Behavioral Neuroscience Psychology And Psychology

PSYC362: Behavioral Neuroscience, Fall 2015 Instructor: Dominika Hosovà ¡ (dhosova@aol.com) Office: 717 X Building Textbook: Biopsychology, 9th edition, by John Pinel Class time: 9:00-10:15 TuTh Intro: Behavioral Neuroscience is a beginner’s course that will introduce you to the basic overarching concepts where neuroscience and psychology intersect. We will cover a broad range of topics, in the hopes of gaining some understanding and appreciation for how the processes within the brain ultimately lead to our behaviors. Everything we do, think, say, feel, dream, desire, despise, and question, is a function of the chemical and electrical balance within our brain tissue. This class is the first step down the path of learning what we†¦show more content†¦Overall course organization: This course will essentially be comprised of three arcs. In the first arc, we will study how the nervous system is put together (anatomy) and how the neural cells process the information that our sensory organs provide them with (physiology). You will gain an in-depth understanding of how neurons, their synapses, and the local neurotransmitters, all function together. In the second arc , we will move on to discussing how sensation is processed – most of the factual information will come from the textbook, and we will devote class time to discussing why, rather than how. Why does it make sense for the visual system to essentially be â€Å"backward†, why is pain processed differently than regular sensation, why do rhythmic behaviors like walking need to be so tightly monitored, etc. In the third and final arc, we will move on to complex behaviors, such as learning, sleep, sexual reproductive behaviors, and, time permitting, recovering from physical injury to the brain. Readings: Prior to every lecture, you will be expected to have completed the assigned reading. This means reading the material carefully, in a quiet environment, and taking notes on it. After the first several lectures, the material that is covered