Fundamentals of Neuroscience: A Beginner's Guide

Course Description

Summary

What are the biological bases of perception, action, movement, and thought? Why and how do we remember (or forget) our everyday experiences? Why are playing the violin, performing a dance, or simply throwing a ball or frisbee so deliberative and effortful when we are first learning these skills, yet so automatic and free of thought after years of training and experience? How does the human brain--a two-and-a-half-pound mass of gelatinous tissue--give rise to creative acts of beauty, self-destructive behaviors, or simply the ritual actions of everyday life? To answer this last question, we need to confront the more fundamental problems posed by the first three questions. In this course, we will explore the multifarious roles of the nervous system, including: 1) the anatomy and physiology that underlie internal representations of the world; 2) the central organization and direction of behavior; and 3) the forge of all that is creative in human pursuits. We will approach the nervous system from both the bottom-up (i.e., neuronal function) and top-down (i.e., how a visual scene is created; neurological and psychiatric pathologies), as well as explore the manner in which brain structures are built during development and were elaborated upon over the course of evolution.