The principal aim of the course is the acquisition of the theoretical and applicative principles of neurophysiology. The primary goal is to transmit to students the basic language and fundamental knowledge necessary to analyze and comprehend the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the major cognitive, emotional and behavioral functions in animals and men.

The course will deal with the following subjects, presented in the temporal order as indicated below:

• Perception: the visual system and visual perception (lesson 1 - 5).
• Action: the anatomo-functional organization of motor system; movement control and planning; sensory-motor coordination; role of basal ganglia in motor control and cognitive behavior (lesson 6 - 9).
• Emotion: definition, theories, and neurobiological correlates of emotions. Influences of emotions on sensory and cognitive functions. Emotion regulation (lesson 10 - 14).
• Memory: declarative and non-declarative memory. The neurophysiological bases of mnestic processes (lesson 14 - 18).

No bridging courses are reported

In line with Dublin Descriptors, at the end of the course students will have to demonstrate the following learning achievements:

·  Knowledge and comprehension ability: knowledge and clear understanding of the basic neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the fundamental cognitive and behavioral functions;

·  Applied knowledge and comprehension: ability to describe experimental studies and relative underlying working hypotheses, and to describe the experimental findings and their interpretation;

·  Autonomy of judgment: capacity of using knowledge and concepts to reason in an autonomous fashion on the various subjects presented during the course, with critical ability and autonomy of judgment;

·  Communicative skills: ability of using language and specific terminology appropriately, and ability of exposing the various topics in a clearly and logically organized way;

·  Ability to learn: ability to autonomously perform a literature search in order to acquire further knowledge on topics related to the discipline

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Integrative lessons and seminars

Teaching

Frontal lessons

Attendance

Attendance is not obligatory

Course books

Purves, Cabeza, Huettel, LaBar, Platt, Woldorff. “Principles of Cognitive neuroscience”. Synauer Associate. Inc., second edition 2013

Assessment

Written exam (brief essays), consisting in two open-ended questions. The exam lasts two hours. Here follows a complete list of the questions:

• Anatomical and functional organization of subcortical visual pathways: from the retina to visual cortex.
• Main characteristics of the functional organization of the primary visual cortex: topography, magnification, modularity.
• Anatomical and functional organization of cortical visual system: ventral and dorsal pathways.
• The ventral pathway and face/object recognition.
• Motor and premotor cortical areas: anatomy and physiological role in the organization of voluntary movement
• Basal ganglia: anatomy and physiological role in motor control and cognitive functions.
• Declarative memory: definition and classification; brain regions involved in coding, consolidation, storing and retrieval of episodic and semantic memory.
• Emotions: definition and classification; biological theories of emotions. Neurophysiological approaches to emotions: anatomy and physiology of cortical and subcortical areas involved in emotional processing.
• Interactions between emotions and cognitive functions. Emotion regulation.
• Understanding actions and emotions of others: mirror system, theory of mind, empathy.

When answering any of the questions listed above, the student will benefit from following a general conceptual scheme:

• Introducing the issue: the student should provide accurate and clear definitions and description of the psychic processes in object;
• Discuss the neurobiological correlates of psychic processes in object, reporting the most fundamental neurophysiological evidence (i.e. electrophysiology, neuroimaging, ecc) coming from animal and human studies;
• Discuss neuropsychological and clinical findings when they help clarify the neurophysiological correlates of the psychic processes in object (i.e., brain lesions).

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Subjects and contents of the course are the same as for attending students. As for attending students, teaching material will be made available by the lecturer, together with other supporting activities, inside the Moodle platform.

Attendance

Attendance is not obligatory

Course books

  Purves, Cabeza, Huettel, LaBar, Platt, Woldorff. “Principles of Cognitive neuroscience”. Synauer Associate. Inc., second edition 2013

Assessment

Written exam (brief essays), consisting in two open-ended questions. The exam lasts two hours. Here follows a complete list of the questions:

• Anatomical and functional organization of subcortical visual pathways: from the retina to visual cortex.
• Main characteristics of the functional organization of the primary visual cortex: topography, magnification, modularity.
• Anatomical and functional organization of cortical visual system: ventral and dorsal pathways.
• The ventral pathway and face/object recognition.
• Motor and premotor cortical areas: anatomy and physiological role in the organization of voluntary movement
• Basal ganglia: anatomy and physiological role in motor control and cognitive functions.
• Declarative memory: definition and classification; brain regions involved in coding, consolidation, storing and retrieval of episodic and semantic memory.
• Emotions: definition and classification; biological theories of emotions. Neurophysiological approaches to emotions: anatomy and physiology of cortical and subcortical areas involved in emotional processing.
• Interactions between emotions and cognitive functions. Emotion regulation.
• Understanding actions and emotions of others: mirror system, theory of mind, empathy.

When answering any of the questions listed above, the student will benefit from following a general conceptual scheme:

• Introducing the issue: the student should provide accurate and clear definitions and description of the psychic processes in object;
• Discuss the neurobiological correlates of psychic processes in object, reporting the most fundamental neurophysiological evidence (i.e. electrophysiology, neuroimaging, ecc) coming from animal and human studies;
• Discuss neuropsychological and clinical findings when they help clarify the neurophysiological correlates of the psychic processes in object (i.e., brain lesions).

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.