Syllabus Aug 25, 2014 to be updated as we go

NBIO 140 Fall 2014 Turrigiano MWTH 10-10:50

Turrigiano- SSC 1-28;

Office hours M 1-2, Tu 9-10, Th 11-12, or by appointment

TA's- Daniel Powell () and Sarah Richards ()

Recitation Sections: M 6-7 Bassine 230, Tu 5-6 Bassine 251, W 5-6:30 Bassine 208,

Th 5-6 Bassine 251

Office hours: All will be held in the SSC Grad Lounge (2nd Floor)

Sarah: Tu 3-4 & F 2:30-3:30

Daniel: W 11-12 & Th 4-5

We will also be available by appointment, but please give us some notice ahead of time and understand that our schedules are just as packed as yours are

Textbook- Principles of Neural Science (5th edition) Kandel, et al (KSJ)

Course requirements: 2 EVENING midterms (100 pts each) and a final (200 pts).

There will be problem sets and recitation sections led by the TAs to discuss these problem sets. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the problems and TA sections because they will help in mastering the concepts of the course.

Unless students have a course conflict, they should attend special neuroscience-related seminars during the semester, as announced in class and/or on the syllabus. Most of these will be Wed 4:00 pm or Tuesdays at noon.

THIS COURSE IS INTENDED FOR JUNIORS, SENIORS, 1st and 2nd YEAR GRADUATE STUDENTS who are interested in obtaining an introduction to the fundamental principles of neuroscience. IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR FRESHMEN, and sophomores are encouraged to wait until their junior year. Interested sophomores must speak personally with Professor Turrigiano concerning the suitability of this course for them. Graduate students and seniors should note that more intensive discussion of some of the issues discussed in this course will be handled in NBIO 148 which can be taken concurrently, with permission of the instructors.

NOTE ON THE SYLLABUS: This syllabus is meant to give students a sense of what the course will cover. It is likely that some modifications of this syllabus will take place during the semester. Please get in the habit of regularly checking the website for updated versions.

TOPICS to be covered (tentative): structure of the nervous system, resting potentials, action potentials, ion channels, synaptic potentials, neurotransmitters, learning and memory, neurological and psychiatric disorders, motor control, vision, pain processing, basics of pharmacology, reward and addiction, sleep

NOTES ON APPROPRIATE CONDUCT: Students are encouraged to study together and to work together on problem sets. Any cases of suspected cheating on formal exams will be sent to the Dean’s office for disciplinary action.

If you are a student with a documented disability at Brandeis University and if you wish to request a reasonable accommodation for this class, please see me (Professor Turrigiano) immediately. Please keep in mind that reasonable accommodations are not made retroactively.

LEARNING GOALS and OBJECTIVES:

a)  Students will obtain understanding of the basic principles of neuronal signaling in the nervous system.

b)  Students will gain an appreciation of the connections between insights from basic research and human neurological and psychiatric disorders.

c)  Students will become accustomed to thinking quantitatively about how membrane conductances generate neuronal and circuit activity.

CLASS SCHEDULE

1. Thurs Aug 28- Introduction to the Course. Cell biology of the Neuron KSJ Ch 4, APPENDIX A- circuit fundamental concepts

2. Wed Sept 3- Ion channels and the resting potential. KSJ Ch 5, 6

3. Thurs Sept 4- Ion channels and Action potentials, KSJ Ch 6,7

4. Mon Sept 8- Action potentials cont KSJ Ch 6, 7

5. Wed Sept 10- Passive Properties, AP Propagation, KSJ Ch 7. KSJ chs 5, 6, 7

6. Thurs Sept 11- Action potential propagation continued. Myelin and its disorders KSJ Chs 4, 5, 6, 7, 14

7. Mon Sept 15 - Other voltage gated channels, diverse firing properties of neurons, neural oscillators, PDF in latte (Squire et al. pp 150-160)

8. Wed Sept 17 - Synaptic transmission 1: Electrical coupling and start of chemical synaptic transmission (ligand-gated receptors) KSJ ch 8

9. Thurs Sept 18 - Synaptic transmission at the Neuromuscular junction, KSJ ch 9, 10, 11

10. Mon Sept 22- Synaptic transmission 3, release machinery, quantal theory KSJ Ch 12.

11. Tues Sept 23 (Brandeis Thursday) – Central synaptic transmission

12. Wed Sept 24 - Synaptic integration (temporal, spatial) KSJ ch 10,

13 . Mon Sept 29th - Postsynaptic density, modulation of channels, KSJ Ch 10, 11

14. Wed Oct 1 - Short-term synaptic plasticity, Habituation and sensitization in the Aplysia gill withdrawal reflex, ch 66

15. Thurs Oct 2- Simple Associative learning: Aplysia gill withdrawal reflex continued…KSJ ch 66

16. Mon Oct 6- Midterm #1: evening exam (covering material through Oct 2)

17. Wed Oct 8 - Long-term potentiation and depression, KSJ ch 67

18. Mon Oct 13 - LTP and LTD continued, Place cells and spatial maps, KSJ ch 67

19. Wed Oct 15 – Homeostatic synaptic plasticity; PDF in Latte

20. Mon Oct 20 - Fear Conditioning and PTSD, KSJ Ch 63, pp 1419-1422; KSJ Ch 48, pp 1084-1088

21. Wed Oct 22 – Reward and Addiction, KSJ 49 (pp 1101-1113)

22. Thursday Oct 23: Don Katz guest lecture: Behavioral aspects of learning

23. Mon Oct 27 - Overview of sensory coding, KSJ Ch 21

24. Wed Oct 29 - Retina, KSJ Ch 26

25. Thurs Oct 30 – Central Vision, KSJ Ch 25

26. Mon Nov 3 - Topographic Map Formation, axon guidance (visual system), KSJ Ch 54

27. Wed Nov 5 - Critical periods and experience-dependent plasticity, KSJ Ch 56

28. Thurs Nov 6 - Somatosensation, KSJ ch 22

29. Mon Nov 10 - Spinal reflexes, KSJ Ch 35

30. Wed Nov 12 - Locomotion, KSJ Ch 36

31. Thurs Nov 13 - Voluntary movement, KSJ Ch 37

32. Mon Nov 17 - Guest Lecture TBD

33. Wed Nov 19 - Midterm #2: evening exam (covering material through Nov 12)

34. Thur Nov 20 – Sacha Nelson guest lecture: Autism

35. Mon Nov 24 - Voluntary movement, KSJ Ch 37

36. Mon Dec 1- Basal Ganglia, Parkinsons and other Neurodegenerative diseases, KSJ Ch 43, 44

37. Wed Dec 3 - Sleep and Circadian Rhythms, KSJ Ch 51

38. Thurs Dec 4 - Mental illness, KSJ chs 62, 63

39. Mon Dec 8 - Epilepsy, KSJ Ch 50

FINAL EXAM Thurs Dec 18th, 9:15 am – 12:15 pm

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