SU802: Medical neurobiology (5 ECTS)

STADS: 29000801

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the autumn semester.

Teacher responsible
Email: aasvenningsen@health.sdu.dk

Timetable
Show entire timetable
Show personal time table for this course.

Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
None

Course introduction
Medical Neurobiology explores the physiology and organization of the human nervous system. The course is designed for master students studying Biomedicine. It builds upon knowledge acquired in prior studies of cellular and molecular biology, general physiology, and human anatomy. The course will give students an understanding of the essential principles of neurological function, from cellular and molecular mechanisms of neural signaling and plasticity to the organization and function of sensory and motor systems. It also emphasizes the neurobiological foundation for understanding cognition, mental illness and disorders of human behavior.

Expected learning outcome
The learning objectives of the course are that the student demonstrates the ability to account for:

• Gross anatomy of the nervous system.

• Meningues and CNS blood supply
• Cerebrospinal fluid production circulation and function.
• Cellular organization and function of the nervous system
• The electrochemical properties of neurons, incl. initiation and propagation of action potentials (nerve impulses).
• Signal transduction in the synapse, incl. transmitter functions and possibilities for modulation of signal transmission.
• Spinal cord and brain stem afferent and efferent connections and the neuronal basis for most important reflexes.
• Peripheral somatosensory and visceral sensory receptors, propagation of somatosensory information from the periphery to the cerebral cortex.
• Senses (vision, hearing, balance, taste, smell) and the propagation of the sensory information from the peripheral receptors to the cerebral cortex, sense reflexes.
• Structural and functional organization of the motor pathways from cerebral cortex to muscle.
• Functional interaction between primary cortical motor areas and other cortical areas.
• Structural and functional organization of the basal ganglia and connected brain areas.
• Cerebellum: structure and functional organization of the cerebellum.
• Structural and functional organization of the thalamus and the cerebral cortex.
• Modulation of cerebral cortical activity and the neural background for consciousness, sleep and arousal.
• Cognitive functions, incl. language, perception of space, self and personality.
• The structural and functional organization of the limbic system, the neural basis for emotions, motivation, learning and memory.

Subject overview
The following main topics are contained in the course:

• Nervous system gross anatomy including cellular neurobiology, basal neurophysiology and neurotransmission and blood supply
• Spinal cord structural and functional organization with emphasis on spinal reflexes and sensory and motor pathways
• Structural and functional organization of the brain stem and cerebral cortex
• Sensory systems, incl. special senses (vision, hearing, balance, taste, smell)
• Motor systems, incl. basal ganglia and cerebellum
• The limbic system, emotions, learning and memory
• Cerebral cortex, cortical functions, consciousness/arousal and sleep.

Literature

• Purves et al: Neuroscience, 5th edition.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:

1. Written exam without aids. Allowed IT-tools: Word, pen and scanner. Evaluated by Danish 7-mark scale and internal examiner. (5 ECTS). (29000802).

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.
Intro phase: 30 hours
Skills training phase: 22 hours, hereof:
 - Tutorials: 18 hours
 - Laboratory exercises: 4 hours

Educational activities

Educational form

Language
This course is taught in Danish or English, depending on the lecturer.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.