Cognitive Rehabilitation (Thesis)

Cognitive Rehabilitation Master's Program

Various cognitive impairments may occur following different types of brain injuries and in association with neurological disorders. These impairments can significantly affect an individual's daily life, functional capacity, independence, and social and occupational functioning.

The term Cognitive Rehabilitation refers to interventions designed to restore, improve, compensate for, or reduce impairments in cognitive functions such as attention, executive functions, memory, language, and visuospatial perception and construction that arise following neurological injury. It also aims to reconstruct patients' lost functional abilities and facilitate their reintegration into daily life. By its very nature, Cognitive Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary field encompassing neurology, psychology, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and many other related disciplines.

Today, as in many other areas of healthcare, the diagnosis of disorders affecting higher cognitive functions, a comprehensive understanding of their pathophysiology, the mechanisms underlying the brain's neuroplasticity and the most effective ways to utilize these mechanisms, the development of assistive technologies and equipment, and ultimately the translation of scientific advances into patient care can only be achieved through a multidisciplinary approach. In this respect, the disciplines of neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physiotherapy, psychology, and psychiatry work collaboratively. Cognitive Rehabilitation is a discipline that integrates the knowledge and resources of these clinical specialties, together with contributions from numerous basic science and engineering fields, to maximize the recovery of patients' functional abilities. Moreover, there is currently no comparable graduate program in this field in Türkiye. Therefore, the establishment of the Master's Program in Cognitive Rehabilitation represents one of our major academic priorities.

The Master's Program in Cognitive Rehabilitation has been developed by utilizing the extensive clinical and research infrastructure available at our university. In addition to expert faculty members and outpatient clinics serving patients with cognitive disorders in the relevant clinical departments of our university hospital, the program is based on the Neuropsychology Laboratory, which operates as a subunit of the Regenerative and Restorative Medicine Research Center (REMER), and the Cognitive Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic, both of which serve as primary settings for clinical practice and research. Furthermore, the Clinical Electrophysiology and Neuromodulation Laboratory, another REMER subunit within the university hospital, together with REMER's basic science laboratories, provides substantial support for the program's research activities.

Through the Master's Program in Cognitive Rehabilitation, Istanbul Medipol University aims to contribute to the establishment of new clinical service units at the national level and to lead research activities in this field. Internationally, the program offers opportunities to establish collaborations with institutions engaged in cognitive rehabilitation research and technology development through its existing educational, clinical, and research infrastructure.

Students enrolled in the program will have the opportunity to receive education from internationally recognized scholars and to participate in collaborative research projects with leading experts in the field. Graduates of the Master's Program in Cognitive Rehabilitation will be qualified to work in healthcare institutions, helping to address a significant need for cognitive rehabilitation services in Türkiye. They will also be well prepared to pursue doctoral studies at distinguished universities in Türkiye or abroad, continue academic and research careers, and provide evidence-based clinical services with advanced professional competence.

Applicants who meet the admission requirements specified in the Istanbul Medipol University Graduate Education and Training Regulations are eligible to apply for the Master's Program in Cognitive Rehabilitation. Graduates of undergraduate programs in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Psychology, Psychological Counseling and Guidance, Nursing, and Medicine may apply. The undergraduate education of admitted students will be evaluated, and if deemed necessary, they may be required to complete a scientific preparatory program before beginning graduate studies.

Head of the Department of Cognitive Rehabilitation
Prof. Dr. Lütfü Hanoğlu
[email protected]