Neurosciences. Barbara Monti

Course aims:  This course is focused on information-processing, coding and storage and on action-plan and execution by the nervous system, including movement, language and speech. It refers to cognitive processes and to physiological, cellular and molecular mechanisms which underlie these functions. In particular, at the end of the course, the student is able to: manage the information received; read and comprehend neuroscience papers; use this neuroscience background for bioinformatics.
Course contents: The major topics include: basic anatomy of the nervous systems; “brain atlas”; neurons and brain non-neuronal cells; membrane potentials; graded and action potentials; electrical and chemical synapsis; neurotransmitter; ionotropic and metabotropic receptors; sensation and perception; from sensory inputs to action: sensory system and motor control; auditory and vestibular system; chemical senses: touch and smell; visual system; plasticity during development and in the adult brain; learning and memory; cognitive basis of emotions; language and speech; brain lateralization.

Readings/Bibliography: Kandel ER, Schwartz JH, Jessell TM. Principles of Neural Science, 4th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2000.
Puves D, et al. Neuroscience, 3rd ed., 2004, Sinauer Associates Inc.
Gazzaniga M.S., The Cognitive Neurosciences III: Third Edition, Bradford Books, 2004.

Teaching methods: Lectures.
Assessment methods: Oral interview.
Teaching tools: Power point slides presentation.