Animal and human brain representation in neuroscience
- Course name: Animal and human brain representation in neuroscience
- Code discipline: P.1.1 Course Characteristics
- Subject area:
Short Description
This course covers the following concepts: Anatomy and physiology of nervous system, sensory organs and musculoskeletal system; Localization in the brain of the different physiological and behavioural aspects of human life.
Prerequisites
Prerequisite subjects
Prerequisite topics
Course Topics
Course Sections and Topics
| Section |
Topics within the section
|
| Anatomy and physiology |
- Physiology of the brain cell
- Anatomy of brain and nervous system
|
| Sensory organs |
- Taste
- Smell
- Touch and pain
- Sight
- Hearing
|
| Resting brain, attention, consciousness, sleep |
- Mechanism of attention
- Resting brain and default mode network
|
| Communication |
- Language
- Brain control of communication
- Learning a second language
- Handwriting
|
| Emotions, addiction and memory |
- Neural basis of behaviour
- Neural basis of addiction
|
| Movement |
- Anatomy and physiology of muscles
- Tests to evaluate brain and muscle function during movement
- Neuronal control of muscles and movement
|
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
What is the main purpose of this course?
Brain and nervous system are being studied more and more in the last years, as the basis for human computer interface, robotics and so on. Aim of this study is giving a brief overview of key concepts of anatomy and physiology of nervous system, sensory organs and musculoskeletal system, and to understand the localization in the brain of the different physiological and behavioural aspects of human and animal life (e.g. attention, emotions, communication, etc.)
ILOs defined at three levels
Level 1: What concepts should a student know/remember/explain?
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
- Anatomy and physiology of the brain and central nervous system
- Anatomy and physiology of sensory organs (sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste)
- Anatomy and physiology of musculoskeletal system (muscles, tendons)
- Brain representation of movement, communication, behaviour, attention, emotions, behaviour, and addiction
Level 2: What basic practical skills should a student be able to perform?
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
- Localization of the different areas of the brain involved in different processes
- Possible uses of fMRI and other scientific instruments in neurosciences
- Possible applications of IT in neuroscience
- Differences in brain activity between humans and animals
- Different methodologies to explore the brain activity in different situations
Level 3: What complex comprehensive skills should a student be able to apply in real-life scenarios?
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
- Medical instrumentations to neuroscience
- IT to neuroscience
- IT to medical instrumentation
Grading
Course grading range
| Grade |
Range |
Description of performance
|
| A. Excellent |
90-100 |
-
|
| B. Good |
75-89 |
-
|
| C. Satisfactory |
60-74 |
-
|
| D. Poor |
0-59 |
-
|
Course activities and grading breakdown
| Activity Type |
Percentage of the overall course grade
|
| Labs/seminar classes |
0
|
| Interim performance assessment |
30
|
| Exams |
50
|
| Assigments (personal) |
20
|
Recommendations for students on how to succeed in the course
Resources, literature and reference materials
Open access resources
- M.F. Bear, B.W. Connors, M.A. Paradiso, Neuroscience – Exploring the brain, 4th edition, Wolters Kluwer, 2016
- Hall, Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology, Thirteenth Edition, Elsevier, 2016
- Platform for large-scale, automated synthesis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data,
- Kubios HRV analysis software,
- DICOM Viewer,
Closed access resources
Software and tools used within the course
Teaching Methodology: Methods, techniques, & activities
Activities and Teaching Methods
Activities within each section
| Learning Activities |
Section 1 |
Section 2 |
Section 3 |
Section 4 |
Section 5 |
Section 6
|
| Homework and group projects |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1
|
| Midterm evaluation |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1
|
| Testing (written or computer based) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1
|
| Discussions |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1
|
Formative Assessment and Course Activities
Ongoing performance assessment
Section 1
| Activity Type |
Content |
Is Graded?
|
| Question |
What is the difference between unipolar, bipolar and multipolar neurons |
1
|
| Question |
What are the parts of the peripheral nervous system? |
1
|
| Question |
What is the action potential? |
1
|
| Question |
What are the main parts of the brain? |
1
|
| Question |
In the MRI pictures presented, identify the prefrontal cortex |
0
|
| Question |
Using heart rate variability, identify which tasks activate primarily the sympathetic nervous system |
0
|
| Question |
Design an experiment to evaluate the parasympathetic nervous system |
0
|
Section 2
| Activity Type |
Content |
Is Graded?
