ECTS - University of Pisa
Scheda programma d'esame
NEUROBIOLOGY II
GIOVANNI CASINI
Academic year2018/19
CourseNEUROSCIENCE
Code419EE
Credits9
PeriodSemester 1 & 2
LanguageEnglish

ModulesAreaTypeHoursTeacher(s)
NEUROBIOLOGY IIBIO/16LEZIONI72
GIOVANNI CASINI unimap
MASSIMO DAL MONTE unimap
FRANCESCO FORNAI unimap
RICCARDO RUFFOLI unimap
Programma non disponibile nella lingua selezionata
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
  • The course is organized around different neuroanatomical and neurobiological aspects of the organization and function of sensory and motor systems of the brain.
  • At the end of the course, the students will have acquired critical instruments to understand the general patterns of organization of the central nervous system and the main mechanisms of sensory processing and organization of the motor outputs. The course gives the students the opportunity to meditate on the acquired neurobiological knowledge to link the activity of nerve cells and of the sensory and motor systems of the brain with the generated behavioral output.
Assessment criteria of knowledge
  • The knowledge acquired by the student during the course will be assessed during the final examination.
Skills
  • At the end of the course, the student will be able to understand how the behavior of an animal is linked and is produced by the integrated activities of different neuronal populations in the brain.
Assessment criteria of skills
  • The skills acquired by the student during the course will be assessed during the final examination.
Prerequisites
  • Physiology of neuron and synapse. Generalities on the sensory and motor systems in the brain.
Teaching methods
  • Face to face delivery with Power Point presentations
  • A link to download the presentations is available at the elearning site of the course
  • For information and appointments, contact the teachers 
Syllabus

Sensory systems

  • Sensory coding.
  • The somatosensory system: Touch; Pain.
  • The visual system: The retina; Diabetic retinopathy; Visual thalamus; Visual cortex.

Neuronal information processing

  • Gaze control: Eye movements; Brainstem oculomotor nuclei; Circuits for saccades; The superior colliculus; Cortical mechanisms.
  • Sleep and dreaming: Electroencephalography; Circadian and ultradian rhythms; REM and non-REM sleep; Generators of sleep and arousal; Functions of sleep.

Neuro-endocrine interactions

  • Regulation of food intake: Energetic balance; Hypothalamic centers; Orexigenic signals; Anorexigenic signals; Eating disorders.
Bibliography
  • Eric R. Kandel et al – Principles of Neural Sciences (any edition)
  • Power points
  • Cited literature
  • http://webvision.med.utah.edu/
Non-attending students info
  • There are no particular indications for non-frequenting students. For information or elucidations (on the course organization or on lecture contents), please contact the teachers (giovanni.casini@unipi.it; massimo.dalmonte@unipi.it; riccardo.ruffoli@unipi.it; francesco.fornai@unipi.it).
Assessment methods
  • Oral exam. This exam consists of a conversation between the student and the examiner of approximately 30 – 45 minutes. This exam is not passed if:
  1. the student does not speak clearly and using appropriate terminology.
  2. the student cannot pick at least the fundamental aspects of the issues discussed during the course.
Updated: 16/07/2018 14:32