NEUR 524Fall 20101

NEUR 524 Syllabus, Fall 2010

Class Coordinators: Michael Arbib & Thomas McNeill

(HNB100, TuTh 2-4)

Textbook: Principles of Neural Science, edited by Eric R. Kandel, James H. Schwartz and Thomas M. Jessell, McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition (2000). This will be supplemented by many journal articles

Prerequisites: The following chapters of the Textbook provide the background for the lectures in NEUR 524:

1. The Brain & Behavior; 2. Nerve Cells & Behavior; 3. Genes & Behavior; 4. The Cytology of Neurons; 5. Synthesis & Trafficking of Neuronal Protein; 17. The Anatomical Organization of the Central Nervous System; 21. Coding of Sensory Information; 27. Central Visual Pathways. 33. The Organization of Movement. 44. Brain Stem, Reflexive Behavior, and the Cranial Nerves.

Anatomy Sources: (i) S. Mark Williams, Leonard E. White, and Andrew C. Mace, 2007, Sylvius 4: An Interactive Atlas and Visual Glossary of Human Neuroanatomy, Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates. (Available as download only).

(ii) Netter's Neuroscience Flash Cards (Netter Basic Science) by David L. Felten MD PhD (Cards - Jul 16, 2010).

Lecture / Topic / Lecturer / Background Lectures
  1. 8/24
/ Introduction + Anatomy 1 (with lead into neural development) / McNeill 1
  1. 8/26
/ Basics of Neural Function: Cable Theory / Mel 1
  1. 8/31
/ Basics of Neural Function: Hodgkin-Huxley model / Mel 2 / Mel 1
  1. 9/2
/ Basics of Neural Function: Synapses, Dendrites and Neural Integration / Mel 3 / Mel 2
  1. 9/7
/ Anatomy 2
(Including view of sensory & motor pathways) / McNeill 2 / McNeill 1
  1. 9/9
/ Basics of Neural Function: Ion channels: structure, function and diversity / Liman / Mel 2, 3
  1. 9/14
/ Development: Mechanisms of induction, patterning of the nervous system and neurogenesis. / Butler 1 / McNeill 1
  1. 9/16
/ Development: Cell migration, guidance and synapse formation / Butler 2 / Butler 1
  1. 9/21
/ Basics of Neural Function: A Computational Perspective on Integration Across the Levels / Arbib 1
  1. 9/23
/ Motor Control: Neural control of locomotion / Gordon
  1. 9/28
/ Motor Control: Reach & Grasp / Winstein / Gordon
  1. 9/30
/ Motor Control: Theory of motor control (feedback, feedforward & adaptive models) / Schweighofer / Arbib 1
Winstein
Gordon
  1. 10/5
/ Motor Control: Synapses at the Neuromuscular Junction: Cellular Presynaptic Mechanisms and Structure of Receptors / McNeill 3 / Mel 3
Liman
Gordon
  1. 10/7
/ Motor Control: Huntington’s and Parkinson’s Diseases / McNeill 4
10/12 / Exam I
  1. 10/14
/ Emotion, Motivation, and Decision-Making: Motivation and Appetitive Behavior / Watts / McNeill 1 & 2
  1. 10/19
/ Emotion, Motivation, and Decision-Making: Neuroscience of Emotion and Decision Making in Animal & Robot / Arbib 2 / Watts
  1. 10/21
/ Emotion, Motivation, and Decision-Making: Mirror Neurons, Theory of Mind and Autism / Arbib 3 / Winstein
  1. 10/26
/ Emotion, Motivation, and Decision-Making: Dopamine, Its Receptors, and Its Modulators; Addiction / McNeill 5 / McNeill 4
Arbib 2
  1. 10/28
/ Memory and Learning: Basic mechanisms of Synaptic Plasticity / Tao / Mel 3
Liman
  1. 11/2
/ Memory and Learning: Working memory and Executive Function; Hebbian, supervised and reinforcement learning / Arbib 4 / Mel 3
Tao
  1. 11/4
/ Memory and Learning: Habituation, Sensitization, Classical Conditioning / Arbib 5 / Arbib 4
  1. 11/9
/ Memory and Learning: Alzheimer’s Disease: / McNeill 6 / McNeill 4
Arbib 4
11/11 / Exam II
  1. 11/16()
/ Vision: Cellular Retinal Mechanisms. / Lee
  1. 11/18
/ Vision: Function, organization and development of the visual cortex / Tjan 1
  1. 11/23
/ Vision: Retinitis Pigmentosa and Retinal Prosthesis / Weiland / Lee
Tjan 1
  1. 11/30
/ Vision: Seeing Shapes / Biederman / Tjan 1
Winstein
  1. 12/2
/ Vision: What we have learned from fMRI
Background Required: KSJ Chapters 2 & 25; pp.366-379. / Tjan 2 / Tjan 1
12/9 / Final: ½ vision and ½ general concepts integrated across themes / 2-4pm

Grading: The final grade will be based on an essay (10%) and three exams (30% each).