Neural Science & Behaviour
Theory: 2 hours/week | ECTS Units: 4
Tutoring in the English language is offered to Erasmus students
Learning Outcomes
The goal of neural science is to understand the mind – how we perceive, move, feel, think and remember. In this course we emphasize that behaviour can be examined at the level of individual nerve cells by seeking answers to basic questions: How do nerve cells in the brain communicate with one another? How do different patterns of interconnections give rise to different perceptions? How is communication between neurons modified by experience? How is that communication altered by diseases? Advances in molecular neural science and our ability to visualize functional changes in the brain during normal and abnormal mental activity permit the understanding of higher brain functions. The course aims to document the central principle that all behaviour is an expression of neural activity and to illustrate the insights into behaviour that neural science provides. We hope to encourage the students to approach the study of behaviour in a way that unifies its social and its biological dimensions.
Analytical Description of the Course
- THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF BEHAVIOUR. The brain and behaviour. Nerve cells and behaviour. Genes and behaviour.
- CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE NEURON.
- INTERACTIONS BETWEEN NEURONS. SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION. Modulation of synaptic transmission. Neurotransmitters. Diseases of chemical transmission (myasthenia gravis).
- THE NEURAL BASIS OF COGNITION. The organisation of the central nervous system. From nerve cells to cognition.
- PERCEPTION. Coding of sensory information.
- AROUSAL, EMOTION AND BEHAVIORAL HOMEOSTASIS. Sleep and dreaming. Seizures and epilepsy. Emotional states and feelings.
- LEARNING AND MEMORY. Cellular mechanisms of learning and the biological basis of individuality
- LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION. Language and the aphasias. Dyslexia.
Student Performance Evaluation
Students are evaluated in Greek. For Erasmus students in English.
Their performance in acquiring basic knowledge (lectures) and their performance in the public presence of a neurosciences issue is evaluated.
The acquisition of basic knowledge shall be assessed on the basis of a public presentation of a work performed by students in groups of two. In this paper they are invited to present a topic related to Neurosciences and published in a prestigious scientific English journal. Students are graded on the basis of comfort, manner of presentation and depth of understanding of the topic as they are asked to answer the teacher’s questions after the presentation.
The final grade is 100% of the final grade of the presentation. The grades of each student are announced in eclass.
Suggested Bibliography
- Principles of Neural Science, Eric Kandel, James Schwartz and Thomas Jessel, 4th edition, Mc Graw-Hill, 2000.
- Biological Psychology, M. Rosenzweig, S. Breedlove and A. Leiman, 4rd edition, Sinauer Associates, Inc., 2005.
- Behavioral Neurobiology, Thomas Carew, Sinauer Associates, Inc., 2000.
Teaching Material / E-class
Lecturer
