazibuko:
Biological factors:
o Brain abnormalities: Prefrontal cortex dysfunction, reduced grey and white
matter, enlarged ventricles.
o Perinatal risk: Premature birth, low birth weight, maternal illness, and delivery
complications.
o Genetic predisposition: Paternal uncle with similar delusional beliefs.
Psychological factors:
o Cognitive deficits: Poor attention, memory, executive function, problem-solving,
and cognitive flexibility.
o Delusions and hallucinations: Belief in special communication with world
leaders, love for a celebrity, and auditory hallucinations.
3 PORTFOLIO
(COMPLETE
ANSWERS) 2025 -
DUE 24 October 2025
NO
PLAGIARISIM
[School]
[Course title]
, Exam (elaborations)
PYC4813 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (COMPLETE ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE 24 October
2025
Institution
University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Course
Cognitive NeuroScience (PYC4813)
PYC4813 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (COMPLETE ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE 24 October 2025;
100% TRUSTED Complete, trusted solutions and explanations.
ASSIGNMENT 03 (PORTFOLIO) MODULE CODE: PYC4813 MODULE NAME:
COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE ASSIGNMENT UNIQUE NUMBER: 851527 DUE DATE: 24
OCTOBER 2025 Instructions: • Font: size 12 • Font type: Times New Roman • Spacing: 1.5 •
DO NOT use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to answer the questions, as this constitutes
academic dishonesty and you will be referred for disciplinary hearing • NB! There should be
evidence that you consulted multiple sources for this assignment and there should not be over-
reliance on one source, failure to do so you will be penalised • Please ensure that all your work is
properly referenced and DO NOT use other people's words as if they are yours. Please follow the
APA 7th edition referencing guidelines. • Your paragraphs should not be aligned on the right, and
the first line of each paragraph must be indented on the left at 0.5 cm. Failure to do this, you will
be penalized. • Do not use/avoid unreliable sources such as Wikipedia • Ensure that you do not
cut and paste, instead use your own words or paraphrase and do not substitute words with
synonyms as this is still considered plagiarism. • Your assignment should be submitted in PDF
format • Please name your file in the following format i.e., PYC4813 Assignment 3_Name &
Surname_ Student number
Mr Mazibuko is a 25-year-old male who was brought to the local hospital by his aunt as both his
parents are deceased. The aunt reported that for the past year, he told her that he believes people
were out to get him, even though he has no enemies that she knows of. Reportedly, he says that
he also occasionally hears the voice of God. When she enquired, he told his aunt that the voice
told him that he is special. Mr Mazibuko also believes that he has a special channel of
communicating with world leaders and he would use this channel to have conversations with
them regarding how to bring about world peace. Additionally, he believes that he is in love with
a local celebrity even though the celebrity does not know him. He states that he would do
anything to protect the celebrity if anyone dared to say something bad about her. Sometimes, he
,says that he feels like his brain is rotting. Since he started having these beliefs, Mr Mazibuko’s
personal hygiene has deteriorated significantly, and he has started withdrawing. He lost his job
and has found interacting with people difficult. During the intake session, the aunt reported that
at some point in his teenage years he briefly used cocaine, but he quickly stopped without having
to go to rehab and he no longer took any substances. He has no history of brain damage, hearing,
visual or nutritional deficits. However, his uncle on his paternal side is reported to have been
admitted in hospital once as he had a strong belief that when he was watching television the
people on television were talking about him. The aunt added that Mr Mazibuko was born
prematurely at 7 months and, as a result, his birth weight was low. The aunt added that Mr
Mazibuko was born in winter, and his mother was sickly during the pregnancy, as well as
experiencing significant complications during his delivery. Mr Mazibuko was also referred for
neuroimaging and the report indicated that he had low grey matter volume in both the
hippocampus and frontal cortex, as well as his white matter volume being reduced, and his
ventricles were distended. However, among all these abnormalities, of significant concern was
the dysfunction of his prefrontal cortex. Following his reported concerns, Mr Mazibuko was also
referred for neuropsychological assessment. He was administered the Weschler Adult
Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition -South African Version (WAIS-IVSA), the Tower of London,
the Comprehensive Trail Making Test, the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) and the Bender
Visuo-Motor Gestalt Test Second Edition (Bender-II). The results revealed the following:
difficulty sustaining focus, slowed mental tracking and shifting, reaction time and task
completion, difficulty holding and manipulating information temporarily and poor reasoning,
planning and conversational flow. Mr Mazibuko also struggled with cognitive flexibility,
decision-making and problem-solving. Additionally, he displayed impairment in initiating tasks,
shifting strategies and inhibiting inappropriate responses. He further struggled with encoding,
storing, and retrieving verbal, visual information and learned material.
Question 1: Cognitive Neuroscience Foundations (10 marks) 1.1 Define the term cognitive
neuroscience and explain how it applies to the assessment of Mr Mazibuko. 1.2 Discuss why a
biopsychosocial approach is useful when working with a case like Mr Mazibuko’s.
Define cognitive neuroscience and its application to Mr Mazibuko (10 marks)
Definition:
Cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study of the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive
processes, such as perception, attention, memory, language, reasoning, decision-making, and
problem-solving. It integrates psychology, neuroscience, and neuroimaging techniques to
understand how brain structures and networks support cognition and behaviour.
Application to Mr Mazibuko:
, 1. Neuroimaging findings: His low grey matter in the hippocampus and frontal cortex,
reduced white matter, and enlarged ventricles indicate structural brain
abnormalities that correlate with his cognitive and behavioural symptoms.
2. Prefrontal cortex dysfunction: Explains poor planning, reasoning, decision-making,
cognitive flexibility, and inhibition of inappropriate responses, all observed in his
neuropsychological tests.
3. Neuropsychological assessments: Tools like WAIS-IVSA, Tower of London, Trail
Making, RCFT, and Bender-II assess his executive functioning, memory, attention,
and visuospatial skills, linking specific cognitive deficits to underlying neural
dysfunction.
4. Understanding behaviour: Cognitive neuroscience helps interpret why he experiences
delusions, hallucinations, social withdrawal, and impaired problem-solving,
providing a biological basis for his symptoms.
Conclusion: Cognitive neuroscience provides a framework to understand the relationship
between Mr Mazibuko’s brain abnormalities and his cognitive, emotional, and behavioural
challenges, guiding both assessment and intervention.
Question 1.2: Why a biopsychosocial approach is relevant (10 marks)
Definition:
The biopsychosocial approach considers that biological, psychological, and social factors
interact to influence health, cognition, and behaviour.
Application to Mr Mazibuko:
Biological factors:
o Brain abnormalities: Prefrontal cortex dysfunction, reduced grey and white
matter, enlarged ventricles.
o Perinatal risk: Premature birth, low birth weight, maternal illness, and delivery
complications.
o Genetic predisposition: Paternal uncle with similar delusional beliefs.
Psychological factors:
o Cognitive deficits: Poor attention, memory, executive function, problem-solving,
and cognitive flexibility.
o Delusions and hallucinations: Belief in special communication with world
leaders, love for a celebrity, and auditory hallucinations.
