Undergraduate Course 4451A
Integrative Neuroscience
Course number: ACB 4451A Summer Distance 2011
Course title: Integrative Neuroscience
Course Director: Dr. Susanne Schmid
Office:MSB 470, Medical Sciences Building
Phone: (519) 661-2111, ext. 82668
Email: Susanne.schmid@schulich.uwo.ca
Prerequisite: Physiol. 3120, or 3140 (can be waived by course co-ordinator)
Course description:
This course will examine brain functions underlying specific fundamental behavioural tasks.
Topics include learning and memory, circadian rhythms, reward and addiction, and stress. It will
also give a short introduction into the neurobiology of neurological and neuropsychiatric
disorders. The course emphasizes the integrative understanding of the connection between
molecular/cellular processes and behaviour.
Apart from the neurobiological content the course will encourage active participation and
focuses on developing skills. Students will be exposed to labs, reading original research articles,
and scientific writing.
The first part of the course (grey in the following list) will repeat some basics of neuroscience
and will focus on consolidation of this knowledge by applying it during the online labs. The
lectures will be interactive and have the goal to bring all students to a similar level.
The labs will focus on specific skills training, such as designing and documenting an experiment,
writing a protocol, using a brain atlas in order to identify brain structures, writing a grant
application, working in a team, etc.
The second part of the course will focus on different systems and the brain structures and
mechanisms involved in these systems. It will provide a glimpse of the neuroscience research
that is going on here at Western.
Marking will be based on lab exercises and assignments, the final exam, and the active
participation in online classes and/or discussions.
In some weeks it will be necessary to read an article, gather material or prepare a written
assignment additionally to the course hours. Additional reading about the course topics in a
textbook is strongly encouraged, but it is not required for the final exam.
Time and Location: Tues. and Wed, 10:00 a.m.
Office Hours: Wed. after class (11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
Books and Notes:
Course materials and textbook suggestions will be discussed during the first lecture. Lab materials and manuals will be made available through WebCT/Wimba.
Evaluation:
| Anatomy assessment | online, submit by June 15 | 5% |
| Histology assignment | online, submit by June 15 | 10% |
| Physiology assignment | online, submit by June 15 | 10% |
| Experiment assignment | online, submit by June 30 | 10% |
| Protocol assignment | online, submit by June 30 | 10% |
| OGS Grant assignment | online, submit by July 15 | 10% |
| Scientific article assignment | online, submit by July 15 | 10% |
| Final exam | TBA (July 25th - Aug. 3rd, 2011) | 30% |
| Active participation | 5% |
It is not mandatory to attend the live Wimba classroom, but it is strongly recommended. Participation is marked according to online questions during live classes and participation at online discussion. Students are encouraged to log into the online platform at least 1-3 times per week. The course coordinator and teaching assistants will monitor online discussions on a daily basis. Labs should be accomplished in the week indicated on the timetable. Please adhere to the deadlines for emailing lab assignments. Late submission will result in a 0% mark, unless course coordinator has been notified and permitted late submission before the deadline has passed. Most assignments can be accomplished as group work (online or by meeting group members). In this case it is important to indicate all names of group members that contributed to an assignment, so that it is not identified as plagiarism. All group members should still submit the assignment through their WebCT, so that it is not marked as missed assignment.
Course outline (minor changes may still occur)
Mon, May 10 |
Introduction, course overview, rules & remarks |
Unit 1 |
Tues, May 17 |
Neurons & Glia |
Unit 2 |
| Tues, May 24 |
Neurophysiology I |
Unit 3 |
Tues, May 31 |
(Canadian Neuroscience Meeting) |
|
Tues, June 7 |
Synaptic transmission (CAN meeting) |
Unit 4 |
Tues, June 14 |
Synaptic plasticity and learning I |
Unit 5 |
Tues, June 21 |
Reward |
Unit 6 |
Tues, June 28 |
Neurodevelopment |
Unit 7 |
Tues, July 5 |
Neuronal death and synapse elimination |
Unit 8 |
Tues, July 12 |
The Neuroendocrine System Overview |
Unit 9 |
Tues, July 19 |
Stress, Stress Disorders |
Unit 10 |
Tues, July 26 |
Cognitive function & Aging
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Unit 11 |
TBA (July 29- Aug 3) |
Final Exam |
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