|
| Question |
How can the brain differentiate between different tastes? |
1
|
| Question |
Do receptors adapt to the stimulus? |
1
|
| Question |
What is the role of the tapetum lucidum? |
1
|
| Question |
Using the MRI pictures presented, identify the auditory cortex |
0
|
| Question |
Using the MRI pictures presented, identify the visual cortex |
0
|
| Question |
Manipulate the MRI picture provided to highlight the olfactory cortex |
0
|
| Question |
Is there a difference in the response of the autonomic nervous system to different kinds of music? Answer using heart rate variability |
0
|
| Question |
Is there a difference in the response of the automonic nervous system to different visual stimuli? Answer using heart rate variability |
0
|
Section 3
| Activity Type |
Content |
Is Graded?
|
| Question |
What are the functions of the default mode network? |
1
|
| Question |
What is a zeitgeber? |
1
|
| Question |
What are the different functional states of the brain? |
1
|
| Question |
What are the two kinds of attention? |
1
|
| Question |
How many phases of sleep are there? |
1
|
| Question |
Using the MRI pictures provided identify the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus |
0
|
| Question |
Using the EEG waves provided identify the functional states of the brain |
0
|
| Question |
Develop a way to identify the different phases of the sleep cycle using activity trackers |
0
|
| Question |
Design an experiment to identify the different functional states of the brain using heart rate variability |
0
|
Section 4
| Activity Type |
Content |
Is Graded?
|
| Question |
Which of these forms of communication comes naturally (you do not have to learn it)? |
1
|
| Question |
How are called the two main areas of the brain that control language? |
1
|
| Question |
Which hemisphere is usually the one responsible for the language? |
1
|
| Question |
What parts of our body are responsible for our voice and spoken letters? |
1
|
| Question |
How do we learn to recognize spoken words? |
1
|
| Question |
Using the MRI pictures provided identify the areas of the brain responsible for language processing and understanding |
0
|
| Question |
Based on the 13 pictures of dogs provided decode what the animals want to tell us |
0
|
| Question |
Based on the videos of dogs provided identify the communication of the animals with the humans and with each other |
0
|
| Question |
Discuss the possibility of creating an app to decode dog-human or dog-dog communication |
0
|
Section 5
| Activity Type |
Content |
Is Graded?
|
| Question |
How are called the two main memory systems? |
1
|
| Question |
Which memory helps us remember facts and events? |
1
|
| Question |
What are the main mediators of emotions and behaviour? |
1
|
| Question |
Which neurotransmitter is responsible for motivating our behaviour? |
1
|
| Question |
Which part of the brain controls fear? |
1
|
| Question |
Using the MRI pictures provided identify the parts of the brain involved in memory retaining |
0
|
| Question |
I will show you a written text, after 5 minutes I will cover it and you will be asked to write down as many parts of the text as possible, afterwards I will read you a text, at the end you will be asked to write down as many parts of the text as possible. Comparing the answers, you will be able to determine what kind of learner you are |
0
|
| Question |
Based on the tests you will find on the website provided, http://www.whatismylearningstyle.com/index.html, determine your learning style: is it accurate? How can you improve your study time and skills based on these results? |
0
|
Section 6
| Activity Type |
Content |
Is Graded?
|
| Question |
What is the function of the musculoskeletal system? |
1
|
| Question |
How many types of neurons are involved in the neural regulation of movement? |
1
|
| Question |
How is the movement regulated in the brain? |
1
|
| Question |
What is the role of the cerebellum? |
1
|
| Question |
Using the MRI pictures provided identify the parts of the brain involved in the control of movement and the cerebellum |
0
|
| Question |
Analyse the EMG waves provided and confront them with the EEG waves |
0
|
| Question |
From the website provided, https://physionet.org/, and working in pairs, select and discuss a study that uses either EEG or EMG |
0
|
Final assessment
Section 1
- Please describe the different phases of the action potential of the neural cell
- Please describe the differences between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
- Please describe the methods used for evaluation of the brain and nervous system
Section 2
- Describe the mechanism by which we are able to localize an auditory stimulus in the space
- Describe the mechanism of sight
- Describe how tactile receptors work
- Describe how the vestibular system works
- Describe how pain receptors work
Section 3
- Outline the characteristics of a zeitgeber
- Describe the characteristics of the functional states of the brain based on EEG findings
- Comment on the cyclical variations of eye movement, heart rate and respiratory rate during sleep
- Describe the neural mechanism of sleep
Section 4
- Describe the brain basis of language processing
- Describe the effect of learning a second language on the fluency of the first language
- What are the characteristics of brain control of handwriting?
- List the different ways animals can communicate
Section 5
- Describe and comment on endocrine control of emotions
- Describe the stress response
- Comment on neuronal effects of addiction and possible differences between different kinds of addictions
- Describe and comment on the different kinds of memory
Section 6
- Describe the physiology of muscle cells
- Describe the role of cerebellum in the control of movement
- What is the homunculus? Compare and comment on the different types described
The retake exam
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6