Course content

The course is an introduction to systems neuroscience from the starting point of sensory and motor systems. The course begins with an introduction to the anatomy and development of the nervous system with emphasis on the central nervous system. This part of the course describes the organization of the CNS and the major subdivisions with some comparative notes, and a description of the embryonal development of the CNS, including neuronal diversification and migration. The description of sensory systems includes the molecular and cellular aspects of sensory transduction, sensory coding in individual cells, sensory processing along pathways. The anatomical organization of sensory pathways and the functional implication of connectivity motifs is emphasized. The course proceeds with the description of motor generation in the spinal cord and descending mechanisms of motor control from brainstem and cortex. The description of motor systems includes the mechanisms of action selection, reinforcement learning, control of balance and coordination

Learning outcome

After completing and passing the NEVR3002 course, students will achieve the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

1. Exhibit a comprehensive understanding of the anatomy and physiology of sensory and motor systems of vertebrates.
2. Demonstrate specialized knowledge of concepts on systems-level organization.
3. Communicate a thorough understanding of the neural signaling mechanisms underlying sensory processing of all modalities and the generation of motor programs
4. Apply critical thinking to understanding dysfunction and diseases involving sensory and motor systems.

Skills

1. Understand scientific literature related to Systems Neuroscience.
2. Communicate with clarity concepts related to sensory processing and motor control.
3. Conceive an experimental design to solve problems related to sensory and motor systems by choosing the adequate techniques.

General competence

1. Competence in analyzing relevant literature on sensory and motor systems and put it into a broader context.
2. Competence in critical thinking to understand dysfunctions of sensory and motor systems based on the knowledge acquired in the course.
3. Competence in understanding the cognitive and computational implications of sensory processing and motor control that are the subject of courses of the second semester

Learning methods and activities

The course is taught in the autumn semester with a final examination at the end of the semester.

The language of teaching and examination is English.

The course consists of a series of in person lectures covering the learning outcomes and sessions of literature discussion. The reading material is fundamental for preparing the exam. The lectures are meant to complement the reading material and allow students to achieve the learning outcomes by exploring original scientific material beyond the textbook. Participation in class is strongly recommended for achieving the learning outcomes. Participation is defined as asking questions, answering questions, participating in problem solving exercises, or even emailing the lecturers. The course includes workshops to explore publicly available neuroscience datasets from the Allen Institute for Brain Science. One laboratory session in neuroanatomy is included in the course.

Recommended previous knowledge

We recommend that NEVR3001 (Cellular and Systems Neuroscience) is taken in parallel with NEVR3002. S We highly recommend that the students take the Neuroscience master's courses in sequence (NEVR3001, NEVR3002, NEVR3003, NEVR3004), as they build upon each other.

The students should have achieved good competence in general cellular biology and animal or human physiology during their Bachelor studies. This could be achieved through course such as BI1001, BI1006 offered at NTNU or similar course in other universities.

Required previous knowledge

This course has restricted admission. Students admitted to the MSc in Neuroscience are guaranteed a seat. Other students must apply for a seat by the given deadlines.

Course materials

The recommended textbook is:

Neuroscience 7th edition, Augustine, Groh, Huettel, LaMantia, White, Oxford University Press

Additional material will be shared with individual lectures.