Neurobiology of Behavior

Code:

MI013

Acronym:

MI013

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Medicine

Instance: 2014/2015 - SP

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Departamento de Anatomia
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master in Medicine

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIMED	10	Mestrado Integrado em Medicina 2007	6	-	2	32	54
		Mestrado Integrado em Medicina- Plano oficial 2013 (Reforma Curricular)	6	-	2	32	54

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The main goal of this course is to help students to understand how specific motor, limbic, and cognitive functions emerge within the brain. This will be achieved by acquiring and integrating knowledge from several disciplines, such as neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry and behavioral neuroscience. The students will be familiarized with modern experimental techniques used to investigate the neuronal basis of behavior. Finally, the students will familiarize themselves with the interests and motivations that have driven the investigation of the linkage between neural circuitry and complex behaviors.

Learning outcomes and competences

Describe the neuronal circuits underlying the human brain functions, including learning and memory, conditioning, skills and habits, motor memory, fear, anxiety, hunger, reproduction, pleasure and reward. Relate structural, neurochemical and neurophysiological alterations in the nervous system to behavioral abnormalities present in patients. Demonstrate the ability to conduct a critical analysis of neuronal mechanisms underlying neurological, psychiatric and psychosomatic pathologies using existing bibliographic sources and data bases.

Working method

Presencial

Program

 1. Overview of structure of the brain and its sensorial, limbic, motor, associative, higher cognitive and motor functions. 2. Classical and operant conditioning; overview of the basic concepts in learning and memory. 3. Memory systems: limbic system and hippocampal formation, explicit memory and amnesia. 4. Memory systems: importance of basal ganglia and cerebellum in learning skills and habits and in motor memory. 5. Amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex: fear, anxiety, aggression, depression. 6. Hypothalamus: defense, feeding and reproduction. 7. Ventral striatum, ventral tegmental area and dopamine in reward, pleasure, and addictions. 8. Molecular mechanisms of neuronal plasticity. 9. Cognitive aspects of chronic pain; brain circuits of justice.

Mandatory literature

Fundamental Neuroscience. Oxford Univ., Elsevier Science, New York, Larry R Squire, 2004 or newer

Teaching methods and learning activities

In addition to traditional lectures providing background on neural systems selected for the insight that they provide to behavioral principles, we shall have seminar studies consisting in analyzing both classic and up-to-date scientific papers and discussing their methods and conclusions. In addition, two class periods will be spent observing animal behavior and analyzing brain materials in order to get an appreciation of modern neuroscience methods.

Software

Não aplicavel
Not applicable

keywords

Health sciences > Neuroscience > Neurobiology
Health sciences > Neuroscience > Neuropsychology
Health sciences > Neuroscience > Neurophysiology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Defesa pública de dissertação, de relatório de projeto ou estágio, ou de tese	10,00
Participação presencial	90,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de relatório/dissertação/tese	5,00
Estudo autónomo	26,00
Frequência das aulas	5,00
Realização de Estágio	5,00
Total:	41,00

Eligibility for exams

Distribution assessment fulfilled

Calculation formula of final grade

The distributed evaluation will provide a total of 18 values to the final classification and will be calculated as a sum of the classifications obtained by each student in each study subject (2 values per theme). Classifications obtained for monographs and/or oral presentations (1 or 2 values) will be added to the classification obtained during the distributed evaluation to yield the final classification.

Examinations or Special Assignments

At the end of the course each student can wish to write a monograph or present a brief talk correlating morphological and physiological alterations with a chosen behavioral pathology.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

According to the regulations of the FMUP

Classification improvement

According to the regulations of the FMUP

Observations

The chapters for reading will be provided from the following books:

Fundamental Neuroscience, 2012, Larry R. Squire (Editor), Oxford University, Elsevier Science, New York;

Biological Psychology: An Introduction to Behavioral, Cognitive, and Clinical Neuroscience, 2010, by S. Marc Breedlove, Neil V. Watson and Mark R. Rosenzweig. Sinauer Associates, Berkeley;

The Human Brain. An Introduction to its Functional Anatomy – J. Nolte, 6ª Edição, Mosby Elsevier, 2009;

Up-to-date review and research papers will be suggested for each theme.