KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course, students will have to demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts and principles of nutrition and dietetics, the most recent definitions of malnutrition, cachexia and sarcopenia and their relevance in prognostic terms. They will now the main properties of nutrients and foods, and have basic knowledge regarding the principles of dietary therapy and main artificial nutrition techniques. They will know in greater detail the dietary-nutritional aspects of the management of the dysphagic patient. They will also acquire basic knowledge of evidence-based nutrition.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- recognize the relevance of nutritional status
- recognize the main signs and symptoms of malnutrition
- participate in the evaluation and planning of the nutritional intervention of the dysphagic patient;
- know and avoid the main clinical errors/risk factors in the nutritional treatment of dysphagic patients
- collaborate with other professional figures operating in the nutritional field
MAKING JUDGMENTS
At the end of the course, students will have to demonstrate that they have not only acquired knowledge and concepts, but also that they are able to provide appropriate judgments, even transversally among acquired skills.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
At the end of the course, students must be able to express themselves and argue appropriately by using the acquired specific terminology.
LEARNING SKILLS
At the end of the course, students will have the necessary knowledge to be able to understand the relevance and degree of reliability of information sources relating to nutrition, as well as to update their knowledge and skills with a high degree of autonomy. They must also be able to apply the acquired learning methods in professional contexts and in further education.

For a better understanding of the topics covered in this teaching, students should have basic knowledge in anatomy and physiology.

1. Introduction to the course and definitions of the main nutritional terms and conditions.
2. Main properties of nutrients and foods
3. Dietetics: requirements and preparation of a diet for healthy subjects
4. Nutrition in the patient: dietary therapy and elements of artificial nutrition
5. Dietetic-nutritional aspects in the dysphagic patient. Basics in evidence based nutrition.

Lecture presentations and main scientific publications cited will be made available to students.
Recommended reference material:
•R. Canella, Scienza della Nutrizione, EdiErmes
•Corsi, linee guida e pubblicazioni delle società scientifiche SINPE e ESPEN

- Definitions: nutrients, foods, diet; nutritional status; malnutrition, cachexia and sarcopenia, their clinical relevance.
- Main nutritional properties of macronutrients (lipids, proteins and carbohydrates), and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
- Main characteristics of the food groups: meat, fish and eggs; milk and derivatives; cereals and derivatives, tubers; legumes; oils and fats; vegetables and fruit; beverages.
- Dietetics: energy metabolism; energy balance and nutrient requirements; building a diet; the relevance of a healthy and balanced diet - Mediterranean diet and the food pyramid.
- Diet and nutrition in the patient: special diets, elements of artificial nutrition.
- Foods as medicines, foods for special medical purposes, diet and nutrition in dysphagic patients.
- Basics of evidence based nutrition.

Interactive frontal lessons with the aid of projections of Power Point files prepared by the teacher.

Power Point presentations relating to each lesson, additional cited reference materials, as well as lesson recordings, can be found on the Microsoft Teams platform.

Written test consisting of 21 multiple choice questions, with 4 options of which only one is correct. Test duration: 40 minutes. The final grade is expressed in thirtieths according to the following criteria: 1.5 points for each correct multiple answer.
The questionnaires are designed to verify, in relation to the nutrition topics of relevance for the speech therapist covered during the lessons:
1) direct learning of taught concepts (identification of the correct answer)
2) robustness of preparation with regard to the application of knowledge (exclusion of wrong answers)
3) ability to know how to use in a transversal manner acquired knowledge and skills (applying logics while comparing different options)

This teaching deals with topics closely related to one or more objectives of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development