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TOPICS IN NEUROSCIENCE, Fall 2009

Topics in Neuroscience (PHPY N5060) encompasses basic information on the anatomy, biochemistry and physiology of the nervous system. The student can expect to gain an overall view of the field of neuroscience, experience in reading the literature and in presenting neuroscience topics to an audience.

Reading: The recommended text is Neuroscience, Ed. by Purves et al., 4th edition, 2007, Sinauer Assoc. The new edition is available at Amazon.com and several copies are on reserve in the Smith Library. The second edition is available on the NCBI website Neuroscience, Ed. by Purves. For a full understanding of the subject matter, students should consult the lecture notes and power point slides posted on the website, and read appropriate sections in Purves.

Class: The course content is divided into three blocks:
I - Cellular Neuroscience
II - Sensory and Motor Systems
III - Learning and Memory

Each class begins with a discussion of the material from the previous week and is followed by the presentation of new material for that block. Brain dissection laboratories and conferences/group discussion usually make up the second half of each class. On the fourth week of each block, students present a talk on a subject chosen from a list of neuroscience subjects. Presentations are 20-30 minutes in duration with discussion to follow.

On the fifth week of each block an exam is given on the material of the previous four weeks. Questions from previous year’s exams will be made available so that you may see an example of the kinds of questions asked on the unit exams.

Student Presentations: Presentations (in most cases) will be based on a topic of related interest that is not covered in class.

Labs: Labs are either dissection of fixed human brains, review of histological slides of the nervous system or discussion of selected topics from the presented material.

Grading: each exam (3) is worth approx. 30 %; presentations and class discussion are worth approx. 10%. Exams are on the material presented in the previous block and for the most part not cumulative.