Description
Neuronal and cognitive systems cannot be modeled without knowledge of the basics of Neurosciences, from the molecular to the integrated level, involved in cognition and behaviors. The first part of the program focuses on elementary neurophysiology and neuroanatomy. What are the different subparts constituting the nervous system and what are their main roles? How are neurons constituted? How do they generate activity and communicate with other neurons? The second part of the program explores, with an integrative perspective, the neurobiological basis for higher mental functions through several examples. Sensorimotor functions are at the root of all the other processes. So the study of feeding behaviors is a good way to learn about the bio-logic of elementary behaviors, starting from the physiology of the autonomic nervous system and ending with neuroethological issues. Learning and memory are the basic processes of higher mental functions and also hot topics with applications in many domains. In addition to all these fundamentals, the course also explains the materials and methods used in cognitive neurosciences to obtain data at the different levels of organization of nervous, cognitive and behavioral systems.- Syllabus
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The 1st lecture will be a general presentation of the architecture of the central nervous system (brain and medulla), from the macroscopic to the microscopic level. We will present the anatomy of the nervous system, its development and evolution, its organization and functioning at the cellular level (neurons and synapses, glia). We will present some useful tools to discover the central nervous system.
The 2nd lecture will present the functioning of several sensory systems and what we know about the mechanisms of perception. We will start with senses using mechanical transduction, such as somatosensory systems (tact, proprioception, interoception), then focus on senses using chemical transduction such as audition and gustation, and we will end with vision. We will evoke the role of associative cortices in the integration of the sensory experience.
The 3rd lecture will give an overview in Neuro-endocrinology, presenting the various hormonal systems regulating the body homeostasis (metabolism, temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, etc…) and how they are controlled by the brain.
The 4th lecture will present the motor systems, from the circuits governing reflexes to those involved in complex voluntary movements.
The 5th lecture will focus on the brain circuits controlling feeding behavior and will present the gut-brain axis.
The 6th lecture will present the interactions between the neuro-endocrine systems and the immune systems, a new field called psycho-neuro-endocrinology.
The 7th lecture will present three examples of pathologies (depression, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease) in which a dysfunctoin of both the nervous and the immune system is involved.
During all the lectures, we will give examples of pathologies of the central nervous system. We will also propose to the students some article reading on several related topics and we will ask the students to make rapid presentations to the others on the topics they will have chosen.
| teacher | face to face hours | working hours | ects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Guyon Ingrid Bethus Fabrizio Capitano |
30 | 60 | 6 |